The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-04-30
TEE PRESS UPON THE CHEAT
CALAMITY. go
From the Philadelphia Press.

+. Z. -----
From the Philadelphia Press.
TIE DIsAsrEE.
Richmond win soon draw on itself an un-
enviable reputation as the scene of grand
disasters. Tt was only last summer that the
terrible bridge accident occurred there, and
its horrors are yet resh when the news Of
last night comes to eclipse them. In our tele-
graphic columns will be found q detailed
statement Of the accident, togher with full
List OF the killed and wounded. twill be seen
gram which bears the intelligence Of this
sad catastrophy will send thrill Of horror
over all the country, and even to Europe,
which seems to have been very substantially
represented in the victims.
For Virginia the loss is deplorable, and
it will be years before she can recover from
the shock. Just at this juncture, when
she is attempting political recuperation,
and apparently succeeding, she can Ill
afford the sudden taking off of so many Of
her representative men and most energetic
and enterprising citizens.
It is not to be wondered at, however,
that just such accidents should be frequent
at Richmond. The strain on the public
buildings and structures of that city since
1850 has been severe beyond calculation,
and very little, If anything, has been done
in the way of repairs. In fact, this is the
condition of the whole South in its present
prostration and poverty. The railroads,
the bridges, the churches, the theatres, of
all that country have not only had the extra
not, with few exceptions, enjoyed the
benefit Of repairing, or even Of good care.
We may look for many such unfortunate
occurrences as the one which this morning
riyets the attention of the nation.
In this connection we may refer to the
general insecurity of public buildings eve
ryWhere, and the consequent ever-imminent
danger to those whom duty or pleasure
calls to large assemblies. There are build
ings in Philadelphia-ther are buildings,
perhaps, in every large town in the State
in which no experienced man ever enters
without uneasiness or a positive sense Of
danger. All the inspection laws seem to be a
failure. However perfect they may be on
paper, in execution they are always imper-
feet. The only remedy for this wrong lies
with the people in their individual capacity.
They can insure their own personal safety
entering public building that is not beyond
suspicion.
From the New York Herald.
The last Richmond horror is of class
with such great calamities as the Greenwich
avenue school disaster, nearly twenty years
and the loss of the Oneida.
The building where the disastrous ca.
lamity occurred is an old structure, built
some time i'll the days Of the Revolution
It is almost rotten and sodden with age
The timbers that supported this floor were
worn out, warped, and rickety, with time
and decay. It may have been pride in the
old Capitol as landmark rather than neg
lect or parsimony that prevented its de
structiOn long ago and the erection OF s
new capitol building, but such crowd a.
thronged its floors Wednesday should never
have been permitted to trust their weight
on its sodden timbers.
From The New York Times.
An inspector Of public buildings Is ar
officer much needed in more cities than one
If there had been such an officer in Rich
mond, and he had performed his duty, the
disaster we report to-day would never have
occurred. A large crowd assembled in the
upper portion Of the capitol building to
hear judicial decision. In moment the
floor gave way, and the spectators fell
through to the House of Delegates, more
than twenty being killed or severely
| wounded in the fall, while upward of two
hundred were injured. There are many
buildings in which crowds assemble liable tC
| the same kind of accident almost any day
Would it be too much trouble to have {
proper inspection OF them made from time
! to time?
From the New York World
The catastrophe in Richmond instinc
| lively calls to mind that other dreadful ca
lamity associated with the history Of tn
capital Of Virginia-the burning of the the
atre in 1911. Then, rs yesterday, the live
Of many Of the brightest and best of thu
citizens were destroyed, and the details
when known, sent sickening shuddel
through the land. The horrors Of that da,
are almost eclipsed by the State House dis
aster. OF course, somebody is to blame
The building is old. It was either badl,
constructed or is out of repair. The ad
mission of an immense crowd to the uppe
story of such an edifice shows extraordinary,
neglect on the part of the officers of tn
court. No doubt rigid investigation will
be had but in the meanwhile is it not wei
to inquire if life is not tempered with dali,
| in other localites-our own, for instance
where large audiences are in the habit O
assembling? The Richmond tragedy
| mournful though it is, would serve pur
pose if it called attention to the condition
| of all other rickety public buildings.
From the Charleston News.
THE CATASTROPHE IN RICHMOND.
Since the burning of the Richmond Thea
tire, many years ago, the capital of the Oh
| Dominion in times of peace has known NJ
such tragedy as that which yesterda,
brought mourning and desolation to hun
bred happy homes. No wisdom, no fore
sight, could have guarded against thi
catastrophe, and it is worthy Of remarl
that many of the victims whose names art
reported in our dispatches were engaged q
the time of the accident in the discharge o
the duties of their Office. These men fell il
the path Of duty as truly as though thei
lives had been offered up bloody sacritic
to the stern God of War.
In moments of great grief words are a
nothing, but it may tighten the weight c
some anguished breast to know that tn
blow which wounds the motherly heart G
the Old Dominion eXcites the liveliest syn
patty in the thoughts of all our people. S
many ties Of descent and friendliness unit
this State to Virginia that dolour whic
bows the lofty head of the "Mother (
States" cannot fail to arouse in the mind (
every South Carolinian the warmest fee
ings of sorrow and regret.
| DIED.