Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-08

| Let us collect our IDEAS as wei as We
can. On Thursday night new play and
8 new afterpiece were played for the
benefit of Mr.. Placide Crowds swarmed
to the theater-it was the fullest house
| this season-there were not less than six
hundred present. The play went off;
the pantomime began, the first act was
| over. The whole. scene was before US,
| and all around us was mirth and festivity.
Oh, Cod what horrible revolution did
one minute produce. The curtain rose
on the second act of the pantomime-the
orchestra was in full chorus, and Mr..
West came to open the scene, when sparks
of fire began to fall on the back part of
the stage, and Mr.. Robertson came out
in unutterable distress, waved his hand to
the ceiling and uttered these appalling
words: ''The house is on fire." His hand
was Immediately stretched forth to
the persons in the stage box to help them
on the stage, and aid their retreat in that
direction. This is all that we caught of
the stage. The cry of fire, fire, passed with
electric velocity through the house-every
one flew from their seats to gain the lob
by and stairs. The scene battles all de-
scription, the most heartrending cries per-
vaded the house; 'Save me-" ''Save me-"
wives asking for their husbands; females
and children shrleking, while the gather
ing element came rolling on, its curling
flames and column of smoke threatening
to devour every human being in the build
ing. Many were trod under foot. Sew
eral were thrown back from the windows,
from which they were struggling to leap.
The stairways were immediately blocked
up; the throng was so great that
many were raised several feet
over the heads OF the rest;
the smoke threatened an instant de
struction. We can not dwell on this pic
ture We saw-we felt it-like others
we gave up ourselves for lost. We can
not depict it. Many leaped from the
windows of the first story and were
sived. Children and females and men of
all descriptions, were seen to precipitate
themselves on the ground below. Most
of these escaped, though several of them
with broken legs and thighs and hideous
contusions Most, if not all, who were
in the pit, escaped. Mr.. Taylor, the last
of the musicians who quilted the orches-
ira, finding his retreat by the back way
cut off, leaped into the pit, whence he en-
tered the semi-cirCular avenue which leads
to the door of the theater, and found ii
nearly empty. He was the last that escaped
from the pit How melancholy that
many who were in the boxes did not also
jump into the pit and fly in the same di-
rection! But those who were in the box
es, above and below, pushed for the lob
bies. Many, IS has been said, escaped
through the windows; but the most of
them had no other resource than to de-
scend the stairs. Many escaped in this
way, but so great was the pressure that
they retarded each other until the devour
ing element approached to sweep them
into eternity. Several who even emerged
from the building were so much scorched
that they have since persisted. Some even
jumped from the secOAd-stOry window;
some others had been dreadfully burnt.
The fire flew with a rapidity almost be-
yond example; within ten minutes after
1t caught the whole house was wIapt in
flames. The cOlOred people in the gallery,
most of them, escaped through the stairs
cut off from the rest of the hOuse-some
have no doubt fallen victims. The pit
and boxes had but one common avenue,
only through which the whole crowd
could escape, save only those who leaped
through the windows.
But the scene which ensued, 1t is i'm
possible to paInt-wOmen with disheyeled
hair, fathers and mothers shrieking out
for their children, husbands for their
wives, brothers for their sisters, filling the
whole area on the outside of the building.
A few who had escaped, plunged again
into the flames to save some dear object
of their regard, and they persisted. The
Governor, perhaps, shared this melancholy
fate. Others were frantic, and would
have rushed to destruction but for the
hand of friend The bells tolled-al-
most the whole town rushed to the fatal
spot.
The flames must have caught to the
scenery from some light behind. Robert
son saw it when it was no longer than his
arm. Young saw it on the roof when it
first broke out. Every article of the the
alter was consumed, as well as the dwell
ing-hOuse next to it; but what is wealth
in comparison to the valuable lives, which
have gone forever. The whole town Is
shrouded in woe. Heads of families eX-
tinguished forever. Many and many is
the house in which a Chasm has been
made that can never be filled up. We can
not dwell on this picture; but look
on the following catalogue of the
victims, and then conceive the
calamity which hiss fallen upon us:
A LIST OF DEAD AND MISSING.
Gov. Geo. w. Smith, Sophia Trouin,
| Cecilia Trouin, daughters of Mr.. Trouin,
Joseph Jacobs, Elizabeth Jacobs, his
daughter, Cyprian Marks, wife of Nor
decai Marks, Charlotte Raphael, daughter
of Solomon Raphael, Adeline Baus,
| man, Ann Craig, daughter of Mrs.
| Adam Craig, - INITIAL, q car.
penter. Pleasant, mulattO woman
belonging to Mr.. VIM. Rose, Nancy
Patterson, (colored,) Abraham V Venable,
President of the bank, VIM Southgate,
son of Wright; Benjamin Bolts and wife
| Ariama Hunter, Mary Whitlock, Juliaus
Harvey, Mrs. Heron, Mrs. Girardin anG
child, Mrs. Robert Greenhow, Mrs. Boss
Barrack, Judah's child; Mrs. Leslie Ed
ward Wanton, Governor Dixon, VIM
Brown, Mrs. Patterson, John WEIGH,
Mrs. Taylor Braxon, Mrs. Elizabeth Page
Mrs. Jerrod, James Walden, Miss Elliott
of New Kent; Margaret Capland, Mar
garet Anderson, Sally Gatewood
Mary Clay, Lucy Gwathmey, Louisa Mayo
Mrs. Gerard, Mrs. Gibson, Mrs. Green
Mary Davis, Thomas Frazier, Jane Wade
Mrs. VIM. Cook and daughter, Elizabeth
Stevenson, Mrs. Convert and child, Pat
sey Sniffln, Fanny Golf, Betsey johnson
Mrs. Gallego, Miss Conyers, Lieut.. Jane
Gibson, Mrs. Thomas Wilson, Mrs. Mari
Nelson, Miss Mary Page, Mrs. Laforrest
Mr.. Almanice Marshall, of Wythe county
ACTION OF THE AUTHORITIES, ETC.
The Council of Richmond, on the da
after the terrible disaster, passed an ord
nance appointing committee, consistln
of DR.. Adams, w. Hay, Mr.. Ralston an