The Sun.
London, England, 1851-05-19 00:00:00

As soon as the excitement consequent on the accident
had in some degree subsided, the foreman of the works
had the men mustered and their names called over, when,
in addition to those taken to the hospital, two men, of
the names of Harrigan and Martin Crowan, were found
missing.
Some of the labourers escaped death under circum-
stances of a most marvellous character. In one instance
a labourer who was in the vaults, bearing something
tumbling above him, stepped aside into a nook, and the
next moment the crown of the vault was burst in by the
falling floors, completely wedging him in, but without
doing him the slightest injury, and after some time he
succeeded in extricating himself. Another surprising
preservation of life came to the writer's knowledge; six
Irishmen were on the uppermost goor, and seeing or
feeling the building sinking from under them, they ran
along the top, and reaching one of the ends, they, one by
one, let themselves down to the street by means of the
projecting iron stays. Those who witnessed their es-
cape described it to have been attended with the most
imminent danger; how they managed to keep hold of
the thin pieces of iron from such a height is considered
truly marvellous.
The only persons who probably witnessed the falling
of the building, save those who were within it—as the
portion which failed was shut out from public view—were
Mrs. Beckett, the wife of Mr. Beckett, boot and shoe-
maker, of 18, Gracechurch-street, and Mrs. Back, of
Langbourne Coffee-house, in Church-passage. As be-
fore mentioned, the building formed the north side of
the passage. Mrs. Beckett was in her kitchen, and, was
looking out of the window, when she saw the place fall
in. The pillars running up between the windows ap-
peared to split in the centre of the building, and, one
after another, gave way, " just like the falling of houses
built of cards by children." It appeared as if the outer
walls were too weak to bear the enormous weight upon
the iron girders.

A portion of the walk fell on to the roof of the
vestry-room adjoining Allhallows Church, and broke it
in. Fortunately the church has sustained no damage
whatever.

During the afternoon the City surveyors were engaged
inquiring into the primary cause of the accident, but
we have been unable to collect their opinion. The
reporter had an interview with Mr. Charles Corbett
(who is an architect), and that gentleman attributed
the cause of the lamentable occurrence to the break-
ing of one cf the iron girders. Ho stated that in the
centre of the building was a " well-hole," intended
to form the staircase, and across were run on every flo)r
or landing, iron girders, each weighing nearly two tons.
All had been fitted and properly secured, and when in-
spected yesterday morning, seemed perfectly sound.
From some cause or other the uppermost girder sud-
denly snapped in two; its excessive weight dragged the
wall out of iLs perpendicular, and the girder, getting
loose, fell and broke the girder below. This instantly
brought the walls down with the floors. Mr. Dennett,
we understand, was close to the girder when it broke,
and the opinion he forms of the cause is, that there way
a flaw in the metal of the girder, and that it did not
arise from any want of foresight. Whether the girders
had undergone the ordeal of testing before they were
erected is a matter that will be subject to the strictest
inquiry. The walls on which they rested were 18 inches
thick, and were formed of what are called old stock
bricks.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

From all that can be collected the building appears
zo have been too weighty for its site; for the magnifi-
cently designed front is bulging in, and seems likely to
follow the example of the back walls, while an Alton
ale-shop adjoining it on the north side has every square
in its plate-glass window cracked, the frame in its
centre being driven several inches from the perpen-
dicular.
The accident, dreadful as it was, appears to have been
in some degree anticipated by persons employed in the
building and others residing near the spot. We were
informed, although wo cannot vouch for the accuracy of
the statement, that the district inspector visited the
building about a fortnight since, and advised the cessa-
tion of the works until the foundation should be
strengthened. His advice, however, was neglected, and
the catastrophe we have recorded is the consequence.
Upon this point we have the more authentic, and still
more decisive, testimony of the unfortunate widow of an
Irishman (Harrigan) who has fallen a victim to the acci-
dent. She said to us, when condoling with her under
her misfortune, " I knew the place was not safe. Yes.
terday I brought my husband's dinner, and he sat down
to eat it. I saw several cracks in the wall which has
fallen, which they were stopping with compost, and I
said to him, 'Harrigan, this is a bad place to eat your
dinner in; it doesn't seem safe.' He replied, ' No, I
know it ain't safe; there'll be a grand smash before
long!' And," continued the poor woman, with tears in
her eyes, "it seems to have been a sad smash for him;
for I can't see anything of him, and they say he's under
the rubbish."
The portion of the wall which fell carrying with it se-
veral immense iron girders, the raising of which is said
to have been the immediate cause of the accident, was
about 50 feet high by 30 feet in length.
Up to half-past six o'clock last evening an immense
number of men, under the personal direction of Mr.
King, the superintendent of the works, had been actively
employed in casting down the dangerous walls, and re-
moving the debris that covered the unfortunate men
known to be beneath them. Owing, however, to the
many tons weight of bricks, iron-work, and cement, that
rise some doem feet above the basement, it is the opinion
of the officials employed that at the least the entire night
will be required to clear a sufficiency of the rubbish away
so as to bo able to reach the unfortunate sufferers.
Mr. Mr. Woodthorpe, the surveyor, with several
of the Court of Common Council, have been
the scene, giving instructions to the men to
portions of the remaining walls and floors
now be said,
those working beneath; and the walls
con-
sidered likely to topple over and endanger the lives of
unless a very stiff breeze should spring up, may
to be tolerably
two bricks have
safe. To show the force that must. have struck the
as eerily ashifkthaeysillhaadil
sufferers when the building fell, it is
almost as
notwithstanding that
tsrteaetes,that
were heavy
snapped beam
„oufnidreorn ,
fallen without being
been mere timber lathss;epaarridatesdca,rce y
they had been previously fixed together with strong
cement. only
anirsc:ewsmohe:ruaeerus hours
a,
h

