The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-01-22
LOCAL MAr1nl1a

Aasidenf at de Black Esask Pits-Fsss Per.ov,
Riils6-A serious accident occurred q the Ri.rs
Heath Pits, IN Chesterfield county, on Mondsy
morring hst BY which fve persona, four black,
and one white, lost their lives. The particulars
- detailed 20 NJ by . gentleman in the neighbor
hood. are as follows:
About half past 7o'clock Monday morning, the
overman. Mr.. Allen, went down the shaft, In com
pauy with three others, In order to ses that the
shaft and pit were In proper condition for the men
to work In; and having satisfied himself that they
wereso, the box or cage In which he descended
was sent up-but Ia order to test the machinery,
which. in the present state Of the weather,
mp and down the shaft. Seeing that every
thing worked tremendously, four negro men
and . white lad were allowed TO descend -
At this time AID for some time previously the
Mining Agent, Mr.. Job Atkins, was at the pit
head" seeing to the safety and due order Of every
thing. He remained there until the men had de-
sceuded about half way, when he turned from It,
but had hardly done 80 before 1t was obvious from
the stoppage of the engine, that something was
wrong 1t was soon discovered that the cage
which contained the men. had by some means or
other, become detached from the rope and fallen
down the shaft, distance Of about three hum
dred feet. Three of the men were instant killed,
one survived about ten minutes and the other
about thirty minutes, but without betraying any
conscinusness, and consequently without throwing
any light on the cause of the accident.
As 10 what caused the accident it Ia difficult to
say but one thing seems clear-that by some
means or other momentary stoppage of the cage
10 its descent must have occurred which caused
aJerk, and which first broke the heavy ring which
attached the cage to the rope It is possible that
one of the men might have had his arm out or the
sleeve Of his coat, or his torch-or it might have
been jerk of the epgine-but this is mere conjec.
ture The overseer Of the pit, who was at the
mouth Of the shaft, does not think there was any
stoppage whatever The ring was of very heay
dimensions and would not, in spite of the weath.
er. have broken without a sudden and unusual
movement
The white person who lost his life was a lad,
aoout thirteen years of age son of Mr.. James
Pembarton, who resides near the pits. The negroes
were-BeDjamin and Washington, belonging to
Mr Spindle, of Caroline county Barley, owned
by Mr.. John Farrar; and John Logan, free man
Our informant says that the accident was one
not to be anticipated, and of course not easily
guarded against. He relieves the r.ansgers of all
biame, as they had tested the machinery before
the men started down the shaft
Increasing Salaries In our notice of the Council
proceedings published yesterday, was errone.
ously stated that Mr.. Saunders reported an ordi.
nance increasing the salary of the Assistant Cham
berain from $3.50 to $1,000 per annum. The ordi.
nance was brought in by Col Quarles, we believe
several meetings before, and referred to q COM
mitfee to be reported upon. That committee re-
ported it, and 1t was then laid on the table, from
as part of the unfinished business, and acted up.
on. We have made the above correction in justice
to Mr.. Saunders, who sustained the increase of
salary, on the ground that the services of the As
sistant Chamberlain were worth more than he now
received-that he could not support his family on
what he was gettipg-and that the city should
pay its employees fair price for their labors in
order to secure the services of the most competent
men, Mr. Saunders admitted that some of the
police did not receive an equivalent for the duties
rnnd md ccad hso ~Aa 1svpno On
vote for an Increase of pay whenever Mr.. Scott
the chairman of the Police Committee. should re-
port an ordinance to that end. The $3.50 allowed
the Assistant Chamberlain Clerk of the Fire
Department, was for services rendered at night,
and though paid by the city. was no part of the
compensation allowed him for his labors in the
Office of tine Chamberlain
PHILADELPHIA &eamers.-We learn from Mr. H. E
Tuttle, the agent of this line in this city, that the
steamer "Virginia" is now lying near Philadelphia,
in Cohunsey creek, who're she is detained by the
ice. The "City of Richmond has not yet sailed
from Philadelphia, because of the ice but the ice
boat Is steadily at work endeavorng to open a
channel.
Great Distress.-A charitable gentntleman, on
hearing of the distress of family on Shockoe
Hill, paid them p visit yesterday morning, and
found them in suffering condition. The mother
and four. children were hovered around a hand-
full OF embers, without mouthful to eat, and
the children were destitute of shoes and stockings
The gentleman alluded to, Immediately supplied
their wants, and left them quite comfortable with
the promise to see that they lacked for none of the
necessarieso of life again this winter. Such an ex-
ample is worthy of imitation. and we trust that
each Of our reaLers will profit by il, and do like.
wise The really deserving poor will not make
their wants known to strangers. Let them be
sought out and comforted in tlis their hour of
need.
Burials From Saturday night until yesterday
morning, the remains of several persons intended
for intermpnt could not be taken to their last rest.
ing place, because of the great difficulty iu vebi.
cles getting from Broad street to the Shockoe Hill
Cemetery. Men on horses have at length sue.
ceeded In opening the streets, and vehicles can
now pass.
UAoelcome Visiter.-So penetrating was the late
snow storm, that the attic rooms in hundred of pri
vae residences in this city were nearly filled with
snow, and as a consequence, house keepers have
done liste else siace Monday morning than tumble
the unwelcome visiter out of the windows In
some buildings less close than others, the snow
has dripped in large quantities between the wea-
ther boarding and piasteIing, and is now oozing
out IN pearly drops, into parlors and chambers In
all such residences the plasterers and painters will
have fne time when spring sets in.
Bu.-ard Roost, is the euphoneous title applied to
q certain locality at the head of the Basin, where
blacks and whites assemble to violate laws and
outrage public decency. From this dark spot
CatneIine Houston was summoned before the
Mayor, yesterday, TO answer the charge of per-
mitting an unlawful assembly of negroes In her
house, on Sunday last After. hearing two of the
watchmen, the madam was fiued SIS, and ordered
to break up her rookery in double quick time
The County Roads were all completely barricaded
by the late snow storm, but we understand that
the farmers along the MechanicsviIie Turnpike
have turned out in force and opened the way from
Ellis mill to the city. We learn from Mr.. Sydnor
who resides on Chickahomiuy Swamp, that on
getting near Fairfield Race Course; passway fol
teams had to be cut with shoves fDr three hundred
yards, so high were the snow drifts.
Full of Fight-Thomas Franklin, . young man
drank an overdose of bad spirits last Tuesday and
while under its banefu influence set about to have
q general breeze with an who came within hi,
reach. In passing along Broad street. he met two
quiet gentlemen, and pitched into them like
thousand of brick. Feeling no disposition to mea
sure strength with q stranger, the attacked party
beat retreat through the snow, leaving the 6elt
to his adversary. Not satisfied with this feat, Ton
moved on till be came up with Samuel Puryear
and immediately let loose on bin. Mr.. p. alss
fed, and on bis complaint franklin was called be
fore the Mayor yesterday morning, held to bail IL
tl00 to be Of good behavior, and fined sl for beint
'blues
The Meadop Bridge Road was opened from Cren
shaw . farm to this city yesterday, distance Q
ten miles, by persons residing along the road A
few gentlemen, with their servants on horses and
mules, started for Richmond early yesterday, ant
increased their strength by recruits from the Va
rious farms - they came along, until the cavai
cade numbered from seventy-dve TO one huudrc(