The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-01-15
local MATTERS.
Something Like an Earthquake.
TaE CHURCH HILL TUNNEL CAVES IN AND swAL.
LOWS THREE HOUSES AND A GOOD DEAL OF
LANp--ExcIrEMEsr aSp SaRsow sscAfEs.

have now serious callse oil alarm ana con-
plasht against those who have the work OF
tuunelIing in charge.
A few days ago the surface Of the earth on
Twcnty-fourth street Immediately over the
tunnel commenced cracking, but as this has
repeatedly occurred along the line no notice
was taken Of 1t by those unacquainted with
the condition Of affairs below. On Monday,
however. the creyice was observed to be
widening, and at 9.o'clock at night the Rev.
DIR. Wall. rector Of st. Johns. chtrcli; and
others living nhcrI The danger was most
Imminent, were notified of it and advised to
move their families and furniture.
DR.. Wall Immediately took his wife and
children to hotel, but had hardly done so
when the street sunk several feet. The gas
pipes were brokem and the gas ecs.pins
through the cracks in the earth took fire
from lamp carried by one of the tunnel
hands, and blazrd up high In the air. These
occurrences, of course, created great con-
sternation in the ncighborhood. The gas
pipes were broken off and plugged, and
quiet prevailed during the rest of the night.
About o O'Clock yesterday morning, with
but little warning, piece OF ground about
100 feet long by thirty feet wide, partly in
Twenty-fourth street and partly on private
propety, sank twenty feet, carrying with it
several houses Just vacated. One of our re-
portcrs visited the spot only an hour before,
and with others passed and repassed directly
over this point. :.
The houses that we're, carried down were
the study and kitchen attached to the rec
tory of st. Johns churoh, occupied by DR..
Wall, and the kitchen, other outhouses. and
the floor of one room Of the residence OF
MIR. William B. Robins. The family OF Mr..
| Robins were at breakfast at the time, and
| were only admonished OF their danger by
| the breaking louse of the plastering above
! their beads Comprchendng instantly the
situation they fled for their lives; and found
temporary shelter with relghbor. a SER
want. employed by Mr.. Robins, had just left
the kitchen and was in the dining-room
| when the former toppled over into the h9le
| made bv the sinking earth. When the gas
was burning so brightly in. the night she
! awokc, and becoming alarmed ran into Mrs.
! Robins's chamber and tainted from fright,
! but recovering returned to the kitchen and
| prepared breakfast FOR the family, leaving
! the building just in time to save her life.
| There were seven workmen in the tunnel
| Immediately underneath the point where this
! accident occurred, but receiving notice from
| the cracking of the timbers, which they said
! popped like musketry, they made good their
escape, coming out at the shaft on Twenty.
ninth street uufarmed; They reported that
thr strength of the wind caused by such a
mass of falling earth was so great that it was
scarcely possible to maintain all erect posi-
ton. This pressure of air was felt through
out the tunnel.
| As to the cause, it Is said by those familiar
with work in the tunnel that at the scene ol
| the accident q seam Of gravel was found
which prevented the adhesion of the marine
deposit, through which the work passes, anC
which gave at the time Of the excavation q
good deal of trouble 10 the workmen; but
by extra supports they supposed they had
| secured it against accident. Such was the
| case tl.itiI, iii arciing the tunnel, the props
| had to be removed to give room for the
walls. The displacement from the position
in which they had firmly settled caused The
roof TO give way, with the results we have
| stated.
| Very soon after the accident General Wick.
ham ant, Colonel Whtcomb. chief engineer
of the railroad, made a thorough examina.
tiun of the part Of the tunnel in the vicinity
of Shaft No. ., and Of the houses and lands
along the line, and gave it As their judgment
that there was no further danger to he ap.
pretended. TO allay the fears of those who
are anxious in regard to the Third Presbyte
rian church, immediately under which the
tunnel passes, we inquired of General Wick
ham the situation of affairs there; and he as
surcd us that there was no grounds for fear
he having, in order to render it positively
secure, directed a double quantity fsuppor;:
to he placed along there, which would effect
: ualIy prevent any damage from caying in.
We have heard no statement as to th'
amount Of loss which this accident will cnla'
upon the contractors, but it must be yer,
heavy, and will cause considerable delay
They had not yet recovered from the effect!
of the recent heavy rain. This disaster vii
entail large amount of extra work upor
them. IL will probably take several weeks
to clear out the debris between Twenty
fourth and Twenty-hfth streets.
General Wickham, with his usual prompt
ness, attended to the cases OF those whC
were inconvcnienced by the occurrence, Sc
curing houses for them at III early hour yes
tcrday. aud rendering whatever other assist
ance was necessary. Too much cannu
he said of the libcrality and promptneS
with which tie railroad authorities OH tbi
and previous occasions have relieved as fa
rs they could the troubles Of those incon
vcnienced by such accidents.
The sccre presented in the vicinity 0
shaft No. >, near which the accident oc
Cured, was an interesting one all day
Exaggerated reports of the extent OF the dis
uster flew over the city and attracted larg
crowds to the spot. Sometimes the utmos
vigilance on the part OF the police was neces
sarv to prevent people from rushing int
danger. Among those who visited the seen
of the accident were hundreds of ladies
MANY OF whom went over from Shockoe Hill
in carriages. 1t was q rare sight to see sucl
an opening in the eurth. The tunnel wa
completely filled up for about one hundret
feet. One of the houses engulicd turned
very good somersault, and seemed to be rest
ing quietly on its side, twenty feet beloV
Where it formerly stood. Another wa
mashed beyond recognition, and the thir'
was badly shattered. The trees on tb
premises, of course, went down, and th
fences kept them company. Everybod
agreed that such fall i'll real estate hat
never before been known in Richmond.
The house occupied by Dr.. Wall belonged
to St. Johns Episcopal church. The stud
is gone as stated, and the south wall OF to
main building is dangerously cracked. Ml
Robins resided in a framed building belong
ing to MIR, B. Catogn. The total damage t
property by the accident will hardly excec'
eight thousand dollars.
The THEATRE-JANAuscHEK.- seats II
the Theatre tonight have all been secured
indeed, by noon on Monday there were few
lett in the dress circle, and this gives pro
mise that a brilliant audience will assem-
BILE at the New Richmond Theatre to
night TO welcome again to this city the Queer
| of Truyedy of the American stage, the re
nowned Janauschek. Mary Stuart is th'
piece selected for her first appearance, apt
| nor renditinn of that rreat part last SeaSOl