, 1860-01-16
THE LAWRENCE CALAMITY.


tffum lie Dos: n A:l.s ard lee. 1ah1 :.
TUE FALLING OF THE BUILDING AND now IT
ORIGINATED.
The Mills building, as has already been notcd,
fell with tremendous crash shortly after j
O'Clock on Tuesday afternoon. 1t was as sud.
dcn rs it was fearful. Very few ifany yoFtho opera
tiyeswera aware Of tlle impending danger until
it came upon them in the tall OF Gigantic walls,
ponderous iloorings, machinery aad other uu-
merous contents Of the building. It was the
frightfnl work OF I'll instant. Two scenes of vi.
der OF moro painful contrast could not be imag-
iucd. \ mill in full operation, with several hun
dscd men, women aud children, quietly per-
unf,eralJed destruction producing devastation
and tho most horrible OF deaths, on the other.
Let US be thunkful TINT few such scenes ever
meet the eye or puin the heart.
The origin of the catastrophe is vsriouslr
g. atcd, but that which apprars the more proba-
bic is defect iu the foundation srnll, tue more
particularly ia the upper or northern portion.
1t is also nlpre than hnlci tia: the walls OF tho
building were insufficient for SO heavy weight
MS was placed upon thtn- The machinery WIS
unusually heavy, while the floors we're i'm
1nsnsely massive, and in tha respect presented
. marked contrast in proportion 10 the walls
md foundation. It is not improbable that the ac-
ton of the frost on tile foundation and walls had
aomethinE to do with it, wArln season sudden
ly following very cold one. AS before hluted.
1here are numerous reports as to the origin Of
the catatrophe, some Of which nre reasonable
and others aec NIT. Those above mentioned,
- 81. - 1u- ."r.'"'es went, are nearest the
t1us onsz. The inq aest which is to be 1,eld,.
ua.4 ~. ae 11v:o;:,:., will no doubt bring Gus
tEe le.l IActs Of the case.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING.
Tic building was erected in 1865, BY t1e
Esse1 Company Of Lawrence, for the rennbcr-
ton Mills Company, snd was of brick. It e1-:
tended north aid south, and was 81 feet inches
wide, and .s4 feet in length. The cost of the
whole, machinery included. was about 81 ,011,-
o0p. The work Of buildiny, as VIC ascertain,
was done by tue day, and moi on coutract. 1t
appears that il had been considered, by compc-
tent judges, of very light construction for the
amount Of heavy machinery, &C., with which it
WIS filled. The foundation was sunk soma ten
or twelrc feet, and it was supposed to BE- good
uud substantial. The walls were about feet
in width. III each room tGere were .3 iron
columns or supporters, set 10 feet apart cue
WY und 26 the other. Theso columns were
considered br nsany to be Insufficient supports.
0ver them we're placed double beams. Between
the two beams, and resting on the columns, a
large piece Of iron. shaped something like I
spool, abuut 5 inches long, was rlaced upright,
SD as 10 lock the beaHls together, the upper end
extending upwards into tie column in tie room
above.
There are seyHra: ways OF staying these col
utaus in use by builders, aud oi ull others this
would appear to be lhc most economical OF iron,
There havc been instances hcretosorc whcrc
these piattts hute been broken aud .et lle Leap,S
sway 0ti, and it was thought that aa accident of
this ktud would he very dangerous to the build!
ing. How II nuv tr in the case in hand, it il
impossible to tell. Tue fucts of The case can
only be. arrived at By The coroner's inyesti:a.
tion. The huilling was double trusScd NTH
fatfs Thu fhnr3 nj tfr1-
first, three inch spruce planl, ,loa c!ed and laid
across the bc.'n, ue1til j inch spruce boards
In i JiaeoMnlsy across the plank, aud finally
auutler flooring OF IL inch Southern pine
boards, also inni tiasonally across thet~o iFss
thicknesses. This would appcar to be flooring
enough 10 stilen the building very thoroughly,
US the whn1e was we'll spiked down.
The building was, Us originally constructed
five storics high, which, in consequence Ct thu
necessarily high studdiug Of each room, TO %.
nit Of the requisite macl.furry, made n cousld:
erably flofty building. Within few years q
basement story has been sdJed to the building.
At the southwest co1uer IL chimney H. feet
high was built. This w:s built Oh j toun aation
Of large stone hid rn rock pack, near tue bed
Of tue lireT. II was stated that this chimney,
during a lleavv gale Of wind, not long since.
swaycd several iuclts from its natural position,
md that fcars then Entertained for its safe.
~. .Abou; middle way of the west side Of tile
building tier Of priries ran ur. They w:rc, Al
is usual. built ont trou, the main huilJing. On
the northeast corner u wing branched on; tlli.
was As by 80 feet The engine house, in which