The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1870-05-07
from the +. o. Times
RICHMOND.
Serious Accident--Floor Of the Capt.
tol Building Gives Way-The Crowd
Precipitated to the Floor Below
List Of tho Killed and Wounded, etc.


! crowd collected this morning il
the upper portion Of the capital
building where the Supreme Court
of Appeals is located, to hear the
discussion in the case of Ellison
and Cahoon in their contest for
the, Mayoralty.
About IL A. NJ. the floor gave
way beneath the dense wei ght,
precipitating the crowd to the
tioor below, which was that of the
House Of Delegates.
1t is impossible to ascertain at
present the extent of the injuries
received, SO great is the excite
ment, but several were killed,
and a large number were severe
ly injured.
Many escaped the terrible fall
by jumping into the windows
when the floor gave way.
SECOND DISpATCH.-At terrible
calamity occurred here this morn
ing.
THE floor of the room in the
State capitol, occupied by the
Court OF Appeals, gave way and
precipitated the hundred therein
assembled upon the conservativ O
caucus, then sitting in the hall of
the House of Delegates below.
Among the killed are p. IL.
AYlctte, Il distinguished lawyer,
u. j. Is. Brock, a reporter, Sam'l
Eaton, Clerk IF Mayor Cahoon,
Capt. WIN. A Charles, Chief of
the Fire Department., w. z. How
ard, a lawyer; Mr.. Ashley, a Rich
mond merchant: Charles Watson,
of the GAINESVILLE Railroad, Hugh,
Hutcheson, and Lewis w. Webb,
OF this city; Mr.. Schofeld, a broth
er Of Gen. Schofeld; r. II. NIaury,
Jr., Senator Bland, colored, and
Powhatan Roberts.
p 1t is supposed that twenty mem
bers Of the Legislature were kill
cd and wounded.
The Judges of the Court of
Appeals all escaped unhurt.
Ex-Governor Wells was badly
injured.
James Meson and Judge Meri-
deth, counsel for Ellison, we're
also badly hurt.
About two hundred persons
were hurt by the accident, and
the greatest excitement prevails.
Hundreds of persons are assem-
bled on Capital Square, weeping
and wailing as the dead and dy-
ing are brought out Of the building.
Governor Walker escaped un-
hurt, though on the courtroom
floor at the time Of the accident.
April 2S.-This afternoon has
been one of funerals. In some Of
the churches three or four bodies
were before the altar at the same
time. Many of the ministers de-
nounced the carelessness OF mod
ern architecture, which placed
in jeopardy the lives of citizens.
IN nearly every street.in the city
funeral professions were moving
to the cemeteries. All business
suspended.
The Dispatch, State Journal
and other newspaper offices were !
draped in mourning; the flags on
the Capitol, the customhousc, and
all public buildings, and on all
the vessels in the harbor were at
half mast. The railroad trains |
coming into the city were cover
ed with emblems of mourning;
the trucks and carts through the
streets were also covered.
AT all the funerals the old Or
sanizations to which the deceas-
ed were attached turned out. At |
one Of them the State grand
division Of the Sons of Temper
ance, now in session here, follow
ed the corpse to the cemetery
At the mass meeting Of citizens
to-day, as mentioned at noon, the
following resolutions we're adopt
ed:
Resozrcd, That we mourn with
profound sorrow the loss which
our State and our city has sus-
tanned Of her citizens. That we
offer with saddened hearts and
fearful eyes our profoundest SYM
pathy to the bereaved and to the
suffering, and fervently pray that
as their days of affliction are so
nav tbair ctran 9th ha