The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-03-05
From the Cincinnati Enquirer of Friday.l
APPALLING CALAMITY l-FALLING OF A
WALL OF ST. XAVIER'S CHURCH-THIR-
TEEN MEN CRUSHED TO DEATH

|
WALL OF ST. XAVIER'S CHURCH-THIR-
TEEN MEN CRUSHED TO DEATH.
The most shocking calamity that has marked the
| history of this city for many years, occurred
Sycamore street, between Sixth and Seventh, about
| haltpast eight O'Clock yesterday morning, by
| which thirteen human beings were instantly killed.
The news of the disaster spread rapidly through the
city, and within half an hour after its occurrence
the street in the immediate vicinity was rendered
almost impossible by the crowd that had gathered
on the spot, and remained so till late in the after
| noon.
| PARTICULARS OF THE ACCIDENT.
| For some days past large number of laborers
| have been engaged in demoshing the old St.
Xavier church, on Sycamore street, preparatory
to the erection on its site of a larger and finer
| ediice.
Yesterday morning, the building having been
nearly demolished, portion of the force was Or
| dered to undermine the north WALL so as to cause
| 1t to fall inward. The south wall had been thrown
down the day previous by adopting this dangerous
| policy. While the men were all busiy engaged
with their picks in removing portion of the base,
the wall suddenly tottered, and before they could
| lily from their posts-almost before they could ut
ter a cry-it fell with tremendous crash burying
all, save one, in the ruins. Singular to relate he
| escaped by being in such position that window
| opening in the wall measured the ground on which
he stood.
EXHUMING THE BODIES
The laborers scattered about other portions of
the building, who had almost been paralyzed by
the horrible tragedy suddenly enacted in their
mains of their fallen comrades. AS body after
body was brought to light, the spectacle presented
was revolving in the extreme. All were so terri
bly, mangled that in some instances recognition
was almost impossible.
The skull of one was broken into small pieces
and his hat filled with clotted blood and brains
Another was nearly severed in twain. The flesh
was stripped from the face of third, leaving the
muscles and bones exposed to view, while the eyes
protruded from their sockets in the most revolving
manner. Still another was so terribly crushed,
hat had hnnY II
have fallen to pieces, and his wife failed to
recognize the partner of her bosom.
The lamentations of the women and children,
who had thus so unexpectedly been deprived of
husbands and fathers, would have moved the
stoniest heart. The Imagination can picture bet
ter than tongue or pen can describe this portion of
the disaster.
SCENE AT THE DEAD-HoUsE.
As fast as the bodies were exhumed they were
removed to the basement of the College Building
adjoining on the north, where they were laid out
to await the result of the Coroners inquest. The
doors were beseged by the relatives and friends OF
those employed in the demolition of the church,
anxious TO learn if brothers, husbands, fathers,
and sons were among the dead. Eleven bodies. in
all, were placed side by side in the room. Two
Others who were rescued alive, died shortly after
one on the way, and the other after reaching home
Shortly after the accident the Superintendent
called the roll of his men, to ascertain who and
how many had been lost, when it found that
sixteen missing. 1t is now rendered certain
however, that but thirte n were killed
KILLED.
The following is an accurate list of the Victims
as they recognized by their nearest friends:
Timothy Sullivan, Daniel Brady, John Duffy,
J James kiernan, Timothy Shay, Thomas Martin,
John Manley, Thomas Sayres, John Sullivan, John
Russell, Patrick Gallagher, Stephen Clarken
The last on the list is Richard Fitzgerald, who
resided on Race, between Pearl and Columbia
streets. This is deplorable case. Four months
ago his wife died. leaving four children the Oldest
not nine years old, and the youngest yet an infant
at the breast.
FOR THE SUFFERERS.
| We understand that a subscription has already
been started in aid of the widows and orphans OF
the deceased, and that more than thousand dol
lars have been subscribed.
meeting will be hello on Change this afternoon
Immediately after Change hours, for the purpose
of raising funds to provide for the families of the
unfortunate men who We're killed. The kind-heart
ed are requested to attend as the widows and or.
phans are in destitute circumstances.
THE RECENT INDIAN OUTRAGES ON THE
TEXAN FRONTIER
The Houston Telegraph publishes the following
extract from letter dated Burnett, 18th inst:
} The Indians are again annoying our citizens
. Eight or ten days ago they killed two men about
eight miles north of this village, one ga good MAJ
e and true" named Skaggs, the other named Var
Hook. was on the road towards home when
, heard of their death, alone in buggy driving
| tired horse. They were buried the day | reached
e home.
= Again our town was thrown into excitement by
runner coming in with the intelligence that las
evening about 25 Indians to tht
Colorado river, about ten miles west of this place
divided into two squads, and steered towards thi
point, through mountainous regions and ceda
: brakes; on the strength of which between 25 anC
80 citizens of the town and vicinity started out tt
2 overhaul them if possible.
What the result of the Indian forays will be, is
course all in the future. There are, it is true
d Rangers out, but they are so far out that the In
dians come in with impunity, steal horses and mur
e der citizens. This is protection with ven
, geance.
d We told that Indians have appeared nearly
4 down to Robertson county. Two persons wert
d killed twenty-five miles above Wheelock day OF
two since, said to be preachers. The murderer
i were Indians with herd of horses; the Indian
. dressed in the garb of white One Of the
. victims escaped, wounded, and reached the settle
n | ments in time to tell the tale and die.
e THE GETTYSBURG RAILRoAD.-The Hanover (Pa.
l. Spectator, in an article on the extension o
II the Gettysburg Railroad to Waynesboro' ant
Hagerstown, thus speaks the interest of the city
e Baltimore in the work:
Werepeat that the extension of the Gettysburg
u Railroad to Wayesboro' and Hagerstown will Sc
cure to Baltimore the trade of that region effec
q tualy as will the extension of the Western Mary
e land road Baltimore, because OF her geOgraphi
II cal location, entitled to this trade, and with equa
l. facilities will hold it against any competition
which has been demonstrated by the fact that no
one barrel of -four or bushel of grain has ever We
been shipped from Gettysburg or Hanover to an,
+ other market. The advantages which Baltimor
possesses to command the trade of which we speaI
are of the first order and indisputably superior
IS those of any rival. As no one knoweth what tn
t future may bring forth, it might be we'll for tn
n friends of the enterprise to make Immediate app
J. cation for a charter.
= The same paper states that it is expected tina
If twothirds of the stock subscription necessary
! insure the proposed extension will be taken by tn
IS citizens of Waynesboro and the surrounding cour
try; the remainder by the connecting roads, th
8, stockholders and the business men of this CITY,
The BURTON WILL CAsE-THREE WIDoWs IN TIL
FIELD.-It is understood that the claim of MIR.
r Elizabeth Burton will be strongly contested. Tn
l. case now stands in this position: By his will, Mi
b Burton left 81, 900 to Jane Livingston Burton bu
r it is stated that he never was married to her,
Is Since then Mrs. Elizabeth Burton, of England, ha
lie appeared as contestant, on the ground that sh
l. is the widow of the deceased 1t now appears tha