The true Democrat., 1854-05-16


 dead bodies lying near him.
 els there any one else in there beside your solf9,, they asked "Yes four or five" he re- r,lod "and they are all dead I can see then from where 1 am."
 While he was lying here, his father and bro ther hearing of the disaster, hastened to the scene and found their worst fears realized.- They arrived about two hours after the falling of the wall. and never left the spot till he was (axtricated. We will not attempt to describe ltbeir feelings as they saw him, after the mos Al unremitting eXertions on the part of the fire. men taken from the ruins horribly crushed and mangled. He was conveyed immediately to the City Hospital, where he is lying at pre- sent in a most critical condition. His face and head are dreadfully burned, and one hand is almost severed from his arm. Our readers will recognize a strong resem- blance between this case and that of the heroic lad, Tindall, who lost his life by the Hague street calamity.
 We received information at l o'clock this morning, that poor ODonnel expired about two hours before at the City Hospital. His father mother and other relatives were with him when he died.
 Alexander Mckay, who was found dead uu- der the ruins, lost his life in an intellectual at. tempt to save his brother. When he heard the crash caused by the falling of the wall, he rush. ed into the burning building, despite the at- tempts of the chief of police. "What am I doing here, while my poor brother is in there p said he, pointing to the ruins. This was the last that was seen of him till his dead body was found, horribly mutilated, lying beside the re- mains of his brother.
 fireman named Craig had most miracu- lous escape. He was found wedged in between pile of cloth and some boards and it was found necessary to tear off all his clothes be- fore he could be relieved He was then taken into room in an adjoining house. where he was dressed in a somewhat different suit from that which he had last worn; but he was doubtless too happy in having escaped without idury to pay any attention to his styleof dress Speak ing to one of the police captains, soon after he was rescued he said he never knew he was so fat until he was wedged in so tight in the ruins.
 One poor fellow, who was severely bruised. called on the firemen for heavens sake to pour some water upon him; and when they did so, he was heard to exclaim, in perfect ecstacv, 'Oh, how delicious that is! More, boys, more!''
 Zophar Mills, one of the officers of the fire department, was precipitated from the fourth
  of the chief of police, who was busy with his men in saving the property. He was so black with the smoke that the chief could hardly re- cognize him. When he perceived that officer he told him that large number of firemen were under the ruins, and asked him, for hea- ven's sake, toset his men to work in rescuing them. It was some minutes, however, before this could be done, as the flames were raging as fierce as ever, and no one could enter the building without mourning great risk. Several escaped from the second story windows by means of ladders, while others jumped to the pavement. Fortunately, none were iniur- ed. Among those who escaped by leapng from window was man named Kirtchner, who saved his life some months before in similar way during fire in Centre street.
 The appearance of the building after the fal ling of the rear wall was like that of vast furnace; but even while 1t was in this condition the fremen rushed in with the most daring in- trepidty, apparently lost to all sense of their own danger in their desire to save their suffer- ing brothers. The instances of noble and be- roic self-devotion exhibited here are beyond the praise of mere words.
 While the men were engaged in clearing the ruins they heard the barking of some dogs, which were confined in one of the rooms.- The poor animals were rescued almost uniniur- ed
 Among the narrow and almost miraculous escapes was that of Capt. Brennan who just the moment before the wall fell left the build ing to get an additional length of hose.
 The wounded iremen who were conveyed to the hospital seem to have forgotten their own injuries in their anxiety to hear about the fate of their friends "Where is Tom is he saved?' "What has become of Bill?' and other inquiries were made after their fellow sufferers by men whose injuries were so severe that one would think everything else would have been forgotten in the sense of their own suffering.
 One fireman escaped by leaving the build- ing to find his cap which he had dropped out side in the street, and Harry Howard, Alderman of the Sixth Ward and assistant engineer was within a few inches of the rear wall when it fell
 THE SCENE AT THE CITY HOSPITAL.
 At the City Hospital the scene during the day was affecting in the extreme. Crowds of the friends and relatives of the deceased gather ed around the gates to catch the least news in reference to the injured and the dead Wives came for their husbands, sisters for their bro- thers, and mothers for their sons. Upon in- quiring for the lost, how thankfully each learn ed of safety, how eagerly each clung to the least ray of hope, and how sadly upon them fell the response of '' dead" we shall not at tempt to tell.
 It is well worthy of remark that all the doc tors of the City Hospital, as soon as the acci- dent occurred, stripped off their coats and went to work nobly and manfully. Not physician rested till all the relief possibly was granted to the sufferers.
 From the New York Herald