The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-01-19
HORRIBLE CATASTROPHE.


Laurence Mass, Jan. 10, p None Of
the most terrible catastrophes on record &C.
CURED in this city this afternoon. The Pember-
ton Mills fell with a sudden crash, about five
O'Clock, while some six or seven hundred opera
tives were at work. The mills are a complete
wreck. Some two or three hundred persons
are supposed to be still in the ruins. At pres
ent, it is impossible to give anything like
correct statement of the loss of life, but, from
the best authority, it is believed that at least
two hundred are dead in the ruins.
Eighteen dead bodies have already been
taken out, together with some twenty-five per
sons MORALLY wounded, besides some fifty in
different stages of mutilation. Mr.. Chase, the
agent of the mills, and Mr.. How, the treasurer,
escaped by running from the falling building.
Ii IS impossible as vet, to tell the cause of the
disaster. Our reporter is just come from the
ruins, and the scenes there beggar all descrip-
ton.
1t Is ascertained that / Is lives were lost, and
that l65 others were wounded, by the shocking
accident, if it can be so called; for great blame
Is attached to the proprietors, on account of
the slightness of the walls of the immense es-
Enlistment. The law should effectually pro.
vide against such accidents.
THE FALL OF THE BUILDING.
AT about FIVE o'clock, Tuesday afternoon.
when the mill was being lighted, and was then
IN full operation, disaster, witIes one sudden
crash, overlook Its hundreds of inmates. The
falling of the walls commenced at the southeast
corner, where a portion Of the brick-work, fif
teen feet high, was seen by bystanders to force
itself outwardly. in less than minte thereaf
ter, the walls of the mills with the exception of
the chief wing, were precipitated into hideous
mass OF ruins. The noise produced by the aw-
ful event was said by some to resemble that of
terrible snow slide-a quick, sharp rattle,
giving premonition of the occurrence of an aw-
full catastrophe. The sound was heard quite
distance, and was regarded by many individuals
as the shock of an earthquake.
The shock was very sudden and the crash
Immediate. Those Of the inmates who are able
TO give definite account of the sounds and
scenes of that dreadful moment unite in this
statement.
When the alarm from the disaster was first
given in Lawrence, it was supposed to be caused
by the explosion of boiler at the mill: then
that the structure was in flames After the
true cause became known, the alarm which be-
fore existed was intensified into panic fearful
TO contemplate. Eye witnesses of the scene
say that it would be hard to conceive its paral-
lei. The whole town turned out en- maSse, and
at once the work of clearing away the ruins was
commenced by thousands of willing hands.
The alarm spread rapidly throughout the neigh
boring towns, and people came hocking in from
all quarters, to see and hear and do. While
there was yet hope of rescuing the poor suffer
ers whose voices were constantly coming uu
from beneath the ruins, appealing for relief. ali
worked with zeal that was almost incredible
How many of the probably 700 under the ruins
had thus been released a dead, injured, on
dying-when the terrible FIRE broke out at nine
O'Clock, 1t is impossible now to determine
Probably 200 persons, the most of them alive
and many of them but slightly injured, still re
manned IN inaccessible parts of the wreck wher
the last touch of the destroying angel swep
over them.
THE FIRE.
Bnt the most appalling spectacle remained
Sad and terrible was the wreck of the build
ing, If was nothing to the swift conhagratio1
that subsequently swept over the combustibl,
ruins, destroying Its hundreds of victims with,
sight and hearing of the countless tbrong VIII,
had been lsboring for their rescue. Before N,
fire broke out, people had been able to enter IN,
aruins, and in many cases pass refreshments il
10 those who, from their situation, could not b,
immediately released. There were MANY mar
ties thus situated in open spaces formed by tn,
material of the building as it fell in. Though
confined within solid brick walls, assistanc
had nearly reached them when the fire brok
out. At a late hour, man entered the ruin.
carrying a camphene lantern. STOPPING dow
TO give water to person buried there, he drot
ped the lanterR, and the cotton was Instant
ignited. This was the easterly corner of tn
building, and the wind blowing from that quar-
ter, the fire in a few minutes swept over the en-
tire ruins and the remaining wing. This ad
ditionai horror, although it had been somewha
unprecedented, struck terror to hearts that ha,
before been hopeful of saving more lives. Sui
the work of removal went briskly on Tn
force pumps and all the engines which were o.
the ground at once got streams of water on
and kept pouring on torrents until, at midnight
it was hoped the fire had been stayed. Vol
umes of smoke aud steam were still rising
however, and a few moments later the flame
broke out afresh, and with such increased vic
lenee that all hope fed from that instant TIL
screams and means Of the poor creatures, burn
ing and scaiding in their charne house, coul