The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-05-05
The Richmond Calamity.

The telegraphic dispatches relative to the
terrible calamity which occurred at Richmond
last week will be found upon our outside pages
to-day. These dispatches present, in sue
cinct form, the particulars of the melancholy
scene and read in connection will furnish a
complete history of events during several days
of sorrow and lamentation among the good
people of Richmond. Every Confederate SOL
dier, whose lot caused him sojourn among
the iberal-hearted and generous citizens of
that city, will read the story Of this disaster
with genuine and unaffected sorrow. Through
long years, the devoted women of Richmond
alleviated the suferings of the sick and woun-
ded to the fullest extent of their abilities, and
their prayers and sympathies were waited on
every breeze to the homes of the dead and dy-
ing. In this hour of their deep distress, it is
natural that a kindred feeling is awakened ii
the breasts of surviving soldiers and relatives,
and the impulse is quickened to send relief
and succor to the distressed widows and Or
phans, some of whom perchance gave food and
nourishment to our own blood. But the link
Of humanity and sympathy is not compassed
by sectional bounds, and from every quarter of
the Union are heard generous offers of assis-
lance and substantial aid. Every community
should cast in its mite to relieve the suffering
necessarily resulting from such dreadful ca
tastrophe. AS an addenda to the dispatches
referred to, containing other and more particu-
lar information touching this event, we give
the principal portion of an account copied
from the Enquirer of the 28th ult. 1t is stated
that some ffty-seven persons were killed and
nearly two hundred wounded:
The daily papers having announced that the
Court of Appeals would make their decision at
II o'clock, in the Ellyson-Chahoon Mayoralty
case, an immense crowd packed the courtroom,
in the second story of the Capitol, before the
hour named. The courtroom is just over the
hall of the House of Delegates, and was lite
rally packed in every part, with persons carer
to hear the expected decision. Suddenly the
packed gallery gave way, and was thrown for
ward with heavy conclusion, into the centre
of the courtroom. This occurrence, with the
rush and surging of the crowd, caused the
and sink in cloud of dust, and, laden with its
the House of Delegates below. The mass
which fell buried beneath its ruins the persons
who happened then to be in the hall. 1t is
exceedingly fortunate that the catastrophe hap
pened at the early hour of II for if it had oc-
Cured after the House of Delegates had met,
scarcely any of the members could have es-
capped. A large meeting of Delegates which
had been held in the hall had just adjourned.
The scene which was presented after the fall OF
the suspended courtroom was frightful beyond
description. A thick cloud of dust filled the
vast space. Every individual of the vast
throng of human beings was begrimmed with
dust. Many were bleeding and groaning from
the injuries they had received. Many lay dead
in the promiscuous crowd. Through the in
cumbent floor of the fallen room, the legs and
arms and heads of the persons who had been
caught beneath it, were protrueling some still
under the spell of death; others moving in
efforts at extrication, or in the agony OF pain
and suffering.
The greater number of the persons who went
down with the floor, readily made their escape
from the hall below. Those who were struck
by timbers and caught by the gallery above,
and those who were in the lower hall and
caught by the falling mass were the sufferers
from the occurrence.
It is a cause of thankfulness that so small q
proportion of the great number of persons who
were in the courtroom has been injured. The
Judges of the court itself all escaped un-
hurt. They were in the conference-room, just
about going into the courtroom, when the
floor sank. Very soon after the catastrophe
occurred, almost an instant, as it were, those
who were uninjured commenced most active
exertions to rescue those who were buried be-
meath the heavy joist, gallery, stair-ways, and
tons of fallen laths and plaster, and whose
groans could be heard rising in mourntul Ca
dence above the noise and confusion incident
to the horrid occasion.
Some thoughtful ones ran to the Dollhouse,
and, obedient to their suggestion, the bell-men
commenced tolling, which soon brought out all
the fire department and many citizens. The
report was rife and for some time believed,
that the Capitol was on fire.
When the fremen and citizens found out
what was demanded of them-help for the
helpless-they. went to work nobly, the former
with ladders and with their hands, and the lat
ter by every exertion of strength, endurance
and perseverance, to rescue their imprisoned
fellow -mortals. The heavy timbers, &C., had
been pitched out of the windows. The records
of the court such as had been recovered, were
thrown into the railing enclosing Washington's
statue, together with hundred hats and as
many shoes.
The corpses of those taken from the ruins
were all laid ON both sides of the capitol, as
were the wounded. The wounded and dead
were alike borne away as soon as their friends
could be informed of their condition.
The catastrophe destroyed the room of the
Supreme Court of Appeals, the Clerks office,
and completely wrecked the Hall of the House
of Delegates In the latter place, the Speak
or,e ond oil tl,a dooIo oaata on thp
East side side AWe were e. crushed u page page killed and
twenty members injured. Yesterday evening
at o'clock, the debris had been cleared off,
and the floor, covered with eighteen inches of
plaster and laths, was left in charge of po-
ficeman. 1t was considered hardly possible
that any more unfortunates were buried be-
Meath