St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-01-26
The Disaster at Lawrence, Mass.

The excitement incident upon the Lawrence
catastrophe is passing away, even there in the
afflicted city so buoyant is the human mind,
and 70 readily do mankind turn their thoughts
from sorrow. The operatives there are at
work in the various mills usual.
The most complete list of those killed and
injured 10y the accident, is given by the Law
renee Sentinel, and figures up as follows =
Dead, 90: missing, 100 badly wounded, 100;
slightly wounded, 1899. Total killed. wound
ed and missing, 5ll.
Charitable contributions of money, doth
ing, &c, have been sent to the sufferers from
numerous sources. Many of the donors with
hold their names, lest they be paradcd in the
public prints Besides the various sums OF
money received there was also the present of Il
box of one hundred and twenty-five linen
sheets, the gift of the owners of the Portland
and Boston steamer - Mconcncm Sanford" a
lady from Charleston forwarded quantity of
carefully prepared bandagcs.
On Sunday, the 18th, services appropriate
to the occasion were held in all the churches
of Lawrence, and in many of the churches of
Boston and elsewhere. The Mayor of Law
renee issued the following
PROCLAMATION.
In view of the great calamity which has fall
len from Il cloudlcss sky like IA thundcrbolt.
crushing the city with misery which no
earthly power can raise, shrOuding it with II
cloud of anguish which no human hand can
dispel, binding it in chains of woe which dcs-
| t,nir I
ly hcsecch that on Tuesday next all the inhab-
itants of Lawrence abstain from their avoca-
tons and labors that they set apart that day
us one Of prayer; that they then go to their
respective places of worship to join in those
religious ceremonies which the occasion de-
mands, and there publicly ask of God that
he will temper her at1iction with mercy that
he will restore to health those now languish-
ing i'll pain and suffering that he will pro.
vide with a fathers care for the orphan and
widow; that he will comfort and support those
bereft of husband or wife, parent OF child that
he will so order this signal destruction of life
and property, so that good may come out of
our great evil, and that our experience NAV
teach wisdom throughout the land
Signed, b. SANDERS, JR., Mayor
Many incidents of the catastrophe are rela-
ted in the public journals. On the night of
the accident little daughter of James Ban
non, ten years old, was pinned fast in the ruins
when the flames broke out, and seeing there
was no escape for her, she took her due bill
from her pocket and giving il to another girl
near her, said {" You will be saved shall
not. Give this to my poor father and bid him
good bye for me-
One poor girl, alive and fully conscious, was
dragged from the fallen mass with one arm
torn from the socket and her body and legs
awfully broken. She did not survive long.
In one place the bodies of three young girls
were found, dead and locked in each other 5
arms. The flames devourcd them before they
could be taken out
little boy, whose only friend on earth was
his mother, and that mother employed in the
mill, wandered about among the crowd, sob
bling as if his heart would break, and begging
the byStanders to save his mother. The moth
or was saved, and clasping her little son in her
arms, his joy knew no bounds.
Little Margaret Hamilton. aged fourteen
years, had only worked in the mill one day.
and as her mother was attending to her injuries
she was inquired for, when the mother ex-
claimed, " Her arm is broken, and her head is
broken, and oh, my God bursting into
tears my poor darling is all broken" Death
soon ended the child's sutferings
Two young women had fallen from the third
story, and one of them had two fingers caught
in the machinery. In an agony of despair she
tore them OFF and crept from the ruins, her gar
ments entirely torn from her body Her com
panion escaped through the same aperture
badly bruised and manglcd
The bodies of Mary Barrett and Catharinc
Sweeney were found nearly consumed 10y the
fire. -Four other bodies were found which
could not he recognized. Besides these it WAS
stated that parts of five bodies were lying at
the City Hall-two utterly unacceptable.
and the Others only known by shrets of cloth
ing. husband after much search, discov-
cred his witc's remains among the charred bod
les 10y means of II ring which he took from her
name, 1t was their wedding ring. He was
taken away maniac.
little girl, ten or twelve years old, was
found with her feet spread wide apart by a
huge mass Of iron. Close on either side were
heavy pieces OF machinery, and over her back
large timber, while one of her arms was run
through an iron ring. All these heavy articles
prevented her moving, but she was rescued al
most uninjurcd. Her position and escape
were a marvel.
Inst n tbc flames hurst E,r+l n ,,,,,o,
was rescued who declared she was unhurt II
afterwards proved that her right arm was bad
ly broken, but in the excitement and ioy of
deliverancc from dreadful death, she was
unmindful of her injury.
One woman was found with her head Jam
med between two heavy beams, and pressed so
that it was not thicker than man hand A
shocking spectacle.
At one point Of the ruins female voice was
heard, and soon another answered, -. Is that
you, Lizzie' Are you hurt" The reply was
a smothered groan, and an appeal to Gods
mercy. Both girls were afterwards rescued
A lad in one of the upper rooms, hearing the
crash, plunged into waste box, where lie was
found amid the ruins uninjured
One fellow on being extricated from n vast
heap of rubbish, coolly took pipe from his
pocket, lighted it and walked Off
One entire family of five persons were saw
ed, and the thankful and pious mother, gath
ering her children around her, poured forth
her thanks in Il prayer to God amid the dark
ness of night.
Nothing now remains standing at the scene
of the disaster, except two immensc chi1nneys,
through which ran the shafting that carried on
the works in the various rooms The wood
work has nearly all been removed from the
spot, and what remains is a crushed and min
gled mass of brick and mortar and broken ma
chinery. The Pcmbcrton company have the
ruins in charge and employ about fifty men in
clearing them away.
The coroncrs inquest is still progressing,
and great number OF witnesses have been cx-
amincd. Mr. John b. Tuttle of Lowell, II
brick mason of thirty -four years experience, by
whom the Pemberton mill was built, testified