The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-05-10
Thrilling Description of the Accident
at the CgpitOl.

Gilbert Fowler, Esq, writes to the Bris-
tol Nears most graphic description of his
experience in going down with the capitol
floor. We give q few extracts:
To my right were Meredith, Neeson, and
Ellyson to my left were Wells, Chandler,
Chahoon, Senators Kindrick and Herrdon !;
Immediately in my front were Dr.. Brock
and the reporters Of the city press, while
Patrick Henry Aylett sat about two feet on
my left in my rear were Robert Miller, of
Montgomery, Henry Bowen, Of TazeWell.
and Stubs, of Gloucester-all members of
the House by my side were two old men
whose heads were white. At this instant,
ere had been three minutes in the room,
there was loud, sharp report, followed by
one louder and sharper than before the
main girder Immediately beneath me broke,
the door assumed a funnel shape, a sort OF
sympathetic shudder ran through the vast
crowd, ind in an instant of time, ere we
could start or move, we were hurled and
dashed down twenty-eight feet into the hall
OF the House of Delegates. As we sank
with that peculiar wave and tremor that
accompanies falling body. amid the gene
raj shout / looked upward, and oh, horror
OF horrors the gallery, with all its human
timbers and jagged nails, the clerks office
with all Its ponderous desks and.huge books,
the stairway that led out to the roof; the
lofty ceiling with its great wooden beams
its iron bolts and heavy plaster, came thick
and fast, crushed and crushing upon our
unprotected heads. / saw all knew all !;
yet mnst have been insensible for several
minutes. / heard the wOrkmsp removing
the timbers above me, and knew they We're
trying to rescue us. knew the man under
me had died without murmur or strug
7 heard tho napr Eo1layy yrbo low bx,y nv,
right side say ooh, Jesus, you saved the
thief upon the Gross save me ~ and 1
knew that he, too, was dead for my right
arm was caught between the timbers and
pinned across his throat so that he had ceased
to breathe. I heard another cry, ooh
death, where is thy stingp Oh grave, where
is thy victory? and knew that he, too,
was gone. ! knew that two poor fellows
on my LEFT had fallen with their faces to-
gether, and beard one say, "My friend,
when tod that he could not move. calmly
replied, "Then must die" He had no
murmur to make, but died only as man can
die In such'a place. My eye was black, nv
forehead scraped, my nose black and blue,
my ear mashed, my head cut to pieces, nv
ankle sprained, my leg mashed, my clothes
torn to pieces, my hat, stick, and pocket
book gone, my mouth full of clotted blood,
and still thought was not hurt. abso-
lutely walked from the Exchange to the
Capitol the next morning. recovered my
cane from the ruins, and returned to spend
the day In the parlor, when three days af-
terward I could, with difficulty, walk on q |
cruteh. And this seems to have been the |
prevailing opinion with all those who were |
wounded; they were not hurt much, and |
yet several are dead.
:, The story. given out, and generally be-
leved at frst, that the accident was caused |
by the giving way Of the gallery, is mis-
take. When the main gfrder under the
floor broke, the floor sank, and as the GAL
lery rested on the floor it followed but
the gallery was connected with the Ceiling
which seemed to have been suspended
Jour OF i've feet below the roof by stair.
Wy ana some lesser timbers--these drew
3VHl wy cesaiiag. 10 that tho force oil the