Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-04-28

Inc ionowing account OF the bvfning OF the
Richmond Theatre, in 1871, will read with
monrnful interest in connection wlh the details
OF the twin calamity which occurred Yesterday:
lFro~ he Richmond Enqsirer Of Dec. p, IsiI.l
Overwhelming Calamity.
"In the whole course of our existence, we have
never taken our pen under q deeper gloom than
we feel at this moment. Ii falls TO our lot 20
can happen in the whole circle ofhuman affairs
The reader must excuse the incoherence OF the
narrative; there is scarce dry eye in this dis
tracted city. Weep, my fellow citizens; for We
have seen a night OF woe, which scarce any eve
adequately tell.
How can we describe the scene? No pen can
paint il; no Imagination can conceive it. A
whole theatre wrapt in hames-a gay and AMI
mated assembly suddenly thrown on the very
verge OF the grave-many of them, oh, how
many precipitated In q moment into eternity
youth and beauty, and old age and genius over
whelmed IN one promiscuous ruin-shrieks.
groans, and human agony in every shape-this
IS the heartrending scene that we are called
upon to describe. We sink under the effect.
Reader, excuse our feelings for they are the
feelings of whole city.
Let us collect our ideas as wen as we can. On
THURSDAY night a new play and new after
piece were played for the benefit OF Mr.. Placide.
2 EIE@ds msI s%afmea ,e 70 tne ,heater-lt was the
than 600 present. The play went off-the pam
tofmme began, the first act was over. The
wsee seens r Mas before us and al around us
rible revolution did one minute produce. The
curtain rose on the second act of the panto-
mine-the orchesua a was in full chorus, and Mr..
West came on TO open the scene, when sparks OF
fire began to fall on the back part OF the stage
and Mr.. Robertson came out in unutterable dis
tress, waved his hand to the ceiling, and uttered
these appalling words, 1.-The house Is on fire -
His hand was immediately stretched forth 70 the
persons in the stage box TO help them on the
stage, and aid their retreat in that direction.
This is all that we caught of the stage the cry of
fire fire, passed with electric velocity through the
house-every one few from their seats to gain
the lobby and stairs. The scene battles ali ne
seription, the most heart-rending cries pervaded
the house; "save me" "saye me;' wives asking
for their husbands; females and children Shrek
ing, while the gathering element came rolling
on its curling flames and column of smoke.
threatening to deyour every human beirg i'm the
building. Many were trod under foot. Several
were ii rown back from the windows from which
they were struggling TO leap. The stairways
great that many were raised several feet over
the heads Of the rest; the smoke threatened an
instant destruction. We cannot dwell on this
picture. We saw-we felt it-like others we
gave up ourselves for lost. We cannot depict il.
Many leaped from the windows Of the first story
and were saved. Children and females and men
themselves on the ground below. Most Of these
escaped, though several of them with broken
legs and thighs and hideous contuson..
escaped. MIR. Taylor, the last of the mu-
sicians who quilted the orchestra, finding
his retreat by the back way cutoff, leaped into
the pit, whence he entered the semi-circular
avenue which leads to the door of the theater,
and found il nearly empty. He was the last
that escaped from the pit. How melancholy
that many who were in the boxes did not also
jump into the pit and fly in the same direction:
but those who were in the boxes above and be-
Sow pushed fSr The lSbbiess is many A. has ben
most of them had no other resource than to de-
scend the stairs: Many escaped in this way. but
so great was the pressure that they retarded
each other until the devouring element ap-
preached TO sweep them into eternity. Several
who even emerged from the building were 30
much scorched that they have since persisted.
Some even jumped from the second-stsry win
dow; some others had been dreadfully burnt.
