, 1870-05-03
THE RICHMOND DISASTER.
Scenes and Incidents

THE RICHMOND DISASTER.
Scenes and Incidents
From: TIE Richmond {va.l Di.patch, April %.
The bells had just tolled the hour Of II, and
death-Ike silence reigned as Mr. StaEke, the
Clerk, entered and placed his books OF the
table. Judge Joynea was IN hid seat- alr.
. 6tsrke, leaning, over the railing, was talking
with him, while tire rest Of the Judges were IN
en ter upon their dsy's duty. The counsel for
9is yor Ellyson, Mesars. .Neesen and Meredith,
had taken their seats and we're ready to pro
ceea to business Ex-Governor Wells and l.
a. chandler, Esq, were also in their places,
and t 10 rePorters Of the Enqui'e;., Hspasch,,
aparf or their use and accommodation The
momn ts were spent in pleasant conversation
by the q oectators present. Various were the
specuIzIa ons as to the final result
When at ~ 0nfs, e.. +hp panel s9IadRp piece h;et q
is re1.esa nted by tho line: Of partition
between tIa Clerks Office and the courtroom
caye wav vi til an awful crash, end precipitate1
the Bpectata y who were III the gallery Of the
courtroom 4 the main floor, and the addi-
fional weiet,t in one single moments tint
crushing IL, fcou1t-roo1n door through The
mass of huun beings who were in attendants
!. were sent, min sled With the bricks, mortar
'splinters: ,baau4 iron bars; desks, and chairs
to Tie tloorot til House Of Delegates, and Il
second more oys v fifty souls TeEe launche<
into ctcrnityl I he whole atmosphere VIZ,
= thick With ! dem @ cloud Of dust from TIL
plastcripg, and tho human: beings sent up
eroan which Will rim forever in the ears upol
which it fell. In \ moment, fe" svfriVor
clinging to the win doWa and, fragments Q
hanging timber and the bare and to5u vail
only moment befor4 there was scene
life, vigor, and hope =. ...-.. -
The scene about the Capitol building jus
after tie sad occu1Teuna Was one OF terror
Tho first notice tlat thu 'se who Eere in thl
building had of tha imp endinS< evil WAS th'
premonitory rutabling ~ the floor was set
Ting. Then there came fearful crash, &C
companied BY cry Ut human agony and ter
Tor which Hmote the neartg OF nl who heard it
In moment the friEhtful sltuation Was real
lied. The few who had been. 80 fortunate a
to be able to got into the Windows shouted
called for ladders. In = short time the bells
we're toling, and, the hook and ladder t1ucb
being brought upon the spot, tho ladders were
put up to tho windows, Ind tho work Of hui
'1nanity began. The binding dust within pre-
vented any oue from aeetng anything, md the
rushing Of perHons within the building and
tho cries OF the wounded we're all thstcoa1d be
heard. ::
In the House of Delegates there was Scene
that fairly made ones heart bleed Al the
dust cleared away little, mass Of timbeEa
and rubbish Of every description was deserted,
beings crushed beneath its weight, dead and
diving, was sickening. Add to this the cries
and Etoans Of those who were there, many in
tho agony Of death, and there Is 3 picture to
make tho stoutest ,hoarts quail The entire
hall was flooded with the ruins, except the
space under the gallery. DeAks, chairs, and
tables were crushed completely, showing the
force Of the falling wreck. The work OF re-
moving the dcdJ1s Was difficult one, b1t waa
undertaken by those present with q will, aud
it WEB not long before the unfortunate men
were being rescued from their painful posi-
ton.
The doors and windows Of the han were
thrown open, and within were soon collected
the busy workers, who, amid their own shouts
and the agonized groans Of those they were
Az the wounded and dead we're reached, they
we're brought out and placed in the Senate
Chamber, OF clse under the trees in the square,
Whe1o they Hcrc attended by our city physicians
and others, who were On hand with such sppii-
ances as could be obtained As the men ware
that they could scarcely be recognized, and
for while the anxious inquiries Of the by
ISLANDERS, "Who is he?" could not be an
swered. One by one they wers borne out
the dead and dying. Hero was one rnangled
aaa silently yo apn o an0her Inq =, cR 11d ta
too well that its spirit had fled to another
world. In ono moment tho gray hairs of age
could be deserted upon the head Of some dead
ono, whi1o in the next ths tall, manly form OF
life was being borne past. It seemed. al II
sickening horrors would never cease, and ages
/ seemed to pass in the performance Of this ssd
duty. ..,
The tolling of bells, the rushing and about
ing OF excited men, and tho news OF the fear-
fu1 caIamity, which spread like w;ld-dre over
The city in an incredible short space OF time,
brought an immense crowd Of all classes, ages,
aud colors. to the square,
Hundreds OF "iyes, mothers. and fiends,
wringiug hands, sought, il despair, to know if
any Of their loved ones had been OF the num-
ber mang1ed. War, with its horrors, it's ago
MES, its sad separations, ite ghastlJ wounds,
its horrible deaths, pictures to the mind no
such scene as the one which was yesterday
enacted in tho square,
To contemplate upon such q shocking affair
TO see the faces Of these who expected each
| moment to find q near and dear friend borne
from tho ruins to ba cared for on the erounds
| by the citizcns and physicians in attendance
| ills the soul with horror and awful fear.
