Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-05-03
TERRIBLE CALAMITY l.
The City of Richmond in Mourning!
riftr.six Persons K iIIed outrighte


The city of. Richmond, on Wednesday last,
was the scene of a most terrible and heart-
rending calamity, occasioned by the falliugof
the floor of the Court Room of the Supreme
Court of Appeals. From the Dispatch of
Thursday, which is draped in mourning, we
make up the following: =
Yesterday occurred the greatest calamity
that ever afflicted this city save the burning
Of the Theatre in 1911. 1t was occasioned
by the falling in of the floor of the old Senate
chamber. in.the Capitol, which is now used
for the sessions of the Supreme Court of APP
pcals Of this State.
Eleven o'clock was the hour for the meet
ing of the court, and it being understood that
there would be announced the decision upon
the question of the constitutionality of the
"enabling act,"-otherwise known as the
Chahoon- EilysoG ease-which has excited so
much interest in this community-a large
number of citizens assembled in the gallery
and space in front of the bench before the
hour appointed. The weight of such packed
mass was too great for the imperfectly- con-
structcd flooring and yet more faulty gallery,
which was suspended from the upper joists in
most defective manner The gallery first
fell forward, the floor yielding instantly aud
going down with it, carrying the packed body
of men to the floor of tho House of Dele
gates, fully twenty feet below. As fearful
and fatal as this was the heavy ceiling and
the timbers which supported it descended
along with the mass, greatly increasing the
mortality. Fiffy.six were killed outright, and
others may die from injuries received.
Had the catastrophe occurred ten minutes
earlier possibly half the members of the House
of Delegates would have been killed by the
falling of the.mass upon them, Tor caucus
of the great majority of the body had ad
journed probably not ten minutes before the
occurrence or had the hour for the'meetiug
of the court been II instead of 1lfo'clock,
like destruction of life would have taken
place, for the Legislature would then have
been in session.
The scene cannot be described, nor can it
be appreciated by those who did not witness
it. The mass of human beings that fell were
so mixed up with the heavy timbers and rub
bish that they had to be disengagcd 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 up by the ruins) was heart rend-
ing. So covered with dust and blood were
they that it was difficult to recognize them.
The 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
indetatigable men who worked for the relief
of those buried with the ruins, was scanned
with closest scrutiny by thousand eyes.
The reporters fOp the Dispatch have gath
cred all the particulars of this terrible event
that were obtanablc. We refer the readers
to their full details.
This calamity has filled the city with gloom,
and bowed the public spirit to that proyi-
Dental dispensation which it is not for US to
criticise, but which it is our duty to turn to
our own good by the practice of the public
and private virtues which affliction teaches all
intelligent and wise communities.
This disaster has swept through all classes
of the community. None escape. Some Of
our best and most distinguished citizens have
persisted in it. Legislators, lawyers citizens,
State and municipal officers, a journalist, and
private citizens, are all numbered in the list
Of dead, as also in the larger list of wounded.
Richmond is chief mourneF; but nearly every
section of the State shares in the immediate
results Of the calamity, while we know that
the people Of the entire Commonwealth will
feel the affection their own.