New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-03-14
AWFUL CALAMITY.
FAILING or THE FLOOR OF ST. MARY 5
asIlpHH

Fro. TIE O.rego PIAISiss, lch.
The most awful calamity occurred last evening
sbout fifteen minutes after oeipSk, s. . Mary
(Ca,hshc) Church, that hGs ever transpred 10 this
city.
A ission WAS opened az the church on Sunday sst
by MssOueTs belou gDg 10 the order % Rede uptorss
ana the congregations have been immense every even
ing since every seat being crowded and the als!es
aso with interested listeners OF s clssses OF citizens
LAST evening another overwhelming audience mad a.
sembbed 70 listen 10 discourse on the subject OF Inc
Last Judgment" The church was literally packed
with people. TIE exercises OF the evening bad Just
eoInmer ced or were about to commence, when about
onehrd Of the hoor Immediately in front OF the altar,
gave vsy from the immense weight, and tel TO the
bkement preciptatirg about one.third OF the audi
ence in indscrmiIate MACS into tue sbyss below
The scene that ensued il beyond the power of Ian
eusse to describe. The groans sbrieks, prayers aud
applications of the mass OF human beings thus thrown
IN coIiused heap into the chasni below, as wei IA
In. horror stricken beside in the other part on
the house was sWfal beyond description. Those who
were uppermost in the precptated mass, struggled TO
escape by climbing over each other, trarnping under
foot those beneath.
universal manic seized the whole Of the sssembla,e
instantly terrific rush was made by those on that
part of the floor fallen, to escape from the house.
amid the shrieks and groans OF those beng tramped
under fnot.
The alarm was soon spread by the shouts and Ia
rentsCns of the frantic crowd, end the bells were
rurg supposng i to be fire, and the trenen all turned
out. =,
As the mass OF the peOpio nt leRl TIC
cbnrcb 2 rumber Of men. together with Mr.. Quartet
ard the Redemptorist Priests, Joel III. Warn and
others the relief OF the unfortunate people
who were lying lying aud even dead. Many women
were taken out OF the church lnsensloie, some WIN
broken limbs some desd. How many were actually
dead or died subsequently, how many were serious
ly in iured il was Impossible 70 tell last evening" as
numbers carIie1 away by friends ana acqualnt-
snces OF whom nothing in particular conld De learned,
EXCEPT that several were known to be IN an uncon-
90 IA ma
man. Lawrence Murray brotherinl law OF Luke Rat
tigsn member of the Oswego Guard, was taken out
dead also Mrs. Mary Carsn and Mrs. Bridget Lsng-
don Who were conveyed to the house Of X. III. MSrtin
ESQ., opposte, where both soon expired. Another wo-
man, Mrs. Margaret Hennessy, was taken to the re-
sidence Of Ir Kane where she also expired in short
tine. 50
Of peops speedily assembled at the of disaster
and hundreds were eagerly and anxiously inquirlng
and looking for their friends, relatives, wives, nus.
bands SISTERS brothers, SC. and toe excitement ana
grief was universal and general gloom pervsfed the
city wherever the intelligence of the melancholy dis
sstsr reached. Numerous groups were 10 be seen
bearing their female friends m their arms who were
bevdered, fantDg and weeping from frght or mary,
and lspentstieps to De heard on every hand IN
the vicinity.
The furnace was under the fallen floor, and water
bsd TO be brought to extngush the fire, 70 prevent
eontisgrstop. The then raised up the runs, 80
r. TO ceSr them from the furnace. Inc body OF ths
church was covered with the broken pevs and ruins
that had been taken out and piled up.
In Mr. Gaardet's residence Immediately adjoining
the church, we're two females who lay unconscious,
ana frienos and physicians Supplying restoratiyes.
Irquests were held upon the bodies OF Mrs. Carin
and Mrs Lsngdon, at the house Of X. II. Martin;
another on the body Of Murray in the vesty OF the
church; and another the body OF Mrs. Iiennsssy,
ut the house OF the Sisters OF Charity. The verdict
each case was that they were trampled 70 death.
The Jury uade personal and careful examination
of the locality and origin Of the calamity. IL found
that portion o. the large crossbeam nesr the altar
was very much decayed in the center by dry rot but
to all appearances, externally, perfectly sound.
This beam broke off under the excessive weight, thus
causing the disaster.
Among those injured, Of whom we heard, were Mrs.
Patrick IIonigsn, Mira. Kinney, who hal two RIBS
broken, Mrs Churchill, sister OF Capt k. NchOson,
and John Shepard, who is badly injured.