The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1860-01-18
The Lawrence Calamity.
162 Persons Killed and Bu,ned t
Death.

WE compile from the Boston and
New York papers of yesterday full
particulars of the late heart rending
disaster in Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Terribly vivid as are the scenes and in
cidents as described by those present,
all written accounts Of this unprece-
denied calamity must fall far short Of
the horrible reality:
STATEMENTS OF SURvIvoRs. Mr..
n. f, H. Melvin, an alderman of this
city, was at work in the repair shop,
which is still unframed. The first IN
timation he had Of the approaching
calamity was the rafting of particles
against the window, aud the appear
| ance of a cloud of dust and lime coming
in through the broken panes. His first
impression was, that the boiler had
burst, and he started for the door
When he got out he conld see moth
ing at first for the cloud of smoke, but
soon observed men, women, and chill
dren crawling out from the ruins, Gov
cred with blood. He saw two women
issuing from the basement, and ran
down to them, but one Of them said
Do-not help me there are Others in
here.o He went in under the ruins.
beneath the projecting roof, about two
rods on his hands and knees, and found
a man wedged between two looms, and
a large shaft lying on his back. He
saw that he could not be got out With
out tools. He procured monkey
wrench, and, by taking the loom apart,
extricated the man, who went on his
way rejoicing He proceeded to the
next loft, and saw one Perkins irving
to get out, but was unable to do so.
being wedged between two plank
frames laid across his hips. Mr.. Mel
vim could not 6Dd an axe nearer than
at his home but ran thither Quickly,
and on returning releasedyrthe man by
cutting the plank. He continued
working in the ruins, although suffer
ing from an injured eye.
Mr.. A. B. Winnie was in the fifth
story VIXEN he felt the shaking Of the
building He expected to be instant
" killed, but went down with the fall
ing mass to the first floor, and walked
out OF the ruins unframed. He was
obligedto tear away some timbers to
get out, which he was enabled to do
By his powerful exertions, the wound
ed and Imprisoned in the vicinity be-
seeching him not to move anything,
for fear the rubbish would crush them.
The city is ringing with the praises
Of Miss Olive Bridges, who at the first
alarm slid down the elevator rope, and
when she found she was safe, nobly as
sisted in helping her wounded COMRADES
IN suffering at the City Hall.
A girl working in the upper room
felt the giving way of the walls and
held to her loom. She was also car
ried to the basement, her clothes near
y alltorn of, and yet she escaped un-
hurt. The instances of these miracu-
lons escapes are numerous and almost i
incredible. 1t seems wonderful that
five or six hundred were not buried
alive.
The statement that the min was a
notorionsly unsafe building is not gen
orally credited. have been informed
by the Mayor, by some who saw the
buildings erected, and by some Of the
emplyees, that they did not hear until
this accident that the building was un-
safe. AT the time of its erection the
undermining of the penstock, or the
small canal that leads the water to the
wheel, led to the fear that the walls
would fall The damage was repaired
put no portion of the edifce fell.
Previous to the fire, two sisters were
ogether and comparatively anhuFt.
Fhey would have been rescued. On Ii
'earlng The roar Of the flames, tbes 1