! Hacks, ambulanceE, and vehicles OF all de
scsiptions were promptly on the ground, ready
| to convey tho wounded aEaJ from the soene OF
disaster to their homes, where they could be
| cared for, and their wounds dressed to better
advantage than in the dense crowd With which
/ thoy were surrounded The dead, who hai
been brought out, were respectfully and de-
| Gently laid aside End covered with blankets
and afterwards borne away to their bereaVec
Policemen were stationed on the steps ol
| the building to prevent the crowd from EuaL
ing in and thereby hindering those who vert
administering TO the relief Of the sufferers
and at q late hour the gates Of the square
were guarded by Mayor Ellyson'a police, whe
kept out the crowd Of perrons who seemet
bent on viewing tha scene Of the disaster. :,
The excitement OF the moment over, tht
beautiful city of Richmond was wrapped il
| gloom. The popular heart waa sad, the voict
Of VOC and mourning Zesounded Throughout
the city, and the asperites Of ifo wore soft
encd in the sympathy Of =, public calamity
leaving cur people united in grief and in thu
! desire to sho,s t6cir respect for the dead ant
| feeling for the injured. AL the buplnesl
houses Of tho city were closed and badges d
monrninE displayed. and, cave for tho nunbe1
Of persons On them, our streets:.wore the ap
Richmond Ea' MR! i5s W e e1s;a eg,Tkfp'"af"es o. @
Among the incidents OF the fatal accidgn
of yesterday arc many Of IN exceedingly re
markablo character.
ingham and her father, of Brooklyn, who were
viewing the surrounding country from tht
cupoln Of the building ut the time Of the sai
event, we're entirely cut OH Tor nearly .tWs
hours, and were kept IN terror in their loft.
movements Of the excited crowd below, tlll
display Of dead and dying on the square, TIL
endless scene Of confusion, with the tollMg a
bells, Wsai1ing Of women and children, withou
the rernotcst idea Of tho occasion Of it al, ba
\ yond the terrible shock. In this, predicau,a1z
escape being cut oil By the falling Of II
staircase by which they had ascended. Ado
behind had also been locked, so that theSv q
prevented 1eaying until tho negro u :o
through skJlight Hnd lowered the genrlF IN
and lady to the root The lath andPlastz L v
then broken and they succeeded in rs chi
the library, through whicl,, in faiutnF con,
ton and with fear and trembling, they reach
tho open air, whete they behe1d in MI ite hi
rors the disaster that 30 nearly includ
them among its victims- -
Both Of tho Mayors fell through q ne OF the
Chahoon, being injured, as wefo two of t
: counsel on both sides. Alr. Tho mas Joyp
fell, together with Or. J. Brock, : nd bis mon
rested against the doctors chez K. He ask
Mr. JONES who was near him: the other K
him his name, and he asked him in case
survived to CITY ~ manymesaaf ics Of affection
poor wife how much loved .er and thought
her in. my last moments.n' With other 'wos
Of eudearment and love or those he left
hind, Dr. Brock then died >. AT. Rash Barge
tell ,S On ,t ter Of gentle nan whose na@e
you not move litle2",, Nj Bnrsean 'raniie
HNo, cannot stir-n "Well." said he,
must die, then; Eoos .-by,'' md BOON after
vas sleeping the slee that Knows no wakiu
During the time IN ;h1ch Mr.. George Villa
Brent, Of MexaT Iria, was covered IN t
ruins, Mr. Chan0 q, who was between t
window and Mr. Brent, was endeavoring
get awuy, Whe n Rr. Brent. caught, hi
by ths arm r.. and begged him. for Coz
sake, to let him get some air but
the latter's po sition il was impossible for hj
to comply m dl assistance was rendered L