The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-04-28
RICHMOND, VA.
TERRIBLE ACCIDENT
A Court Room Floor Gives Way.
LARGE LOSS OF LIFE.
About 600 Persons Wounded.
HEART.RENDING SCENE.
LARGE LOSS OF LIFE
About zoo Persons Wounded
HEART-RENDING SCENE.



The Particulars
RTcHNoND, April "a large crowd
was assembled this morning in the up
per portion of the Capital building
where the Supreme Court of Appeals is
located, to hear the decision in the
mayoralty case AT about eleven
o'clock the floor gave way beneath the
dense weight, precipitating the crowd
to the floor below, which was that of
the House of Delegates 1t is hard to
ascertain at present the extent Of the
injuries so great is the excitement, but
some are killed and a large number
severely injured Many escaped ter
rible fall by jumping into the windows
when the floor gave way. The wound
ed are now being attended To-
SECOND DISPATCH.
1t is impossible to ascertain the ex-
tent of the injuries at this hour. Among
the killed are p H. Avlctt, disting-
uished LAWYER Dr.. j. Il. Brock, re-
porter of the Enquirer and Examiner;
Samuel Eaton, clerk to Mayor Chahoon;
Captain VIM A. Chester, chief Of the
fire department; y. P. Howard, lawyer;
Ash Levy, a Richmond merchant e.
Watson, of the Danville railroad Hugh
Hutchinson and Luviset Webb, of this
city; Scoiicld, brother of General SEQ
field; r. ii. Mann, jjr.; Senator Bland,
colored and Powhattan Roberts
1t is supposed that twenty members
of the State Legislature are killed and
wounded. The Judges of the Court Of
Appeals all escaped unhurt. Ex-Gov-
ernor Wells was badly.iniured l.. H.
Chandler counsel for Chahoon on the
mavoralty case, was injured JAS Nee
son and Judge Meredith, counsel for
EllvsOn, were also badly v hurt About
200 persons were hurt by the accident.
The greatest excitement prevails Hun
dreds of persons are on Capital Square
weeping and wailing as the dead and
diving are brought from the building.
Governor Walker escaped unhurt,
though on the court room floor at the
time.
THIRD DISPATCH.
RICHMOND, April 27.-The Court OF
Appeals Of Virginia was crowded this
morning with eminent citizens, many
local politicians and great many of
the public at large, drawn there by GU
riosity to hear the decision upon the
question of the Mayoralty Among
many of the prominent men present
were ex-Govcrnor Wells, ex-Congress-
man Neeson, judge John Meredith,
Patrick II. Aylett l.. II. Chandlc- and
others.
At IL o'clock the gallery OF the court
room, which was crowded, fell in. The
floor followed and descended thirty feet
TO the floor of the House of Delegates of
Virginia, on which some few members
of caucus were waiting. There was a
general crush of timbers and falling of
the inside wall
The following persons were killed
Patrick II. Aylett, Capt Carriers, chief
of fire brigade; f. NJ Schofield, City
Assessor and brother. of General Scho- !
field: Dr. !. B. Brooks, editor of the
ENQUIRER; ,Iunius A. Hohson, City Col .
lector: ). Digger, member of the House
of Delegates; r. A. Brcwis, commission
merchant of Alexandria; Samuel Eaton, +.
of Boston, former theatrical manager;
Powhattan Roberts. Commissioner in
Chancery of the Court of Common
Pleas: James \. Blamirc, of Berlin, .
Prussia: : f. Burnham. of Syracuse,
y. V; L. p Howard, LAWYER; Ash /,
Levy, merchant; J. W. D. Bland, col /
ored Senator from Prince Edward, and .
merchant OF Danvillc; ThoS. IL. Will
cox. ex-Contcdcrate General; Saml. II. |
Houston, II wealthy land holder Of
Henry county: Charles j. Grammar, of
Washington, ID. c.; Robert H. Maury, /.
Jr.. land agent; Edward Ward, Of
England; William II. Davis, coal mer-
chant; John Robertson, colored Bap- I.
tist minister Colonel Pickignew Wool |
folk; T. II. Foley, Deputy t. 5. Mar /
shal; w. Z. Randolph, of New York; |
r. E. Bradshaw, grocer, and 80 others,
among them one captain, one sergeant
and nine privates of the police on duty !
in the building.
Among the wounded were eX-Gover-
nor Wells, ribs broken and otherwise
internally injured; Hon. Thos. S Bob
cock, ex-Speaker of the United States |
House OF Representatives, leg amputa-
ted, and about one hundred others.
Directly after the disaster, a fire
alarm was raised, and the hook and
ladder companies of the city repaired to
the rescue. A Gordon of police were
drawn around the building and ladders
thrown up to the windows.
For three hours the scene was full OF
horror Minute after minute there ap- |
peared, swung out by rope tied around
the middle, the body Of some popular
favorite, which, after being swung on
the shoulders of one of the fire brigade,
mangled and dead, were brought down
the ladder into the green of the Public |
Park, where it was instantly surrounded
by two or three thousand of those who |
gathered to recognize the slain.
The Park was filled with weeping
women and anxious men until > o'clock |
when the last victim was drawn from |
the building. After this the police |
closed the Park and refused admittance |
to any one, the bodies of the dead be- |
ing sent out All the stores in the city |
are closed and placards put upon the |
doors CLOSED, in consequence of the
disaster at the Capital. No more
business will be done during the day"
Tonight a meeting was held of the
members of the Press Association, late