The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-05-06
FfiAKlusAoND uAsuAfgy,

mona on, ,ths ssth, rom The sEasatre,.
Of ,! the esth: Fifty sevea person.
were killed md hoarly two hundred
iwounded--.some serloualyi
The daily pspefs having announced
make thcir decistoa at ii o'clock, In
tho Ellyson-Chahoon, Muyoralty caso
hn,imuiensgpro wd packed the court
room, IN Athe'sccohd story Of The CAP
itol, before tho hour named. Tho
courtroom Is just oyer the hall of tho
House of Delegates, and was literally
packed In every part, with persons
eager to hear tho expected decision
Suddenly. tho packed gallery gave
way, and was thrown forward with q
heavy concussion, into the centre oil
tho cou,t room, with tho rush and
|surging Of the crowd, causcd the
whole floor to break through from
the walls, and sink in cloud Of dust
and, laden with its load Of human be-
ings, down into tho House Of Dole.
gates below. The mss which fell bu:
ried in it's ruins tho porsous who hap.
pcneC then TO- no in tho ball. 1t is
exceedingly fortunate. that tho catas-
trophc happened at the early hour of
IL; for.if it had occurred after tho
House of Delegates had met,rscarccly
any OF the members could have on.
capped. A large meeting Of the Dele
gates which had been held in the ball
had just adjourned. The sccnc
tc hioh VINO ,,,n.ont,I , g. r
the suspended court room was fright.
full beyond description. A thick
cloud Of dust filled (. the vast space.
Every Individual ofthe vast throng
of human beings was bcgrim med
with dust. Many were bleeding and
groaning from tho injuries, they had
received. Many lay dead in the pro
miscuous crowd. Through, the in
cumbcnt floor of. the fallen room. the
logs and arms and heads of the per
sons who had been caught beneath it.
were protruding; somo still under
the spell Of death; others: moving in
efforts at cxtrication, 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 be-
low. Those who were struck bv
timbcrs and caught by tho gallery
above. and those who were in the
lower hall, and caught by tho falling
mass wero the sufferers from the oc.
currcncc.
1t is q cause Of >thankfulness that
so small proportion Of the great
number o; persons who were in the
court room has been injured. The
Judges Of the court itself all escapcd
dnhurt. Thcy wore in the conferences
room, when tho floor sank. Very
soon after the catastrophe occurred,
almost an instant, as it wore, those
who were uninjnrcd commenced most
active cXcrtions to rescue those who
were buried beneath the heavy ioists,
gallery, stairways, and tons Of fallen
Iaths and plaster, and whose 'groans
could be heard rising in mourntul' ca
dcnco above the noise and confusion
incident to- the horrid occasion.
Some thoughtful ones ran to- the
Dollhouse, and, otcdicnt to their sug-
gestion, the bcll-mcn commenced toll
ing, which soon brought out all the
& irr t]cnortn,nnt ,,o,, .;.:! !
Tho rrnort % va. a r;fo 'ns nna Ea''"ensi
;me ha,;a,.o,1 & T.s '.saI2, ny, 1nu lor some
fire. 80 'n"' - tt'' o"p''ai was on
Wbon +,,o eu.,,, * :,a
'no mtemen hnu c,tizens 5
them-help for tho helpless they
wept to work nobIy: the former with
fatter bv orcru - W o~ort;on ~ ~ ~ st.."s. a"a ..as
ana ncrsoWoronoe @ M t..m ~ rasas
their imprisoned f;:!lnw.mortoIs sHSt IT,
heavy timbers &c had heen Hn;t,hnd ~
out Of the windown The rocprJs of
the court suoh ma had hae, ,.scor.no,, us u
were thrown into the railing encIos.
ing Westinghouse statue. ,4Dect ther1
with hundred !thats and H1diI: ia 1 maA q
shoes. t: ~: sl r ~; - f.tss 81
The corpses f those taken, Sfrodma o. (
the ruins wore Iaid foh the e'G G;nraa,sa| r:a,1
On bottF iJe can ssliit tol; az were
the wounded hess5Wun dad ::5taantt1
dead woresa4ike home awgY aasaooS
ns their fteadsa a6pnid sbs 3 In formed N
their condition: ES 81 .sss $50 :ss.s
Tho oat6s1ronke sdas+ ro,1ed Ana
room oeniIs snpremctS Sonr} &c Az Is
pcals, tho 6Gferk 4 officasGnd 1som ll,,ste,
e WrecFsa ,ihe .Haii;Systha Honpl Hlno.s sc1
Beleeatss sS siis sats,s NM s,esersst sessg IL