The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-04-28
The Terrible Calamity.

II Yesterday occurred the gTtatsssc ai''ssaS'
that ever afflicted this city save the burning
of the Theatre In 1911. 1t was oceas''n S,a
by the falling In of the hoor OF .n ia
Senate chamber, in the CAPITOL VIZ -
now used for the sessions OF tne oufs -
Court OF Appeals of this State.
Eleven o'clock was the hour for the mee',
Ing of the court, and 1t being undefs.ooo
that there would be announced the aeci'
sion upon the question Of the constitu1lon-
ality of the enabling act, "-other"ise
known as the CHAHooN-ELLTsos case
which has excited so much interest IN talS
community large number of citizens
assembled In the gallery and space in front
of the bench before the hour appointed.
The weight of such a packed mass was too
great for the imperfectly- INSTRUCTED moor
Ing and yet more faulty gallery, which was
suspended from the upper joists in most
defective manner. The gallery first Tell
forward, the floor yielding instantly and
going down with it, carrying the packed
body of men to the floor of the House o.
Delegates, fully twenty feet below. AS
fearful and fatal as this was, the heavy cell
Ing ard the timbers which supported 1t de-
scended along with the mass, greatly IN
creasing the mortality. Fitty-six were
killed outright, and others may die from IN
juries received.
Had the catastrophe occurred ten mi
nutes earlier possibly half the members OF
the House of Delegates would have been
killed By the falling Of the mass upon them'
for caucus OF the great majority OF the
body had adjourned probably not ten
minutes before the occurrence ; or had the
hour for the meeting Of the court been Il
instead of II o'clock, like destruction OIL
life would have taken place, for the Legls-
Iature would then have been in session.
The scene carnot be described, nor can it
be appreciated by those who did not WIT
ness 1t. The mass of human beings that
fell were SO mixed up with the heavy tim
bers and rubbish that they had to be dlsen-
gagged with great labor. The sight OF the
dead and wounded as they were slowly let
down from the windows of the House OF
Delegates the door Of which was blocked
I'D by the ruins) was heart-rendlne. 30
covered with dust and blood were they that
/ it was difficult to recognize them. Inc
great body of people outside swayed with
anxiety and grief. Many hundreds watched
eagerly for friends and relatives who were
known to have been in the courtroom,
! and each body that appeared in the
hands of the indefatigable men who
worked for the relief of those buried with
the. ruins was scanned with closest scrutiny
by thousand eyes.
The reporters for the Dispatch have
gathered all the particulars of this terrible
event that were obtainable. We refer the
readers to their full details.
This calamity has filled the city with
gloom, and bowed the public spirit to that
providential dispensation which it is not for
\ us to criticize, but which it is our duty to
4 turn to our own good by the practice of the
q public and private virtues which affection
teaches all intelligent and wise communities
This disaster has swept through oil classes
4 of the community. None escape. Some Of ou
best and most distinguished citizens have pc
rished in it. Legislators, lawyers, citizens
i State and municipal officers, a Journalist, an'
4 private citizens, are all numbered in the Lis
= of dead, as also in the larger list Of wound
4 ed. Richmond il chief mourner; but near
81 " every section of the State shares in tn
q immediate results of the calamity, while w
know that the people Of the entire Com
n monwealth will feel the affliction as tlei
~ own,