The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-04-09

holts. splinters, and stones, fell in showers.
The vindows Of passing 'busses and car-
r;aoea were blown in. Firemen soon ar
riyed. got the flames under, and cut OF all
communication with the other explosive
notters in the establishment. The tenants
in the upper part of the house, finding
their epress cut off by the smoke and
fnmes OF the exploded matter, began Jump
inc into the street, descending by sheets,
the rain spouts, and the interstices OF the
valls. The occupants of the houses IN
the vicinity added to the panic ana
danger by throwing tables and chairs
into the street. The son Of the proprle-
tor was found disfgured mass, with nus
chest burst open the cashier was ost
bombed piece Of flesh. In the opPos..o
house, the head Of clerk fell into o ara ~.
ing-room, boot was picked up WIN 'ns
bleeding toes attached, an ear was tounu
here, a piece of skull and nana tnsie;
One young girl was struck instantly ueal
and dumb of fright, and has since uieu'
The escapes were miraculous. nan sn
hour before the explosion, Marshal Mel,
the Minister of War, was in the shop IN
specting the compound that produced the
disaster. An assistant chemist was In the
act of consulting his watch, and had MS
other hand in his pocket, full of silver. he
felt himself sinking at once IN pitch dark-
ness, and in q mass of falling rubbish. He
was blown through window into the court,
ward, and picked up, watch in hand, and
the other in his pocket, more frightened
than hurt. The cause Of the accident orlgl-
mated from the explosion of some fifty pounds
of picrate of potash-a very in1amma-
BILE salt, prepared by the mixture of nitric
and picnic acids on potash, and very oltter'
hence it's name, from the Greek plcros,
sour. M. Fontaine was the discoVerer OF
the preparation, and was in the act OF send
ing it to Marseilles to charge marine TOT
pedoes. His only son was the trst Vlctim
of his terrible discovery. Much excite
ment prevails as to allowing such matters
to be stored in the heart of the city, ana IL
it alleged there are 325 establishments not
less perilously situated at the present mo
ment. The official inquiry shows that M.
Fontaine had violated the Law in keeping
the mixture on his premises, the splitting
and accidental treading on small portion
of which caused the terrible destruction.
All the bodies and the remains were con-
veyed, as required by law in cases of vlo-
lent death, to the Morgue; and q more
CHASTITY spectacle never was witnessed
within that lugubrious depot. On Sunday
morning FIVE hearses conveyed the remains
of the victims to their common grave, over
which NJ. Fontaine will erect a lifting
tomb. The mournful procession was fol-
lowed by thousands, and tears fell feelingly
and fast. The deceased were oil compare
lively young, and one of them was married.
Ten days beforehand, another OF the VIC
tins insured his life for 50,000f. as mar
rage settlement on the young lady that
was to be his bride the day she placed an
inmorteIle on his grave!
THE CARPENTERS.
On Friday the carpenters observed the
anniversary of their patron Saint, Joseph.
Over 1900 of the craft marched in process
sion, music at the heed, to Notre Dame,
where a high mass was celebrated. A
splendid carriage contained fourteen ap-
prentices, who held up kind of wooden
pagoda, in the construction of which not
tool was employed. Along with this was
o statue of the Virgin, the "mother" of
the honorable guide guild whose authen-
tic records date from Ammo Domino 529,
and which was originally founded in Judea,
Syria, and Egypt, and transplanted to the
West by some Of the craftsmen returning
! from the first crusades. After the mass,
the brothers passed the day and night over
| q sumptuous dinner and at brilliant ball.
PALM SUNDAY,
though o raw, rheumatic day, saw the
chapels very crowded with ladies'. Hardly
any" palm is employed on this occasion,
"box" being substituted. The railways
delivered in this city upwards of $4,000
bundles of box, which, at twelve francs
and half each, represents total of $780,
OOOf., to meet the demands on Sunday, all
of which finds its way to the traditional
endezvous-introibo ad a!tare domini.
Outside of the chapel, men, women, and
children, sell sprigs of box, which the pur-
chasers display in their hats, bonnets, and
caps, aud place over their beds beside a
cruci6x. The Archbishop of Paris pre-
scented the Imperial family with palm.
THE HAM FAIR,
which annually takes place during Holy
Week." promises, as it is about opening, to
be very successful. 1t is here that Paris
purchases its yearly stock. The good citi-
zens like hams, but have yet to learn how
to cook and cut them. 1t must be the
dread of " trichiancss" that makes them
be cooked to chip, and q largeness Of
heart that causes them to be cut in junks.
Several gourmets import hams ready
cooked from London. IN addition to hams
from Germany, Italy, England, and Spain,
this year Cincinnati and Quebec send sau-
sages and pork, and Russia, Switzerland,
Bohemia, and Upper Canada, bear hams
and tongues.
THE COOPERATIVE MOVEMENT
fourishes nowhere so luxuriously and go
extensively as in France, the Government
encouraging it in every way. The various
societies intend taking another step in adj
vance, and one much needed-namely, to
found cooperative joint stock bank. 1t is
q common remark that no tradesmen are so
comfortable, thrifty, and intelligent, as
those associated with q cooperative society.
| sHAwLs.
The latest, and, the weather considered,
not bad fashion, among the ladies is the
prevailing taste for Cachemere shawls.
The more costly the better, except for those
who, as Panurge says, labor under fux-
ion of the purse" Shawls have this ad-
vantage, as is daily illustrated, that the
wearer can drape her fairy form as she
pleases so there is less likelihood Of the
same plan of folding being extensively pi-
rated.
| SUICIDE.
A poor fellow, few MORNINGS ago, took
off his coat, assembled the parapet of g