Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-05-06
THE RICHMOND HORROR.

THE RICHMOND HORROR.
Full Details OF the Terrible Catas.
trOphe..Statements OF
Survivors.
RICHMOND, Va, April 2s.-Richmond is
in mourning. In yearly three score Of its
homes last night was held the death-watct
over the uncofiined dead, and to-day, lily
universal consent, business is suspended
and almost every store bears the Grape and
card which tells the mournful story. Fune
raj pageants move slowly through the
streetsj the city bells are tolling slowly and
aolemnly; the flags are futtering at half
mast upon the various public buildings. and
the whole city wears funeral aspect, which
shows how deeply the blow has fallen upon
the hearts of all our people. Every face il
sad, and the accident of yesterday is the
sole subject of thought and conversation.
Yesterday morning, the bells had jus
struck |, and the court room of the State
Court of Appeals was crowded by an audi
ence Of Rlehmond's best citizens, to hear
the decision in the mayoralty case of Cha
|
taken their seats, and the clerk was leaning
over the railing talking to them. Nelson
and Meredith, had taken their seats, and
were ready to proceed to business. Elk
Gov. Wells and l.. II. Chandler, ESQ.,, were
also in their places, and the reporters Of the
Enquirer, Dispatch, Wing, and State Jour-
nal were at the desks set apart for their use
and accom- mediation. The moments were
spent in pleasant conversation by the spec.
tators present. Various were the specuia
tons as to the final result, when all at once
a panel pier of the ceiling fell, and then the
girder, which is represented by the line OF
the partition between the clerks office and
the courtroom, gave way with an awful
crash, and precipitated the spectators who
were in the gallery of the courtroom to the
main floor, and the additional weight, in
one single moments time, crushed the
courtroom floor through. The mass of hu.
man beings who were in attendance were
sent, mingled with the bricks, mortar, spin.
tiers, beams, iron bars, desks, and chairs, to
the floor Of the House Of Delegates, and in
second more sixty souls were launched
into eternity.
The whole atmosphere was thick from q
dense cloud Of dust from the plastering,
and the human beings sent up groan
which will ring forever III the ears upon
which it tell. In a moment, few survi-
vors, clinging to the windows and fragments
of hanging timber, and the bare and torn
walls were all that renamed TO mark the
place where only a moment before all was
life and animation. In the House Of Dele
gates there was scene that fairly made
| ones heart bleed. AS the dust cleared
away little, mass OF timbers and rubbish
of every description was deserted, and the
reflection Of the numbers of human
beings crushed beneath its weight,
dead and dying, was slckening. Add to
this the cries and groans of those who We're
there, many in the agonies of death, and
there is picture to make the stoutest heart
quail. The entire hall was flooded with ru-
ms except the space under the gallery, and
desks, chairs, and tables were crushed COM
pletely, showing the force OF the falling
wreck.
Such scenes as presented themselves were
sickening. Fortunately, there are always
in such emergencies men who throw aside
human weaknesses, and Immediately give
themselves up to the good work of rescuing,
saving. and relieving the subjects of the
disaster. 1t was SO yesterday. They lost
no time, but going into the fearful scene,
they commenced operations at once. Con-
spicuous among those who initiated meas
ures for relief and order were Gov. Walker
and Senator French. The first order given
and executed was to break open the doors
and windows and admit air for the relief of
the many who were supposed, and correctly,
as it subsequently turned out, to be men
aced with suifocation. While some remov-
ed the fallen tmbers under which the suff
erers lay, procured ladders and placed them
at the windows, hacks, private carriages,
furniture Wagons, mattresses, and other
conveniences were soon provided in great
numbers. Then commenced the work of
removing the killed and wounded, and
scene was presented that tried the stoutest
hearts. One after another the dead and the
wounded, all covered with dust, were
brought down the ladders, and either laid
on the grass or placed in vehicles, and car
ried to their homes, or to other quarters
kindly provided for them. AS the victims
of the disaster were brought to the windows
and appeared before the thronging multi
tude, the most intense anxiety was felt as to
their recognition. All We're on the lockout
for their friends. So begr:mmed were the
faces with dust, and SO crashed was their
clothing, that recognition was not easy.
Most OF the unfortunate PERSONS however,
were recognized before they reached the
ground.
There were not over 300 people in the
~ r. 4,
phe, large majority of whom were either
killed or wounded. The most terrible fea-
ture about the whole affair is the hea,t-ren.
ding manner of death in the majority of
instances. Many of the dead, when brought
out, were found to be without serious bodily
injury, but had evidently died from sufoca-
ton. The mere contemplation of such
thing is sickening. Hard indeed was the
fate of those who had escaped death from
the falling timbers, in the end to die from
the untold agonies of sutfocation!
The scenes in the Capitol square cannot
be described. In several instances wives
came upon the bodies of their husbands.
One of them was so shocked that it is
scarcely hoped she can live through the
day. Another is insane, with little hope of
recovery.
A member of the Legislature describes
his fall as follows: II heard rumbling
sound, and felt myself sinking rapidly. l
was facing the gallery and saw it falling to-
ward me. Fortunately it did not reach me.
l saw men scrambliug over each other in
the gallery, and heard what seemed one
unearthly yell of agony. Then came a
crash, and ! sank into darkness. l found
myself under mass Of rubbish, with dead
body over me, wounded man under me,
and another at nv side. The poor fellow
under me said: ooh, me! but if could fear
God always as do now. How wicked |
have been all my days! Oh, God, forgive
me, spare me, and | will be true follower
of Jesus The man at my side exclaimed ::
'Ob, death, where is thy stingl Oh grave,
where is thy victory?' l heard a number
of cries on all sides Of me. Some were
speaking about their wives and others Of
their children, while others were begging
air. believe that many died from suifo-
cation, for although little hurt myself,
should have died firm sutfocation if not re-
moved when was.
An experienced architect, who has viewed
the plan of the Capitol building, says the
girder which gave way was composed of two
pieces of wood bolted together, making,
when combined, an area of 1920 inches.
1t was formerly supported by columns,
which were subsequently removed to i'm