Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-05-03
TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
FLOOR OF THE COURT OF AP-
PEALS FALLS IN.
sIxTY.TWO PERSONS KILLED.
LARGE NUMBER WOUNDED.

on Wednesday last, the 2Itn OF Aprli, ny "niou
ffty-six persons were instantly killed and more
than hundred wounded.
OCCASION OF THE DISASTER.
On the 10th of March last a new City Coun-
Gil of Richmond, appointed by Gov. Walker,
in pursuance of the provisions OF an act OF the
General Assembly, known as the enabling
act" elected Mr.. Fl. K Ellyson Mayor ct
Richmond. The constitutlonallty OF the salo
MayoraIty, Mr.. George Chahoon, and ultimate
" the question was brought before the Supreme
Court of Appeals, recently elected by the Leg,
isature The arguments of counsel were heard
week before last, and the court, as usual, re-
served it's decision. On Tuesday, it was an
nounced that the decision would be rendered
on the following day 1.-THE 27th) at II O'Clock;
The solution of this vexed question had excited
great interest in this community. and at the
hour designated large crowd of persons as
sembled In the COURTROOM.
THE LOCALITIES
| The courtroom of the Supreme Court of APP
peals occupied the northeastern corner Of the
| third floor of the Capitol, and was separated
from the apartments occupied by the Governor
and his staff by thin partition The entrance
| to the courtroom was from the corridor which
overlooks the Washington statue Access to
the gallery was by means of stairway com
meneDg near this entrance. Under this gallery
was vestibule, with a centre door opening IN
to the courtroom, and opposite this door, at
the eastern end of the room, was platform on
which the judges sat. The room was occupied
during the late war by the Virginia Senate, the
present Senate Chamber being occupied by the
Confederate House of Representatives. The
apartment outside of the railing, in front of the
Judges, would ordinarily accommodate about two
hundred persons. The gallery would hold a.
bout one hundred. immediately under the
courtroom, but extending tbs whole width Of
the building, is the Hall Of the House OF Dele
gates.
THE CATASTROPHE.
AT ii clock the courtroom, vestibule and
gallery we're all crowded with citizens and strang-
ers mostly white, eagerly awaiting the an
nouncement Of the decision Others were con.
stantIy arriving, and 10 very few minutes all
the available space was occupied. At the re-
porter's table were seated Mr.. NJ. P. Handy
of the Dispatch, DR.. Joseph B. Brock of the
ENQUIRER, Mr.. Ernest Wilt of the State Jour
nal, Mr. j. A. Pizzini of the Wing, Mr.. W: d.
Chesterman of the Petersburg Iader, and Mr.
W. G. Elan of the Petersburg Courier. About
twenty-five members Of the bar, including the
counsel in the case, were present. Gen. Wise
and r. T. Daniel, ESQ, of the counsel, were
not present. A cheerful good humor prevailed
on all sides. Presently Judge W. I. Joynes
entered from the conference room" through
a side door, and made some remark to Ex-Gov-
ernor Wells. He returned to the conference
room," but in few moments returned accom-
panied by Judge 3. T. Anderson They took
their seats to await the arrival of their colleagues
who were expected every minute from the adj
joining Conference room. In which they tar
ried.
A crack was heard as if gun had been ex
ploded beneath the floor All eyes turned to-
wards the centre door, under the front of the
gallery, whence the sound proceeded. 10 an
| instant, the ominous and alarming sound was
again heard, and simultaneously, to the horror
of all present. the floor commenced to give way,
| and Immediately fell through to the floor below
with fearful crash, followed not only by the
| gallery and its weight of humanity but by the
| timbers overhead, to which the ceiling OF the
courtroom was attached We dare not attempt
a description of the fearful scene! A wall of
horror, quickly followed by shrieks Of suffering
mortals, assembled from that abyss OF agony and
| death.
THE ESCAPES.
| The portion Of the floor on which the judges
platform was erected did not 60 through with
| the rest, as there was comparatively but little
weight upon it. Judges Joynes aud Anderson
escaped to the conference room" and weie
followed by MIR, Pizzni of the WIG, and sew
eral others, who had struggled through the
| mass OF rubbish and reached the PLATFORM
Colonel McPhsil was leaning against the mantel,
and cluLg to it until he obtained foothod
ing from above. Mr.. William Taylor, grocer,
of Richmond graspcd window sill near him
and held on until assistance came.
A iarra numhpr of thnSo who wont thrOu ph
sustained no other injury than severe shock
and few bruises or cuts 1t is marvellous that
so many escaped death from the falling timbers
and heavy plaster ceiling of the court room
which must have fallen upon the crowd
THE SCENE OUTSIDE
A few persons were in the Square near the
Capitol Most of them comprehended at once
the terrible accident, while others, who observ-
ed the volumes of dust pouring from the win
dows, supposed that an explosion of the heat
ing boiler in the building had taken place.
Mr.. W. FL. Grant hastened to the bell house
on Ninth street, and at his instance the general
alarm was sounded The bell was tapped rap
idly, aud all within hearing of the sound were
startled, knowing that something unusual had
occurred. The report spread rapidly that the
Capitol was on fire, and citizens ran from all di-
rections towards the Square The white dust,
resembling clouds of smoke, still enyeioped the
northern end of the Capitol, and, until the aw-
| full fact was realized, the impression prevailed
outside that the building was doomed to de-
struetion by fire.
The tolling of bells, the rushing and shouting
of excited men, and the news Of the fearful
calamity, which spread like wild fire over the
city in an incredible short space of time brought
| an immense crowd Of all classes ages, and col
ors, to the Square.
| were constantly filling the grounds, who, with
wringipg hands, sought, in despair, to know if
any of their loyed ones had been of the number
mangled. War, With its horrors, its agonies its
sad separations. its ghasty wounds, its horrible
| deaths, pictures to the mind no such scene as
| the one which was enacted in the Square
| TO contemplate such a shocking affair-to
see the faces ef those who expected each mo
| ment to find near aaa dear friend borne frsm
the ruins to be cared for On the grounds by the
citizens and physicians in attendance-hlls the
soul With horror and awful fear.
Hacks, ambaiances. and vehicles of all de-
sctiptions, were promptly on the ground, ready
to convey the wounded away from the scene of
diaster to their homes, where they could be
cared for, and their wounds dressed to better
advantage than in the dense crowd with which
they we're surrounded. The dead, who had
been brought out, we're respectfully and decent
ly laid aside and covered with blankets, and Of
forwards borne away to their bereaved families
Policemen we're stationed on the steps of the
building to prevent TING crowd from rushing in
and thereby hindering those who we're ad
ministering to the relief of the sufferers; and at
late hour the gates OF the Square were guard
ed by Mayor EysOn's police who kept out the