The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-01-13
THE LAWRENCE DISASTER.
Falling OF the Prnberton MilIs..ShOckins
Death Of Nearly Two Hundred Persons.
Mutilation Of the S0ffcrerx.-Op
Burnt to Death in the Ruins. &C., &c.


Falling Of the Pembertom MilIs..Shockins
Death Of Nearly Two Hundred Persons.-
| Mutilation Of the Sufferers. Operative,
Burnt to Death ia the Ruins. Sc, &C.
A brief dispatch, yesterday morning, an
| noupced the occurrence of terrible disas ter
at Lawrence, Mass. The Pemberton Mills
fell with a sudden crash, about O'Clock in
the afternoon, while some sssen hundred
| operatives were at work, burying some 2OU or
| 800 persons in the ruins. A fuller Dispatch
gives the folio wing additional particulars:
| a present it is impossible to give any thi n e
like correct stat temen: Of the loss of life, but
| from the best authority it is believed that at
| least two hundred dead in the ruins
| Eighte dead bodies have been already taken
| out. together with some twenty-five persons
| mortalIy wounded besides some fifty in differ
| ent stages of mutation. Mr. Chase, the agent
of the mills, and Mr.. How, the Treasurer, es-
| capped by running from the building.
Ii Is Impossible as yet To tell The cause of the
disaster Our reporter is just come from the
| ruins and the scenes here beegar all descrip
tion. Some two or more acres OF ground are
| piled UP with every description OF machinery,
| and the fallen building. Huge boutiyes are
| burning to light iWo or three thousand per
| sons who are working, as if for theiI own
| lives, to rescue the unfortunate persons many
| oi whom are still crying and begging 10 be re-
, leased from their tortEres. Every few min
| utes some poor wretch is dragged from his
| horrid prison, and it is heartrendinG to hear
| their cries they are drawn out, with legs
| and arms crushed or torn. One man, shock
| ingly mangled and partly under the bricks,
| deliberately cut his owa throat to end his
| agonies.
| The whole city seems in mourning. Many
| are running through the streets, ami with
| frantic cries searching the rufus. Temporary
| hospitals have been arranged for those res
! cued. Many stand by the wreck, frigid with
despair. Often terrible crash, caused by the
| clearing away, threatens death To those who
! may stiil be alive in the ruins.
| General ii. X. Oliver is conspicuous and ac-
| tive In directing those persons who are en-
deavoring ~ rescue the victims OF the disast ter
| Gangs OF men, with ropes below, are constant
| ly dragging out huge pieces of the wreck which
| inprison SO mary. Some of the rescuers We're
| Killed In their humane efforts. Since left
| the scene OF disaS er reports Of more OF the
| dead and dying are constantly coming to us
| Surgeons are coming in from all directions,
and every thing that be done at such a ia in =.
| tul moment Is being done for the suffering vic
| tiins OF the fearful calamity, the mystery CT
| which will have TO be cleared up by a n inQ uest
| ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
LAWRENCE, jan io--li p. MAT about ten
minutes of five O'Clock this afternoon, our citI-
zens were alarmed by the cry of fire which
| proceeded from the Penberton Mills about
| iour-fiiths of which had faIien a shapeless
| mass, without The slightest warning TO the
nearly eight hundred human beings who were
| then at work.
! The building was never considered to he As
staunch as it onght TO have been. Ii was built
| about seven years since, and was then though
| n sham. Indeed, before the machinery was pu t
| III. the walls spread to zuch degree that some
! twenty-five tons of iron plates We're put in to
| sa.e 1t from falling by lis OWE weight.
| From the best Information that can be now
| gathered, the building appeared to crurnble
aud fail from the eastern corner or end to-
| wards the Duck Mill. 1t fell inWards as If
| powerfully drawn that way.
