Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-01-20
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THE LAWRENCE CATASTROPHE.
URLINGTON:
FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY 20 1850.


when being warned by some unusual noise
both started through door usually locked
but providentially open then. They had NJ
more than made their escape when the par
they had Just left fell to the ground.
The building had never been considered
staunch one 1t was built about sever
years since. and was then thought a sham
indeed. before the machinery was put in
the walls spread to such degree that SOM
TWENTY-FIVE tons of iron stays were put in to
save the building from falling by its Owl
weight.
The building appeared, from the best in
formation that can now be gathered, TO crum
BILE and fall from the eastern corner or end
towards the Duck Mill. 1t fell inSards a
if powerfully drawn that way.
The whole city was immediately ly aroused
by report of the calamity, and multitudes Sc
to work Immediately to rescue the living
from the pile of ruins.
The scene in the streets Of Lawrence wal
agonizing in the extreme Husbands and
wives, parents and children, were rushing
to and fro. wringing their hands, and call
ing for missing relatives. The manglei bod
les Of the :ead and Of the wounded were con
veyed from the scene of the disaster as soOr
as recovered, in vehicles or litters, OF in the
arms of friends. The groans Of those who
were still buried under the ruins could bt
heard for great distance. and with the
screams of relatives and friends, added tC
the fearful excitement which everywhere pre-
vailed.
1t was estimated that two thousand per
sons were engaged with all their energies in
efforts to save the unfortunate victims. As
night came on huge bonfres were lighted to
aid them in their humane work.
Every few minutes some poor wretch was
dragged from his or her prison, and It was
heart-rending to hear their cries as they
were drawn out, with legs and arms crushed
or torn out. Gangs of m n. with ropes, were
constantly dragging out huge pi,ces OF the
wreck which imprisoned so many. Some o
the rescuers were killed IN their humane ef-
forts
The City Hall was converted into tenn
porary hospital and other places were put &c
the same use. Among the dead is Mr..
Palmer who was deeply buried in the ruins al
the time, and, thinking there was no pros
pect Of being extricdted, cut his own thro II
to end his sufferings; but still he was extri
Gated and lived some time after arriving a
the Hall
One woman, in the part Of the null still
standing, became frightened, threw her bon
net and shawl out of a fifth story door, anC
then jumped cut herself, breaking an arm
and otherwise injuring herself SO that she
cannot recover.
About halfpast nine o'clock fire was dis
covered. This additional horror although
somewhat apprehended, struck terror tC
hearts that had heretofore been hopeful oI
saving more lives Still the work of remov-
al went briskly on.
The force pumps In the vicinity, and all
the hand and fire engines which had beer
kept on the ground, at once got streams Of
water on the fire, and were kept pouring OF
torrents; but before half-past one o'clock
the whole was fat smoking mass of brick
mortar, and human bones, promiscuously
mingled.
Those near the breaking out Of the fire were
almost on the point Of extricating a woman
not badly burnt, but the flames drove them
back, and the woman is supposed to have
perished in the flames, when delivery seemed
so near.
The ruins having burned up, 1t will b'
many days before a true knowledge of the
uuunDtl VI hillCp anu NVNhNSN ''HN NAANi'
names can be arrived at.
The fire, which finally sacrificed the bu
lied human beings, caught, without doubt
from lantern containing burning fluid
which was accidentally dropped.
One fireman dropped down dead in the
street, probably from over-heating and over
exertion. His name is unknown.
By the fire some other mills near were fol
some time in imminent danger of being de-
stroyed but by the great efforts Of the fire
men they they were saved.
We might fill our columns many time'
over with additional details of the awfu
Lawrence disaster, which are given IN th'
different papers from that region. No de
scription can approach to the real horror o
the calamity. From the accounts in the
Journal and the Atlas of Thursday morning
we take the following
THE mill was built by the Essex Com
panv, under the direction of Mr.. StOrrow, {
former Mayor of Lawrence, and Chas. II
Bigelow Mr.. Storrow, with whom our re-
porters conversed, regarded the mill as SAT,
as any in the country, never having had AM
misgivngs as to its security. Soon after IN,
mill was erected. 1t was discovered that th,
floors sa rged, and before tie machinery Wa.
put in, the structure was strengthened by
the introduction of iron girders, two being
placed under each and every floor timber
except those in the upper room. These were
frightened by means of nuts upon the outside.
We nave it upon the authority Of the own
ers, that crack has never been discovered
in the walls, and so confident was Mr.. Stor-
row of the security of the mill, that he would
have sent his own son there as soon as into
any mill in the country. NJ machinery has
been added since the factory was sold by the
Pemberton Company to the present owners.
On the other hand, Improvements have been
made by taking out heavy machiner and
substituting lighter. This work has been
pursued of late, and a rumor is current that
at the time of the catastrophe, workmeu
were engaged in moving heavy piece OF
machinery, which accidentally fell several
inches, producing a shock to which some
attribute the fall of the structure. This.
however, needs confirmation.
In the absence of all positive testimony as
to the cause of this frighttul disaster, hume
rous and conflicting conjectures naturally
arise. 1t must be left to the Inquest to de-
velop the facts.
Many of the persons who were rescued
from the ruins alive, owe their escape from
instant death to the arches of the looms
which resisted the immense weight of tim
bers and machinery, and lefta space between
the floors in which the sufferers could move
about.
The FIRE AND ITS ExrrSGUI UIsHxENT.-Th,
origin of the fire is attributed to variou
causes. In the opinion of men of judgmen
it proceeded from the innumerable gas pipe
which ramifed the mill others feel equal,
certain that it proceeded from the furnace
but all agree that in the alleged droppin.
of camphene lantern, the cause was made
quate to the sudden, rapid, andwide-sprea'
advancement of the devouring element.