Smyrna times., 1860-01-19
MISC CEGLANE EoUS
Frightful Calamity |!

Falling Of the Pem6erton MilIs, at Laurence
Northumberland Hundred Persons
Buried tn the Ruins Great Loss Of Life
On Wednesday we received accounts of one
of the most terrible cslamities that probably
ever occurred in the United States-one we'll
calculated not only to carry deep sorrow and
intense anguish TO the homes and fresdes of
the families and immediate friends the unfor.
stuaate victims, but to cause thrill of horror
throughout the land. The Pemberton Mills,
at Lawrence, Mass, employing over nine hun
dred operatives, fell on Tuesday afternoon, bu-
rylng nearly every person in the builnng in
the gums. Subsequently, while many were be-
ing rescued by the excited citizens and those
who had previously escaped, fire broke out
amid the ruins, and many were horribly burned
10 death who otherwise would have been ere
long rescued.
There were 96O operatives in the factory. A
portion of them had gone to supper, leaving
some 600 souls ia the building.
The scene beggarded description. Some
two or more acres OF ground were piled I'D with
every description of machinery and the fallen
ruins. At night bOnires were burning 10 af
ford light 10 some two or three thousand per.
sons who were working, as if for their lives, to
rescue the unfortunate, maby of whom were
begging TO be released from their tortures.-
They soon reached some OF the rooms SO that
the dead and wounded were taken out as fast
as possible.
Charles Batchci idSr helped to remove twenty.
SIX of the victims, some of whom were living,
while others were dead or terribly mutilated.
BREARING OUT OF THE FIRE.
About 8 O'clock fire broke out from the en-
gine room at the south end OF the building, and
soon spread over the whole ruin. The scene
now was heart-sickenng, according to every
description. Conscious Of the torturing death
which awaited the untortunates whose suffer-
lngs had net been ended by death, the bystand =
ers were GuaOle TO afford them any relief. A
few more bodies were got out, but only few
after the flames had begun TO rage. The groans
of the sufferers caused ndescridable anguish in
the hearts of all around, and to them were adj
ded the frantic appeals of some who knew they
were gazing on the funeral pile of relatives and
friends, TO whom no succOr was possible. An
alarm was sounded, the iremen promptly MANN
ed the machines, aud made every effort TO ex-
tlngulsh the flames. But the copious streams
of water dashlng over the Kissing ruins could
Though confined within solid brick walls, as
sisIance had nearly reached them when the fire
broke out.
ln one case one of those persons was helped
10 g lass OF water by parties who were endeav-
erlng 10 exirlcate them. She said that near
her, separated only by single beams, were six
men unlnJured. Alas! they were all consumed
in the flames, which spread with great rapidity.
How many were thus burned. there is no data
for estimating. person who was at the fire
from it's beginning became cognizant of three
parties of Standardization four TO six in num-
ber-whO thus persisted. The vicinity of the
mills Looks very much like vast charnal
house, as lItters, having on them corpsea, are
constantly passing through the streets In that
quarter.
BURIAL OF THE DEAD.
Several funerals took place on Saturday, at
tended with haste which beI0kened too plain
ly the sad exigencies Of the case. Coffin ma.
kers and undertakers have been at work day
and night, and the harvest Of death garnered
during the past week has, IN gathering the hv-
ing TO their fathers, plOwed burrows in the bo-
som OF many country graveyard, and of many
a once happy family. One coffin maker states
that he has supplied 80 cofins for the victims
OF the disaster who have received " christian
q
the remains of several Of the unknown and un-
" ept have been buried.
Nine bodies and parts of the remains of 9TH
ers were buried on Thursday in TWO boxes, in
the Lawrence cemetery.
The building has never been considered as
staunch. 1t was built seven years since and il
was considered sham. Indeed, before the
machinery was put in, the walls spread to such
a degree that twenty-five tons of iron stays
had to be put IN to keep 1t from falling.
The building appeared to crumble and fall
FIRST from the eastern corner. Ii fell inwards |
as If powerfully drawn that way.
THE DEAD, WOUNDED AND MISSING
A Complete canvass of the city was made on |
Friday aud resulted in the collection of the |
names of between SIX and seven hundred Of the |
living, missing and dead of those who worked |
in the mill. Mr. F. f Clarke, paymaster, re-
ports that according to his latest account from |
the names OF those employed in The mills, re-
glstered at the Essex office, he finds the names
Of but eighty-seven dead and missing. But the
figures of the Laurence Sentinel, with those
added which were found On Saturday and Sun.
day, give the following results:
Dead, III
Missing, 80
Injured severely, II9
Injured slightly. 2OO