Washington telegraph., 1851-12-17
DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT New YoRK-
Tsus5le Loss of Lie.-A dispatch. da,

Tsws5le Loss of LJe.-A dispatch, da,
ed on the afternoon of the 2ath, saws.
"a terrible accident occurred this ars,
noon at 2 o'clock, at the new PphE.
School on Greenwich avenue Analarns
of fire was raised, and the children h.
coming frightened, attempted to escano
from the building. A large number we,a
crowding against the halustrades in ,bo
second and third stories, when they cavo
way and participated the children to ,bo
frs: floor, a distance of 40 feet AlreaJ,
20 dead bodies have been taken out os
the building, and It is reported that .,
.east 40 boys and girls are killed. Tba
scene was most heart rending. Mo,be,.
frantic were seeking their children, and
their cries mingled with those of the dv'
ing victims attracted thousands TO tho
spot"
A second dispatch, dated 10 p. NJ of
the same day. gives the following partic.
u!ars;
"Our city is in deep gloom in conse.
quence Of the melancholy and heart.renl.
ing accident which occurred this after.
noon. MANY homes that but few br;es
hours ago were the scenes of happiness
and joyous anticipations-wher dancers
were not dreamed of, and every coun.a
nance was bright with smiles-now nre.
sents deep melancholy and sad lamenta.
tions-eyes that were bright are flooded
| with tears, and voices that were nerrv
are turned TO awaiting. The details Of
this sad calamity, as neat as ! have beer
| h,r ia {
! About two O'Clock this afternoon, Miss
Harrison, teacher IN primary school No
! &c, was observed, probably from the
closeness of the room 20 faint. Or see.
ing this. a number of children run to no,
side. Others became alarmed, and IN
their fright, raised the cry of fire. This
soon caused the greatest alarm aud con-
sternation among the little unsuspectinq
lnnocents. Almost i'll momeut thev. as
with one impulse, made general rush FOR
the doors and windows and the stairway.
which, il seems was of spiral form. ami
running from The first TO the fourth story
of the building. Soon the press against
The balusrade became so great that il
gave way, precipitalng to the floor below
| which was OF flag stones, used for plav
ground, nearly or quite one hundred of
the lille ones. The scene, al this mo.
ment, was awful, and heart-reudlug be.
yond description. Child after child rush.
ed down the horrible pit, crashing be-
meath their weight those who had gone
before, white others leaped voluntarily
out OF the windows, aud Others threw
themselves down the chasm. minglmg
their lise-blood with that OF those already
dead aud dying. More than seventy
children thus rushed into the arms of
death; and, although few escaped being
seriously Ijured, some fity were instant
y killed.
The calamity would have been still
greater But for the presence of mind Of
Mr.. Nc Nuly, the principal, who was in
the fourth story, and who on hearing the
cry of tire, Immediately placed himself
against the door. declaring that none of
the children should go out IN shs manner
HIS class by this means escaped inevila-
bic Ge>truc tion.
A large number were Immediately car
.ed TO their homes by their bewildered
parents, so that the full extent of the ca
lamity cannot yet be fully ascertained.
The excitement at the school, and at
the u,nth ward Station House, has been
such as is seldom or ever seen in our city.
The spectacle of parents claspng ihet
dead aud dying Children, beggars all at,
tempt at description. The scene was
most lamen,able TO behold. The police
and staff, the Recorder and Mayor. and
many medical gentlemen were promptly
Oh the spot rendering the sufferers all The
aid in their power. An inquest will be
held at nine o'clock Tomorrow morning
when the true cause OF this direful calam-
ity will be more fully known"
A third dispatch, dated l0s o'clock P. NJ,
says;
"Since the above was sent, il has been
ascertained that besides those killed some
seventy or eighty are maimed-some OF
them tor life Many of the little ones
are so dreadfully mansled, as to be scarce
ly recognizable by their parents. A
number of the wounded, II is supposed,
cannot survive. No language can halt
depict the distress which exists III conse-
quence of this NJ ost melancholy disaster.
| 81. LOtttS NOC. 20 steamer hrcnet
ascending and the Die Vernon descend
ing, came in collision yesterday morning,
five miles above the mouth of the Illinois
river. The Archer was cut in two and
sunk in i5 feet water. All Oh the lowe:
deck, 0 or l5 in number, were drowned
The following passengers on the Archer
were lost:
Jane Myers and six children; Susan
Dix; an Irish family, consisting OF eigh!
or nine persons; and nine or ten deck
hands.
The books and papers of the boat were