The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-05-09
MELANCHOLY CATASTROPHE.

particulars of dreadful occurrence Which
took place in that city OH Friday afternoon
last. about 6 o'clock, by which several lives
were lost. The following are some of the
particulars -
The large new structure, belonging to
Phelps g. Peck, on the corner OF Gin and
Fulton streets, and occupied as counting
rooms and ware house t0r the very eX-
'ensive business Of that firm, Suddenly fell
in with startling and tremendous crash,
causing the foundations Of the buildings IN
the whole neighborhood to tremhle. The
editice was of bric:s, six stories high, rest
ing upon a granite basement uf upright
blocks or pilasters, of the description or,li-
narily in use. The building occupied about
100 feet on Cliff-street, and rs upon Fulton.
Two thirds OF the pile, comprising the
whole front upon Cliff, and fifty feet upon
Fulton street, was severed petpendicuarly
from top to bottom, and fell at once into a
heap of broken ruins. So sudden was the
giving way, and the fall, that a gentleman,
who was at that instant passing on the OPP
posite side, in Cliff-street, saw the granite
blocks as it were, start out from the wall,
and his agility alone enabled him to escape.
The whole building to the topmost loft,
WAS filled with goods of great weight and
intrinsic value. The lower stories were
stored with iron and tin, and the three up
per lofts crammed TO their utmost capacity,
with cotton. The loss Of property indie
pendently Of the building, will be very
great. But this loss weighs as the dust only
in the balance, in comparison with the loss of
life which is at this moment wringing so
,ytf Sh
speakabe agonies of the manged though
not liteless bodies, that have been taken
from the ruins. The number of lives lost
by this distressing event, is not yet known.
Mr.. Phelps had left his counting room a
few minutes before, and was at the moment
of the catastrophe in attendance at the
monthly meeting of the Board Of Public
Schools. The other partner, Mr.. Peck, is
in the country.
MI. Thomas H. Goddard, the bookkeep-
er, and Mr.. Josiah Stokes, the confidential
clerk, were in the counting room on the
second floor engaged in writing at their
desks, at the time of the fall and Mr.. Al
fred X. Seymour, another clerk, was in the
counting room on the first floor. All three
were whelmed in the ruins, and crushed to
death. Mr.. Pitkin, also clerk, was stand
ing at the front door, and saved himself by
Jumping one side the moment he heard the
cracking and running across the street.
Mr.. O'Nenl of Utica, customer, was as
cending the first flight of stairs at the mo-
ment, and as it we've by miracle escaped
with only few slight bruises, having work
ed his way out of the runs about fit
teen minutes after the walls fell in. A cart
man, named Barney Jackson, who was on
the sidewalk, was partially buried in the
ruins, but was fortunately rescued in about
two hours with only brokon arm and
few bruises. His horse was killed, us was
also one belonging to the city corporation,
which was standing in the street.
Of the laborers at work in the store, three
were taken out alive before nine O'Clock,
one of whom it was reported died in few
minutes, and the other two (colored mem
badly, ;~j..-n-h
About half past IL o'clock at night the
hand Of Mr.. Stokes was seen projecting
from beneath the ruins, and graspng the
pen, with which he had been writing.
A colored man was taken out about one
o'clock, and carried to the hospital dread
fully mangled. We saw the dead body of
another colored man taken out from the
ruins at nine o'clock this morning.
At two o'clock Saturday morning, the
bodies of two laborers were extricated
from the ruins-one of them was found in
sitting position. near the front, llfeless ::
it was supposed that he lived some time af-
ter the building fell.
In the great anxiety to get to those who
were underneath the ruins, several persons
were injured by the falling of bales of cot
ton, and other goods.
The moment news of the catastrophe was
received at the City Hall, Mr.. Justice Wy
man sent II strong corps of the Police, to
preserve order, and prevent the destruction
Of property.
Hook and Ladder Companies, the bells rang
an alarm of fire. The several Companies
FASTENED to the spot, and worked with great
diligence, not unaccompanied with danger
for many hours.
The crowds of people collecting to view
this scene of destruction, which we con-
TESS our inability adequately to describe,
have been very great. There were proba-.
Lily ten thousand people crowded into the
several streets leading to the spot, before
seven o'clock last evening; and there could
not have been less than that number at 8
o'clock this morning.
The cause Of this painful disaster is ap-
parent 10 all who visit the ruins. The
building was erected in the winter, and
there was little cohesion of brick and NOR
tar. There is neither hair nor lime enough
in the mortar now generally used. In the
vast structure there were neither party walls
as in so great building there should have
been, nor anchors, as the irons for connect
ing the materials, and adding strength to
the building, ale called. Worst of all, the
beams of the mass that has fallen, were
not mortlced into the timbers of the Sec
ton that remains and there appears to
nave been complete breaking off, exactly
as if the foundation of part of the build
ing had given way, and there was no con-
meeting fixtures between the two portions of
the edlfce, by which the whole strength
should have been united. The consequence
was that the building has yielded 10 the
pressure of the enormous weight of iron,
tin, wire. cotton, and other goods stored
within 1.-THE balance not being evenly
preserved. The store had been occupied
but three or four weeks, and it is evident
that the laws of gravitation have only pre-
served il so long. Any considerable disar-
rangement of equilibrium, would have pro-
duced the same result Mt an earlier day.
But it is not the moment for INDUCING in
speculations as 10 the causes of the calami-
~. while so many hearts are aching at the
eGects--the most terrible of which may even
be vet unknown