Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-06-03
From tke Qrgbec Mererru.
DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT QUEBEC.

| 1t is our painful task TO report most
awful disaster which took place yester.
day, between eleven o'clock and noon,
and occasioned the destruction OF no less
than eight houses in Champlain street,
opposite 10 the Custom House, with a
frightlul loss of human life, the extent of
which has not yet been fully asceriained.
A large portion Of the cliff, from near the
foot Of the citadel al Cape Diamond, TO an
extent of about $50 feet, gave way, and
falling into Champain street, entirely
overwhelmed the houses beneath and
their numerous inmates, under the poEder-
Gus masses of rock and rubbish that sud.
denly fell so silently and without previous
indication OF danger that none Of the IN.
fortunate sufferers had time to escape.
The sentry on duty at the gate Of the
| Queens stores perceived the side of the
pTeclplce IN motion, and ere he could ut
ter cry of alarm, which would indeed
have been unayailing, the whole had de-
scended into the street, prostrating the
buildings beneath, carrying with il their
| fragments, and covering the road com.
pletely TO the walls of the Custom House.
So great is the quantity Of rocks, and so
large the masses which have thus been
displaced, that the progress OF clearing
them away can be but slowly effected.
The stones, composing the wall Of the for
tihcaton, on the crest oil the rock, to the
extent we have above stated, appeared
thinly scattered on the surface of the de-
brls, in comparatively small fragments,
and in one direction only did they reach
the base Of the rock. The military OF
the garrison were promptly OIL the spot,
and the Mayor and some others of the
city authorities repaired thither without
loss of time, and operations were mme-
diately commenced TO rescue from be-
meath the avalanche, Il so it may be call.
ed, the victims Of this awful catastrophe,
and by A O'Clock five living beings, all Sc
riously injured, one in a hopeless state,
were rescued, and thirteen dead bodies
were eXtricated from the ruins. The work
proceeded till night put a stop to any eff
iectual attempt at labor, and was renewed
again a; daybreak this morning.
Several similar accidents, though to
comparatively smaller extent, have occa-
sIonally occurred, but whilst they created
alarm at the time, they have not had the
effect OF deterrrng persons from continu-
ling to build in Sc perlous a situation, but
one so convenient for the dealers in marine
stores and groceries, and the keepers of
those lodging and boarding receptacles
which receive sailors, raflsmen and the
poorer classes ofemigrants during the sea-
son of navigation. The cause of these
disasters, the present included, appears to
arse from the numerous springs fiItering
through the crevices of the rock these
falling into cleits expanded by frost during
the winter, increase the assures and loos.
en- large masses of rock, which subsequent
natural operations entirely detach, till
whole bodies are removed from their po-
sltions, occasonlng such devastation and
rum as was yesterday unhappily witness.
ed. II was apparent to the most super.
fetal observer that the slight work which
crowned the precipice could have haG no
share in precIpitating the rock at lis base
from the position it had SO long occupied.
1t will, however, require much labor and
no inconslderabIe expense to rebuild the
curtain, scarp the face oftAe rock, and to
replace the part of the Notifications de.
stroyed, in a safe and sufficient condition.
The Coroner held an inquest on the
bodies of 20 persons previous to one o..
clock this day, and four or five bodies
have been since disinterred.
1t has been confidently stated to US on
the report of several persons, some of
which were received by our informant
before the accident occurred, that the
shock OF an earthquake was distinctly felt
in various quarters from Diamond Harbor
to the Upper Town at Quebec, at between
one and two o'clock during the preceding
night.