Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-04-28
=IEYANnRIA GAZETTE AM VIRGINIA

into the House for his mail WAS instantly klleu.
Many Of the wounded are serious hurt anu
some will hardly recover.
Mr. Jas. Neeson, late assistant U. 5. DIS
trict Attorney, is badly hurt.
CIV. Wells condition to night IS critical
two OF bis ribs being broken, and 1T IS thought
he is internally Injured.
Hon. Thos. f.. Bocock, had bis leg badly
broken, and it is thought amputat'on will be
necessary.
+ r. Chandler formerly U. S. District At
torpey, was severely bruised.
Both Mayors, E!yson and Chahoon, were IN
the room, and both escaped with but slight in
iuries, which did not prevent their utmost and
untiriug endeavors to save their comrades IN
distress
MIR. Robe. r. Howison, brother of Capt. 5.
S. Howison OF your city, is severely hurt
Mayor Kelly Of fredericksburg, is very Sc
riously hurt, and no persons are admitted to
his room, by order Of his physicians.
There were about four or FIVE hundred per
sons in the room and gallery, and but very ie"
escaped without injury.
The distance from tho floor OF the Court
room to The floor of the hall of the House. Is
between twenty and twenty-five feet.
As the floor Of the Court room settled the
gallery fell forward upon the crowd 10 the
| Court room, Carrying all together down to
the floor of the hall of the House below and
causing such terrible loss of life and limb.
In about one hour after the faliiog OF the
floor, by the admirable management OF Gov
Walker and those Of his appointment, the
rubbish had been cleared off sufficiently to extrl-
cate all living aud dead.
The CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. "A glance
at the inside OF the walls of the building reveal
ed the cause of this frighttul calamity. The
old Hall, in which the lower House meet was
50 very high that when it was deemed neces
sary TO have additional Offices in the capitol,
floor was thrown across, and thus two stories
made of one. In doing this the architect IN
stead of inserting the hoor beams 10 the wall
rested them upon ledge or ctfsett In the wall
which projects not more than four inches, anc
on this trail support, timbers measuring a.
least two feet ty eight or ten inches thick
were rested, the constant tendency OF which
was to pres, out the walls and lessen the sup
mort. For many years the floor has been con
cave TO an extent that was alarming, but famlh
arity had, as usual. removed the doubts or lts
safety.
- ~ n kylh
mond was called to be held to day.
The terrible accident at Richmond 10 Wash
ineton caused profound sorrow in all CIRCLES
and the greatest anxiety was manifested to learl
particulars and names of the dead and wounded
The leeIipg in the House of Representative
UPON reading the despatch to Mr. Platt men
tioninp the occurrence was intensely sad, anC
some members suggested Immediate ADJOURN
ment of the House, but majority though
that they had better go on with the business.
| Gen. Sherman sent an order 10 Richmond dl
recting the military there to give every aid il
their power in caring for the wounded and II
relief of the distressed.
private dispatch received here this morn
ing from Mr.. Wattles, who went to Richmond
last night. says that Col. Brenti injuries arr
not serious.
The UNCERTAINTIES OF LIFE.-Litc is like
fountain fed by thousand streams that
perishes if one be dried. 1t is silver cord
twisted with thousand strings, that parts
asunder if one be broken. Thoughtless mortaIs
are surrounded by inpumerablc dangers which
make it much more strange that they escapeso
long, than that they almost all perish suddenly
at last We arc encompassed with accidents
every day sufficient to crush the decaying tene-
ments we nhabit. Death turks in ambush along
our paths. Notwithstanding the truth Is SO
probably confirmed by the daily examples be-
| fore our eyes, how little do we lay 1t to heart
We see our friends and neighbors die ; but how
seldom does it occur to our thoughts, that ice
may be the next to be called from time to eter-
nifty.
| The New " rk Herald publishes document
said to be addressed to the Pope, requesting
| that the question on the definition of the in
| fablity of the SoVeign Pontiff as dogma of
faith may not be proposed to the Vatican Coun-
Gil. 1t is signed by the Archbishop5 Of Cincln-
natl St. Louis. New York and fifteen of the
Bishops of the Catholic Church in the u. S.
How the Herald obtained this document is not
stated-nor how its authenticity is verified
Mr. Pratt made speech in the Senate yes
terdaY in favor of the resolution authorizing
the payment of the claims of loyal citizens in
the South for property taken from them or
destroyed by the army or Government, during
the war Mr.. McCreery moved to strike out
tho word loyal" and to pay all legal claim
ants He truly said that loyalty nowadays sim
ply meant voting the Radical ticket.
It is reported that the decision of the Court
Of Appeals in the Chahoon EIIyson case,
which was about to be delivered when the
dreadful disaster occurred at Richmond, will
recognize Ellyson as mayor, and sustain the
course of Gov Walker. The opinion was not
delivered, and nothing definite is known of lis
purport.