CORRECT LIST OF THE KILLED AND WOUNDED,
Joseph Hanley, aged about 32; a compound fracture
of the base of the skull,. and
.both legs broken, Taken
to Ot. Thomas's L 198041. Opaco (hid.

THE FRIGHTFUL CATASTROPHE
IN THE CITY.

An accident of a most appalling character happened
on Saturday morning between tin and eleven o'clock in
the immediate vicinity of Gracechureh-street. It caused
the sacrifice of several lives and serious injury to a large
number of persons.
The premises, which were the property of Messrs.
Bell and Corbett, of Pope's Head-alley and Adelaide-
chambers, King William-street, occupied the site of the
old Cross K9ys Inn and coaching-house, on the west side
of Gracechurch-street. They were intended exclusively
for chambers and other private offices; and some idea
may be formed of their extent when it is stated that the
number of apartments amounted to 140. The property
comprised one lofty range of buildings, four stories in
height, and extended some 200 or 300 feet into Ball's-
court, George-yard, Lombard-street, the south frontage
running the whole length of Allhallows Church-passage.
The works had been going on for the last six or eight
months, and it appears that the firm who owned the
premises were their own builders, the workmen and
labourers being under the direction of a Mr. Dennett, a
kind of superintending foreman. The walls and flooring
were built so as to render them fireproof, the girders
being of iron, and the intermediate spaces filled with
concrete, and it seems that the workmen had just com-
pleted the upper floors, preparatory to laying down the
roof, when the catastrophe occurred.
On Saturday morning some 30 men were busily en-
gaged in the upper portion of the premises, completing
the floors by throwing in the concrete. Others were
employed in the lower floors, while many were busy at
the very bottom of the building, preparing the mortar
and sand for the use of those throughout the premises.
About 20 minutes to 11 o'clock a sudden snap, something
similar to the report of a gun, was heard, and the next
moment the men, to their horror, found the building
tumbling beneath them, and in another second or so the
whole of the south side, which overlooked Allhallows
Church, was soon sinking in one general mass. A mo-
mentary glance sufficed to apprise the men of the fearful
catastrophe that awaited them. Some of the poor fel-
lows, by an extraordinary and almost superhuman effort,
bounded, as the floor gradually gave way, on to the roof
of the church, while others, in as astounding a manner,
contrived to leap on to the adjoining houses. The great
majority of the workmen, however, fell with the build-
ing, and the scene that ensued may possibly be imagined.
The crash shook and startled the whole of that part of
the city, and for some time the greatest consternation
prevailed; it was only to know the character of the
event, however, to anticipate the melancholy results.
Crowds of excited passers-by and neighbours rushed to
the scene, and then it was discovered that the whole of
the centre of the extensive range of building, from the
highest story, had given way, and had fallen to the
ground in one shapeless mass.
The labourers who had escaped instantly made their
way to the ruins, and with the police and other persons
proceeded to extricate the unfortunate workmen who lay
buried in the rubbish. In many instances their piercing
cries for help intimated to their rescuers the spot where
they lay imprisoned beneath huge rafters and masses of
brickwork; and in the course of ten minutes or so some
20 or 30 were got out, and those most injured, about 17
in number, were carried to the shop of Mr. Harris,
chemist and druggist on the opposite side of the way,
where they were visited by Dr. Smith, of King William-
street, and several medical gentlemen in the neighbour-
hood. On the arrival of a reinforcement of police they
were carefully removed in cabs and on stretchers to St.
Thomas's Hospital. Among those most seriously hurt
were Timothy Sullivan, William Ranson, Joseph Hen-
ley, William Whiting, H. Clark, J. Cooper, G. Barham,
J. Kerby, C. Perry, D. and H. Daly. At the hospital
they were at once placed in beds in William,' ward, and
every possible attention rendered them by Mr.
Macmurdo, the head surgeon, and the principal officers
connected with the institution.
Apprehensions being entertained by those connected
with the works that the remaining portion of the
building, fronting Gracechurch-street, would fall, the
police, under the direction of Mr. Todhunter, Mr.
Mitchel, and Mr. M.Lean, were at once ordered
to clear the mob, which was very great, out of
Gracechurch•street. This was quickly accomplished,
and the road was kept closed until such time as
the city surveyor could make the necessary inspection Of
the ruins. The same precaution was adopted towards
several courageous fellows who exposed themselves at
times to much peril in searching for several unhappy
creatures who were supposed to be buried in the ruins.
They were called off, lest a second catastrophe should
ensue.