The fire companies at once required to the
tlt hnp .atp fro y
| ect 10 work ith Il will to remove The rubbish.
| They very soon reached some Of The rooms
| ana the dead ana wounded We're taken out as
| fast they could be reached. Mr. Charles
| BaicheiGef helped to remove some twenty-six
| i'll various coDGitions--some sun living, oi hers
dead and terribly mutilated. Mr.. Branch, an
| overseer, has not been found. The City Hall
| has been converted into a temporary hospiia |
! tor the dead and wounded, to remain there
| until recognized by their friends, although
| scores Were recognized and taken at once To
| their homes.
Tne following woUDtied are now at the hall:
| Mary Ann Coleman, Ellen Ciary, Sarah
| ID lie, Eliza Ward. Ellen Mahony. Thos. Con-
| irr, Bridget Bradley. Mary York, Margaret
Hanneykiil Eliza naw, kate Harry hee Joanna
| Connery. Morris Palmer, George .ieotaiplia,
| Mrs. Fridler. Robert HAYS. - Courtney
Margaret ianiiton, Mary Kennedy.
| There are t"cn'y-one col pses, only the fol-
| lowing OF which have been recognized:
! Mary McDrua.d, Bridget Ryan, Mike
O'Brien, John Dearborn, Margaret Sullivan,
| Mrs Palmer.
| ,+ ,ha - ,cd ~, ti,ny b. - 80 @ ,.
| pect of being eXtricaled, cut his throat to end
| h,s 81 a.r,,r. stiu ha ,,-,s tric.+aa .nd
iXsd ,r snf,. NM. y tar ~ tha ~ haii
| Oa 1-,ne.n in ,b.t ,,rt af - ,,i,t .,;ti
! .a,Si, tnnr.n "a frih !Pp,,o, P ,a .t t,1 -,
h,,,,ar 80 sh.,,,, ~ -, "a. n - ;-,r = ~ -, :,
iI,n,'.. ,,ut h,r-alf traa,Eing hc~ am .na ;',.
;u,i,,g herself So -h,I sha c,,,nI,t racnxar me
j"h's ntiSra - , i'r ,si, sIf vanHa rteotea ne
! Is
'n,.n hn,arSyi h,,m.n h.i,,gs ,.,ar. ac,''.Itr
| .nrid 49, 10 rui,r A ,rn,n,, no., 49, ha5
rasnnai m ~ "a, M ,bar .r, 80, ,,,Ian,y 3 -
mnr -, ,h. y,ci@;tv nf h.,r W., aliv.
Abor, h.,f.n,st ,ina n.cion,s t;ra ,v,s ais
cnXsrsd Th;s .d.itiouai borrnr .I1honns
Somau,h,, n,nr.nsnded s,rnck ,,,nr -, =.
| ho"r 10, ~ hsf r bsan t'',.f,i 20 -. a,.
| mora lives Sill 1he work IF renewal ,,anT
| hr;sklv on Til. force pumns aud All The on.
| cines which were on The ground ut once oot
Streams of wa.er on. and have been nourine
on torrents-so that now, (Ii 80 =. NJ y aitho
volumes of smoke and steam are rising vet
the fire does no, seem to gain and il is certain
iv to be hoped that it has been stayed.
| Those near at the breaking ont of the fire
were almost at the ,,oint of extrica,iuy a wu.
man not badly hurt, but the flames drove
| them ba ok and the woman is supposed 10 h;t>
perished. when delivery seemed so near
| The Mayor has teIegraphed TO Lowell TO,
| the firemen Of that CITY. who will arrive her,
| abaut one O'Clock
| II is estimated that not less than two thou.
| sand ahle bodied mrn have been constant,
at work on the rains: but. notwitbst.ndios
| that So many have been working in a small
| suacp vet no accident that we can learn O.
| has orcurred
| MISUNDERSTANDING succeeds calamity-
| In len minutes the Who'll. mass of ruins ha.
| become one sheet of flame The screams a nd
| no distinctly heard but no mower can SAVE
| them