The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-05-05


fell. In moment. few survivors, cling
ing 10 the windows and fragments Of bang
ing timber, and the bare and torn walls
were all that remained to mark the place
where only a moment before there VAS
scene Of life and ambition. Ia the house
Of delegates there sas a scene that fairly
made one's heart bleed. As the dust
cleared away li,lle, mass CT timbers and
rubbish Of every description was deserted,
and the renection of the number Of human
beings crushed beneath It's weight. dead
and dying, was sickening. Add TO this the
many in the agony Of death, and there is
pictu,e to make the stourest heart quail
The entire hall was flooded with ruins ex>
cept the space under the gallery, and desks,
chairs, and tables were crushed completely,
showing the force of the falling wreck.
The work Of removing the debris was
difficult enc, but was undertaken by those
present with u WILL ana it was not long
before the unfortunates Eere tcing rescued
from their painful positions. The doors
and windows Of the hall were thrown open,
ond within we're soon collected the busy
wreckers. who. alnid their ogn shouts and
the agonizing groans of those they were
bers. As the wounded and the dead were
reached, they were brought out and placed
in the senate chamber, or else under the
trees in the square, where they were at
ter ded by our citizens and others tho
were on hand, with such appliances as
could be obtained. As the men were
brought ont, they were so covered with
dust that they could scarcely be reconguiz-
cd, and for while the anxious inquiry Of
the bystanders, who is hep" could not
be answered One BY one they were borne
out, the dead and dying Here was one
mangled, another crying aloud with pain,
while the still form of third told too well
that its spirit had fed to another world
In one moment the gray hairs Of age could
be described upon the head Of some dead
one, while in the next the tai, manly form
Of one who had been cut off IN the full
bloom of life was being borne past. It
seemed as if the sickeEing horror would
never cease, and ages seemed to pass in the
performance of this sad duty. Hundred sof
wives. mothers. and friends were constantly
filing the grounds, who, with wringing
hands, sought in despair to know If any
Of their loved ones had been Of the number
mangled.
War, with It's horrors, its 'agonies, sad
separations, its gbastly, its horrible death,
pictures to the mind no such scenes as were
yesterday enacted in the square. TO con
template upon such shocking affair; to
see faces who expected each moment to
find near and dear friend borne from the
ruins to be cared for or the grounds by the
citizens and physicians in attendance, fills
the soul with sorrow and awful fear.
MA in, In
courtroom at the time Of the sad catastro>
phe, a large majority of whom were either
killed or wounded. The most terrible feature
about this whole affair is the heart rend
ing manner of death in the majority of in
stances Many OF the dead when brought
out were found to be without serious bod,
suffocation. l he mere contemplation OF
was the fate of those who had escaped
death from the falling timbcrs, in the end
die from the untold agonics OF Sutfocltion
You have already had list the killed,
which it is here needless to repeat. The
entire calamity is wholly attributed to the
rentiess policy, augurated and pursued
by the radical party since the south was
eursed by reconstruction. hicn>, and the
carpet baggers are alone responsible for the
bloc Of 60 Of Firginia's best citizens, and
let them be held to q strict ana stern ac,
count. On them the responsibility rests,
and though under the present circum-
stances 1t may not be speedily avenged yet
it will live long in the recollection OF a REQ
pie who bide their time.
Washington april 29.
The Richmond papers of this morning
are all dressed in mourning, and filled with
details OF the great calamity. Many of
those have not been telegraphel fro.n that
city. The Wig, in describing the catas>
trophe, speaks of the crowded courtroom,
and the distinguished people who were
present, and then says: "Ail was quiet as
the judges came in 10 take their seats III
but one had taken his seat, when cracA,
was heard as if 4 gun had been exploded
the cellar room, under the front Of the gal
lery, from whence the sound proceed. In
an instant the ominous and alarming sound
was again heard, and simultaneously, to
the horror of all present, the floor com
menced to give way, and Immediately fee
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 court.
room was attached.
''We dare not attempt description Of
the fearful scene. A wall Of horror quickly
followed by shricks Of suffering mortals, as
cended from abyss of agony and death -
That portion of the floor on which the
/ judges, platform was erected did not so
through with the rest, as there was com
paratively but little weight upon it.
"A ttw persons were in the square near
the capitol. Most Of them conprcbeg de1 at
once the terrible accident, while Others
who observed the volumes Of dust pouring
from the windows supposed that an explo-
sion of the heating boiler in the building
had taken place Mr. w H. Gran: has
tenng to the Dollhouse on Ninth street,
and at his instance the general alarm vas
sounded the bell was tapped rapidly.
and all within the hearing Of the sound
were startled knowing that something un-
usual had occurred. The report spread
rapidly that the capitol was on fire, and
citizens rap from all directions toward the
square. The white dust resem bling clouds
Of smoke, still envelope1 the northern end
Of Tie capitol, and, until the awful fact
was realized, the impression prevailed that
the building was doomed to destruction -
Every heart felt shock of horror rs the
news spread From all parts of the city,
and through the thoroughfarpS and streets