The fire flew with rapidity almost beyond
example; within ten minutes after it caught the
whoie house was wrapt in flames. The colored
people in the gallery, most of them, escaped
through the stairs cut OFF from the rest of the
house-some have no doubt fallen victims The
only through which the whole crowd could es
cape, save those only who leaped through the
But the scene which ensued il is impossible TO
paint-women with dIshevelled hair; fathers
and mothers shrieking out for their children.
husbands for their wives, brothers for their sis
ters, hlled the whole area on the outside of the
building. few who had escaped, plunged
again into the flames to save some dear object
of their regard, and they perished. The Gov
ernor, perhaps, shared this melancholy fate
Others were frantic, and would have rushed to
destruction but for the hand of a friend. The
bells tOlled-almost the whole town rushed to
the fatal spot.
The flames must have caught to the scenery
from some light behind. Robertson saw il when
II was no longer than his arm. Young saw il
on the roof when it first burst through. Every
article OF the theater was consumed, as well as
the dwelling house next 10 il; but what is wealth
in comparison to the valuable lives which have
gone forever. The whole town is shrouded in
woe. Heads of families extinguished forever
Many and many Is the house in which a chasm
has been made that can never be filled up. We
cannot dwell on this picture; but look on the
following catalogue OF the victims and then
conceive the calamity which has fallen upon us.
A LIST OF DEAD AND MISSING.
Gov. George w. Smith, Sophia Trouin, Cece-
liza Trouin, daughters OF Mr.. Troun; Joseph
Marks, wife of Mordeica Marks; Charlotte
Raphael, daughter OF solomon Raphael;
Adeiine A Bausman, Ann g Craig, daughter OF
pTs: pIn.s Adam Craig; - INITIAL, a carpenter;
VIM. Rose; Nancy Patterson (colored], Abra-
ham b. Venable, President OF the Bank; VIM.
xnsna o aantsr Ealg %Stock sJts sns
Harvey, Mrs. Heron, Mrs. Girardin and child:
Mrs. Robert Greenhow, Mrs. Boss Barrack,
Gov. Dixon, VIM. Brown, Mrs. Patterson, John
Welch, Mrs. Taylor Braxton, Mrs. Elizabeth
Page, Mrs. Jerrod, James waldon, Miss Elliott,
Sf Sew ksn1 ss5v ns1gsret caGand
Gibson, Mrs. Green, Mary Davis. Thos. Fra
zier, Jane Wade, Mrs. VIM. Cook and daugh-
ter; Elizabeth Stevenson, Mrs. Convert and
child; Patsey Snifhn, Fanny Goff, Betsey John
SON, Mrs: Gsllego, Miss Conyers, Lieut.. james
Gibson, Mrs Thoe. Wilson. Mrs. Marie Nelson
Miss Mary Page, Mrs. Laforrest, Mr.. Almanice
Marshall, 0fWythe county.
The Council Of Richmond, on the day after
the terrible disaster, passed an ordinance ap-
appointing q committee, consisting Of DIR.
Adams w. Hay, Mr. Ralston and Nj. Gamble,
TO have the remains OF those who perished IN
the flames collected, make aTangemen1 fer the
funeral, erect monument to their memory
Sc, recommending that all places OF business
be closed during the obeequies, and forbidding
any public show, assembly, or dancing for the
period Of four months. = = F.
The citizens Of Richmond met at the Capitol
on Friday, the eth Of December, 1871, over
which the Mayor presided, ct which committees
were Appointed 20 ascertain the Nance Of those
killed and injured, rccomDending that the fol-
lowing Wednesday be observed - day Of hu-
initiation and prayer, and appointing commit
tee to inquire Into the causes Of the catastrophe
The funeral OF those who lost their lives took
place on the 2sth Of December, the order of
procession being q follows:-Corpses; ClerRy;
Mourners and Ladies; Executive Council; Di.
rectors Of the Bank; judiciary; Members Of the
Leeislature; Court of Hastings; Common Han.
CifixeDe on Feot; Citizens on Horseback.
The Enquirer was in mourning for several
davR. and buainQRa = n fSiu~ -. -