Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-01-19
Appalling Catastrophe!

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terrible calamites of which we have any account.
About O'Clock on the 10th, the Pemberton
Mill at Lawrence, Mass, fell with sudden
crash, burying some six or seven hundred OPP
eratives in its ruins. The Mill was six story
brick building, and employed some nine hun
dred persons, large number of whom had, how
ever, left the mill about an hour before it fell
The utmost excitement and CONSERVATION pre-
vailed, and the cries and groans Of those wound
ed and imprisoned beneath the ruins, can better
be imagined than described. Thousands of peo-
pie were Immediately on the spot and all haste
was made to remove the rubbish and rescue the
unfortunate, until about midnight when as if
to add horror to calamity, a fire broke out, and
soon completely enveloped the ruins in flames.
The screams and meanings were distinctly heard
above the roar of the flames, while parents and
relatives of the unfortunate ones gave vent to
their agony in frantic cries and tears.
From the reports to the daily papers, we gath
er the following particulars
The City Hall was converted into Temporal.
ry hospital for the dead and wounded, to remain
there until recognized by their friends although
scores were recognized and taken at once to their
homes.
One reporter gives the following on the next
day after the occurrence
The scene of the disaster was thronged all
! through with crowd in which it seemed that
interest and anxiety had not abated in the least.
A flood of water was still poured upon the ru-
ms, and the search after the dead bodies contn-
ued with slow progress Up to o'clock last
evening the whole number Of bodies taken out
has been fifty The most Of these have been so
burned and blackened that they were scarcely
recognizable every body taken from the ruins
was followed by an anxious crowd Of people,
who were waiting to see the remains of some
friend or relative. This crowd was always aug
mented by those who were melted alone by NOR
bid curiosity With these the city was crowd.
ed during the day. The IL O'Clock train from
Boston consisted Of twenty cars, containing some
1000 people. Among these were some sixty of
the Boston police, u large number of fremen
and others. Thousands came from Lowell and
Manchester, where the citizens are connected
with those of Lawrence by similarity of pur.
suits and interests Besides these the whole
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every means of conveyance.
The agonizing scenes at the City Hall cannot
be described to the reader During the early
part of the day, all of the wounded and nearly
all of the dead were removed to the places where
they had boarded. The re -ognition of friends
here, or the failure to find them here, caused
the most violent outpourings Of grief. The cor
ridors and starways were crowded all the day.
Men aud women pushed each other in frantic
excitement, and the shrill cries Of the women
mingled with the deep groans and sobs of sturdy
men. Perhaps the most painful OF all was the
emotion of those fine looking New England mat
rons from the distant country towns, who had
a son or daughter here. Coming to the City
Hall, they found the wounded removed. Ali of
the officers who had charge of the room were
busy, and were flying in every direction
"Where are those who were wounded ?" was
the continual question They were scattered TO
their various boarding places, and there they
were sought. Too often kind and loving fathers
and mothers were denied the sad consolation of
finding their beloved ones among the wounded,
or even among the dead A fate still worse had
been suffered by many of these; and then the
food of grief was terrible indeed.
The number of operatives entered on the pay
roll of the company was 965, all but 800 of
whom were in the main building when it fell.
The number dead and missing is lis of whom
so are known to be dead, and the remainder are
believed to be under the ruins. One hundred
and fifteen are more or less wounded. About
fifteen bodies still remain at the City Hall. I'M
recognized. Most OF them are charred trunks.
Early yesterday morning, Mayor Saunders de-
tailed the police force to thoroughly canvass the
city, for the purpose of definitely ascertaning
the number of dead and missing. The follow
ing is a statement of the result:
LAWRENCE, Jan. IL. Terrible as our calami-
ty is, think it is much over-estimated in the
number Of killed. AS near as | have been able
to ascertain this morning, find dead and miss
ing (what is equivalent to dead) lis, and los
wounded Some of the wounded will de- but
very much tho largest number will survive.
From the owners of the factory, we learn that
the estimated value of the mill and machinery
was between 5000, 900 and $700,000 The pick
er and lighthouses, the machine shop and store
house, arc still standing. In the latter was
stored some 1000 bales Of cotton, worth about
800 900, which is unInjured.
Numerous accounts of suferings, miraculous
escapes and awful deaths are given, but we have
not room for the Sickening detail. We learn of
only two from this locality who were employed
in the mill-Miss Clogston of this village, and
Miss Martin of Marshfeld, both of whom are
unhurt A large number of foreigners were
employed in the mill, and hence the number of
relative mourners in this vicinity are not so large
as it would have been with the falling of some