The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1882-06-30
The Confederate Monument Destroyed by Light
ming.


ming.
| CoLuMBIA. June 22.-About 6 o'clock this
afternoon during heavy thunder storm The
people of Columbia were startled by terrific
crash which followed q most vivid fash of light
ming. They little suspected. however. that the
| thunderholt had fallen on the Confederate mon
umen, in the State House grounds. and that the
| crowning glory Of that magnificent work of art,
| the marble statue of n Confederate soldier,
which surm"unted it. had toppled from its base
| and been shattered into fragments.
As soon the sad calamity was known, and
| throughout the af ernoon. hundreds of people OF
every age and rank visited .he State. House
| grounds to view the wreck. The statue is al
most completely demolished. Nr-w H. -,""er-
| son. .- Vtu soldier OF JouKins's brigale. who
| chanced to be looking towards the monument
when the thunderholt fell, says that the whole
| monument was surrounded ny perfect sheet Of
fame. and when The crash came the head of the
| statue Instantly fell forward to the ground
| When il had reached about half way to the
ground the body swayed for moment and then
gracefully fell over to the right side of the mon-
ument. The head was cut completely off Mt the
neck, rs IL with q sword, and falling struck op
the UPPER base stone of The northern front of
| the monument. In falling the body struck the
lower base on the eastern side. driving it out Of
place for "n inch or two. The cannon at the
rear OF the statue was broken off. The right
leg was severed at the skirt Of the coat. The
hands. which rested the musket, were broken
OIL and the lef; leg was driven into the ground
six or eight inches. There is nothing left on the
top OF the shaft bn, fragment of the left leg
which is broken off at the ankle and rests .upon
the broken stock Of the musket
ihe statue was harled to the ground with So.
great iorce that where il struck The stone base
1t was crushed ;ato p ,wder Many fragments
were carried 'f by curiosity seekers. The head
ana hands were deposited in the secretary of
S'a'e's Office for safe keeping and the rest of
the statue was placed under the guard of tho.
State House keeper during the night
rms monument was erected by the South Car
olina Monumental Association, composed of In
dies on May 18th. 1879 The Association WA,
founded in February, 1865. and work was bepu,-
IN 1869. The total ex, enses of the enternise
amount to Sll.76l 46. The statue surmount
ing me monument. which was cbiseed our of
hne Italian marble cost ABOUT So, 600 I, will
be impossible to replace the statue and repnir
the other damages for less than this amoun,
for although the shaft and base still stand thew
were shaken out of their position. inclining a
| little I" the right, mud IL r,rny benpc ssary 10
| take down The monument and re-ereet it.
| -hthnugh greatly distressed at the misfortune
the ladies' have alr.rjy de.o-n.iued to 90 TO work
and repair the damages. Special TO Nerx 49,
Courier.
At meeting Of the directors of the Monu-
ment Association this morning the following
touching appeal for cont ributions was prepared:
STRicKEN BY HEAvEN's ARTILLERY.
To the Women Of South carolina: The Mon
| upon it's face the inscription Erected by the
| Women of South Carolina still stands, beau
tiful In its proportions but shorh of its crown
ing glory, the embodiment in stone of the Con-
federate soldier, as we love to remember him.
| Perfect as y work Of art, the Monument was a
continual source Of pleasure to those who cnull
often behold il, and received the universal admi-
ration Of visitors from every quarter. On
Thursday. Juno 22d, during a severe Storm our
marble hero was wounded unto death" by that
mysterious agent which has already borne to
you the noiseless message of its own terrible
work. So life-like was the figure. full Of
vigor rs a young man rejoicing in his strength.
that we feel The manner of its destruction to be
appalling. 1t is as if a dear friend had ruth
lessly been stricken down. While we bow to
The hand of Heaven which sent the stroke we
are grateful that The victim was indeed only
stone. and that happily for we have conf
dence in the women of the State that they will
rally TO the call. Come anu nerp -us...-,hs-a
society We invite the CO. cooperation OF all those
who we're aiding us at the close of our labors,
and beg that the chairman ofthe several county
organizations will within the next few days no.
tihy Mrs. John e. Bacon, the corresponding
secreiarysof the Association, Of their ability
! to undertaken anew the work OF receiving contri.
butioIs.
A full meeting Of the ladies of the Associa-
ton was held at Mrs w. X. Bachm, n o 10 81 Sat
u.day. number of telegrams and letters were
receivei expressing earnest sympathy and offers
| OF AID Among them one from q lady Of
Ornngeburg. couched in the most tonchng terms
anil enclosing two dollars. and one from Rev A.
L. Porter, informing the ladies that the boys Of
the Holy Communion Church Institute Of Char
| lesion had resolved to contribute one hundred
dollars Telegram from the Gate City GuarJs
OF Atlanta expressed their hearty concurenc CO In
The suggestion c'niained In THg REGisrgR Of
yesterday, to give drill in the Opera House In
aid of the monument.
| letier was also received from Mr.. John VAL
ton, The sculptor who erec' ell the statue. express
sing his regrets at the calamity which had be-
miien IL and stating that the model had been
| preserved aud that IL would he his pleasure to
duplicate The statue for less than It could DO
done elsewhere.