The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-28


| day) AT II o'clock The solution OF this
vcxed question mad excited great interest
IN this community. and at the hour de-
s.gnated a large crowd OF persons as
scmbled In the courtroom.
THE IocALITrs
THE courtroom Of the Supreme Court
| OF Appeals occupied the northeastern
| corner Of the third floor OF the Capitol,
and was separated from the apartments
! occupied by the Governor and his stan
| by a thin partition. The entrance 10 the
courtroom was from the corridor which
overlooks the Washington staire. Access
, 10 the gallery was by means OF stair
way. commencing near this entrance
/ Under this gallery was a vestibule, with
a centre door opening into the court
room. and opposite this door, at the
/ eastern end OF the room. was platform,
on which the judges sat. The room was
| occupied during the late war by the VIZ
! ginia Senate the present Senate chamber
being occupied by the Confederate House
! OF Representatives. The apartment out
! side OF the railing. in front OF the
Judges, would ordinarily accommodate
about 2OO persons. The gallery would
| hold about 100. Immediately under the
courtroom. but extending ihe whole
width Of the building, is the hall OF the
House OF Delegates.
THE CATASTROPHE.
At II O'Clock the courtroom. vestibule.
and gallery were all crowded with citi-
/ zens and strangers. mostly white. eager
! ~ awaiting the announcement Of the d.
cision. Others were constantly arriving,
and ln a very few minutes all the avail
able space was occupied. At the re-
/ porters' table were seated Mr. VI. y.
Handy, OF the Dispatch; Or Joseph =.
| Brock, Of the Enquirer Mr. Ernest Witt
OF the state Journal. Mr. j A. Pizzini, OF
/ the Wing: Mr.. W. - Chcsterman. of the
| Petersburg Index. and Mir. W. G. Elam
/ of the Petersburg Courier. About twen-
| ty-fve members OF the bar. including the
/ counsel in the case. were present. Cen
eral Wise. and r. r. Daniel Esq. Of
/ the counsel, were not present. cheer
| ful good humor prevailed on all sides.
/ Presently Judge w r. Joynes entered
/ from the conference ROOM through a
/ side door. and made some remark 10 c1-
/ Governor Wells. lie returned 10 the
"conforonco-room." out in a few minutes
returned. accompanied by Judge Il. +.
Anderson They took their seats TO
await the arrival Of their colleagues,
who were expected every minute from the
adjoining "conference-room. IN which
! they tarr!od.
A crack was heard as If a gun had
been exploded beneath the floor. All
| eyes turned towards the centre door, I'M
der the front of the gallery from whence
the sound proceeded In an instant, the
ominous and alarming sound was again
heard. and simultaneously. 10 the horror
of all present, the floor commenced 10
give way. and Immediately fell through
! 10 the floor below. with "a fearful crash,
followed. not only by the gallery and
its weight Of humanity, but boy the tim
hers overhead 10 which the ceiling OF
the courtroom was attached. We dare
not attempt "A description OF the fearful
scene. 4 wall of horror, quickly follow
cd by shrieks OF suffering mortals' as
ccnded from that abyss of agony ana
death.
THE TsCAPrs.
That portion Of the floor on which the
| Judges platform was erected did not go
through with the rest as there was COM
paratively but Ettle weight upon It,
Judges Joynes and Anderson escaped "a
the "cOnfcrence-rOom and were loi-
lowed bv Mr.. Pizzini of the Whig and
several others. who had struggled through
the mass Of rubbish. and reached the
platform. Colonel McPhail was leaning
against The mantel. and chung 20 IL until
he obtained a foothold. HIS arm was
badly injured 10y the plaster falling from
above. Mr. William Taylor grocer OF
| this city. eraspcd a window sill near HIM.
and clung on until assistance came
A large number of those who went
through sustained no other injury thai
a severe shock and few bruises oil
cuts. II is marvellous that so many
escaped death from the falling timber'
and heavy plaster ceiling of the court
room. which must have fallen upon th'
crowd.
THE SCENE OUTSIDE.
| A few persons were I'm the Square, near
the Capitol Most Of them comprehend
cd al once the terrible accident while
others. who observed the volumes of dust
pouring from tho windows. supposed that
an explosion of the heating boiler IN the
building had taken place.
Mr. W. II. Grant FASTENED to the bell
house. on Ninth street. and at his in
stance. the general alarm was sounded
The bell was tapped rapidly and all
within hearing Of the sound were startled
knowing that something unusual had oc-
CURED. The report spread rapidly that
the Capitol was on fire, and citizens
ran from all directions towards the
S1uare. The white dust resembling
clouds Of smoke, still onveloped the north
ern end of the Capitol, and until the aW-
ful fact was realized. the impression pre-
| vailed outside that the building was
doomed to destruction by fire.
ALL HANDS TO TIRE RFscUT.
In few minutes after the alarm was
| sounded the hook and ladder company
arrived on the Square. and Immediately
set 10 work in clcvating their ladders.
| other nremen followed RAJ idly and united
! with the la1dcrmen in attempting the
rescue OF those who were buried In
tho ruins. Many Of the citizens who
| hurried to the scene also lent their as
sistance. but the majority seemed pctri-
| fed with horror. or feared that the old
building would fall I'm and crush all who
! vcntured near its walls. one by one the
! survivors of the crash came forth, or
wero assisted TO the open air. each one
| whitencd with plaster dust or so dis
| figured by blood and dirt as 10 be almc st
| unrocogni2able.
There were soon plenty Of workers.
! not only hremcn. but members OF the
| Legislature and citizens generally. who
! went boldly and manfully into the midst
Of the debris ana proceeded 10 clear
the hall of the accumulated mass OF
rubbish. or 10 bring out the wounded
and dead.
\ number Of policemen soon posted
themselves at the entrances 20 prevent
too many persons from aiding I'm the
work OF eNtricating the sufferers. This
was judiCiOus precaution, as the crowd
increased every moment as the thrilling
news spread through the city
Nearly all who entered ron the work
lahored untiringly. and their heroic ef-
forts entitle them to the highest praise