Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-01-16
gg 0elegraph,
Reported for the Daily Intelligenoer.
The LaVvrence Disaster.

was altered, consider the projections ON
which the timbcrs rested in the upper
stories, strong and safe enough, If the
floors fell in no wall could resist them.
had they been two feet thick: the work
was done in most thorough manner; the
walls were banded between the window
caps and stills; my opinion is, that the
mills were strong enough TO stand 1000
years if the walls and floors should not
give out: he had some objections to pillars
being hurried by Knowles, the carpenter;
for some of the pillars made requisitiOn
upon Bigelow, and some were sent from
Boston by the owners; they were not ac-
cording to our plan, which was like those
with clasps, which are on our other mills;
the first load that come was poor iron;
made complaint to Bigelow, who said he
would write about it to Mr.. Putnam; the
mill, of course, was not as strong as it
would have been if the chimney had not
cracked away from the building: as
whole, regarded it as an imperfect struc-
turc, having discovered Il defect in one of
them; was somewhat suspicious of them,
but never anticipated such result as has
happened. \ piece of pillar from the
ruins was brought in, and on examination
found to be extremely defective. The
witness always was uneasy about iron
at once to defects in the pillars. In reply
to some questions, he said he Judged from
what had been learned from testimony
here, and reliable statements outside, it
was owing to n pillar breaking near the
centre of the mill; to break one pillar
would leave unsupported an area of 5S by
20 feet: the great strength of the floors
would tend to destroy the walls when the
support gave way, and also TO break off
the pillars when once started; it was said
at first that there was II succession of
cracking noises, which ran into Al general
roar; have no doubt the building fell i
that way; the mill is of great width. ano
each pillar bears two parts of the weight,
and each wall one part.
The remains of Mary Barrett, aged 81,
and Catharinc Sweeney, aged -, were dis
covered in the ruins to-day. Both bodies
were nearly consumed by fire, Four ad
ditional bodies were also found, but they
cannot he recognized. There are now
parts OF five bodies left City Hall. Two
are utterly unacceptable. The other
three cain only be recognized by shreds of
clothing. One of the latter is the whole
trunk of 81 woman.
On the night of the accident, Il little
daughter of James Bannon, ten years old,
was pinned fast in the ruins, when the
flames broke out, and seeing there was no
escape for her, she took her due bill from
her pocket and handed it to another girl
near her, and said. "You will be saved;
will not give this to my poor, dear father,
and bid him good bye for me"
The most complete list of dead and
missing that has appeared is contained i'll
the Lawrence .Scntinel and figures up as
follows dead %, missing lO7. 1t makes
the number badly wounded 100, and those
slightly so 1879.
The inquest was resumed this a. NJ:
Charter s. Storms, agent of the Essex
Company, testified as TO the sale of the
land and water power mt q nominal rate to
Putnam, as the agent of John y. Lowell;
The contract was that the Essex Cympany
should, if required, erect for the pur-
chascrs of mill building of such size
and plan as should be required to give the
purchasers five years credit for the build
ing; it was not supposed that the huilding
would be half as large rs now; the differ
cncc to the Essex Company has only been
TIE advance of larger sum to build the
building; witness had never heard intilna"
tons that the building WAS unsafe; the
iron pillars were furnished by Mr.. John {.
Wood; think the cause of the accident
came from the interior, and not from the
walls; if from the latter, there must have
been large cracks; Mr.. Coolidge frequently
inspected the building; should not neces-
sarily think one pillar alone would cause ~
fall, though strain might be so great as TO
cause them to give way; one pillar was
broken in the machine shop, but it caused
no accident; the gearing was attached to
the southcrly walls. and if there had been
q settling of any part of the structure it
would have thrown the gearing out Of
lire.
The excitement touching the catasiro-
Pie of Wednesday evening is passing
away and the operatives are at work i'll the
various Mills as usual.
The Mayor to-day received donation
for the sufferers, of three hundred dollars,
from Lathrop, Ludington Il Co., New York.
SO far as known, the dead number 1853,
missing 4S, wounded DOG.
The inquest was resumed this morning.
The testimony relates to the construction
of the building.
Testimony of james Patterson, who WAS
buried in the ruins was employed in
the weaving room; had been there but q
short time; my place WIS on the ground
floor at the South end: way talking at the
time of the accident with Mr.. Adams, near
a column on the west side; it is the last
pillar hut one towards the South end;
there was no pillar between me and the
east side; Adams was on my lctt side; |
threw up my head to the north end of the
mill; said what's that, and that was all,
and jumped for the door; got my hand on
the latch and could get no farther: the
timbers came rushing and when they
ceased was down Hat; between the time
my attention was called and when all was
down it was perhaps minute; perceived
when [ first looked up something was
,cI- I ,cDfrn fbR limos
of the columns; there was no giving way
from beneath; my idea was that something
was falling through the ceiling and my
idea was to get away from under; there
were two girls leaving the looms directly
undnr: thnY sat dnwn md Mere sNYcd by