Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-05-03


position it was impossible for him to move ia
til assistance was rendered In short time,
however. he was taken out aud his life saved.
We learn from hlr Chandler, who was do
ing well late last evening, that Mr. Samuel
A. Eaton was sitting ohlthe back of his chair
when the floor fell through. Eaton was killed
and Mr.. Chandler not seriously injured -such
escapes are most remarkable.
The Conservative caucus which had met
in the hall of the House of Delegat es nd-
journed not many minutes before the calamity.
Fortunately there had been dispute about
the judgeship of Henry county, and an adj
journment was necessary. Had this not been
the case more than half of the Legislature
would have been crushed.
Dr. Thompson. member of The House of
Delegates from Hanover, was caught under
two men who were Instantly killed by heavy
falling beam. He himself was slightly in
jured.
Mr. p. TT. Keenan, was buried beneath the
ruins for three.quarters of an hour, aud was
found nearly suffocated under the dead bodies.
He has almost entirely recovered.
THE THEORY OF THE ACCIDENT.
From conversations with several who were
in the courtroom at the time of the fall we
learned the following as the true theory of the
accident: The large airder which was under
the partition between the clerks office and
the court room snapped in twain, and lmme-
diately afterwards the floor commenced to cave.
The support of the crowded gallery having
given away. the gallery parted from the wall
and fell over into the centre of the court room,
crushing through the floor and precipitating
the mass of human beings and rubbish into
Al. IL In rrIrr dor
and found that it had broken off just in the
centre. 1t was hewn timber, and just where
il broke was cut, as if the workmen in hew-
ing had made misslick and driven his adze
into the wood about quarter of an inch.
HORRIBLE DEATH.
The most terrible feature about this whole
affair is the heart rending manner of death
| in the majority of instances. Many of the
! dead, when brought out. were found to be
without serious bodily injury. but had evident
! ly died from sutfocation. The mere contem-
plation of such thing is sickeniug. FIard.
indeed was the fate of those who had escaped
death from the falling timber. in the end to
die from the untold ngonies of suffocation.
AN OLD RELIC GONE.
IF we may be pardoned for any conside-
ration of loss other than that of human life,
we will mention the smash up of an old and
much houored relic of bye. gone days. the
Speakers chair of the House of Delegates.
which was formerly used in the ElIouse of
Burgesses. decorated with the royal arms of
Great Britain. 1t was subsequently moved
here from Williamsburg, and has been used
in tho House of Delegates ever since. 1t
was buried and broken in the ruins Of yes
terday.
[ RICHMOND, VA. April 3O.-W. C. Durham
agent of the New York and Virginia Steam
ship Company. one of the victims of the late
disaster died at noon to-day.
Ex-State Treasurer John S. Calvert is con-
sidered dying.
The Legislature is now meeting at the Ex-
change Hotel.
To-day General Candy issued orders Ecln-
gushing command Of tie Department of Vir-
ginia.
APPoINTMENTs-Ap Appointments made IN.
der the enabling act at April Term, 1870 by
Hon. Edward White, County Judge of Clarke
| County: T..
George.G lass, Clerk; r. p. Morgan. Sheriff;
s. j. G. Moore. Attorney for Commonwealth +;
d. Holmes 1TcGuirc. Carter VI. Louthan. and
Thomas A. Moore, Commissioners in Chan
Gerry, to settle and state accounts.
Clarke Courier