Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1870-05-04
THE GREAT CALAMITY At RICH
MONU-

On the morning Of the 9th of
April, one Of the direst calamities
which ever occurred in this country,
took place in the city Of Richmond,
Virginia.
The Court of Appeals Of Virginia
vas holding G session and crowded with
eminent citizens, many local politicians
and great number Of the public at
large, drawn together to hear decision
Oh the mayoraity case. At II O'Clock
the gallery Of the court room, which
was crowded, fell in. The floor follow
ed and descended thirty feet to the floor
below, witch was the floor Of the House
OF Delegates OF Virginia, on which
some few of the members of caucus
were waiting. There was general
cash of timbers and ia ling Of the in
side wall Over sixty ara known to
have been killed outright, and nearly
two hundred wounded, many of them
MORALLY.
We compile below from dispatches
from Richmond the particulars Of the
terrible disaster:
Among the prominen, persons killed are
- Totl
Fire Brigade; L. NJ Schofieid City Asses
s1r and brother of Gen. SchofeId; DR.. j.
b. Brook. editor of The Enquirer; Julius A
uobson, City Collector; :. Digger, mem
Ter OF the House Of delegates; Samuel
Eaton, Of Boston, faFll.er theatrical man
ger; Pow hattan Ro,erts, Commissioner in
GLanoery of the Court OF Common Pleas;
n. 2. Howard, lawyer: J. II. D. Bland, col
ored Senator from Prince Edward and mer-
chant Of panville Thoma- II. Wilcox ex-
Confederate General !; Samuel H. Hairstou,
a wealthy land holder of Henry county:
Charles ]. Truman, Of Washington, D. c
Robert II Marry Jr., land agent; Edward
Ward Of England; John Robertson, colored
Baptist minister Col. Pichignew Voolfolk;
4. II Foley, Deputy United States Marshal
W. E. Randolph, of New York and many
Others. Among these latter, unnamed. one
captain, Que sergeant and nj, e priva'es of
the polee, on duty in the building
Among the wounded were Ex-Governor
Wells, ribs broken and otherwise internally
injured; Mayor Chahoou VIM c. Durham,
agent OF Virginia aud New York Steamship
Inc: Hon. Thos. s. Rocock, ex Speaker OF
tina Confederate House of representatives,
leg stipulated; Geo. i. D. Corse. ex- Major
General in the Confederate army.
Directly after the disaster the fire alarm
was used, anu the hook and lidler compan
les of the city repaired to- the rescue
gordon OF police was drawn around the
building. and In ders were thEown ND 10 the
widows. For three hours the scene was
full o! horro-. Minute after minnie there
appeared swung out with rope tied around
tie middle, the body OF some popular favor
ite who. after being swung on the shoulders
OF one OF the fire brigade, mangled aud dead,
were brought down the ladder into the green
of he public p; rk. where it was instantly
surrounded b., two or three thousand OF
those who gathered to recognize the slain
The park was fHed with weeping women
aud anxious men until , O'Clock, when the
last victim v SIS drawn from the building.
After this the police closed the park, aud re-
faset aamitFance 10 any on. The bodies Of
tho dead ha.a- been sent out. All the
stores 10 tie city we're closed, and pIacards
put upon tie doors, CLOSED in consequence
OF the disaster al the Capitol, 10 more busi-
aess done during the day."
kilograms 81 sympathy aud olf.rius aid
TO the afflicted, ,G-e conaag ia arona all parts
o. the country. \ gentleman IL New York
has given authority to ss.ltle gan here to
draw &, il To- s. GOO.
An archrect WHO has examined the plan
e tho building says tie girder gave way.
Il was composed Two pieces of wood bolt
ed loget he, making wien combined, an
area o. thirteen BY twenty inches. II was
formerly s~saor,ed by co.umns, which Were
subsequently genoset - Improve the ap-
ye4rauce Of the delegates.