New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-17
The Lawrence Calamity.
, ; INVCf - OlNIH UNIs
LAWRENCE. Monday, Jan. l6, u

LAWRENCE, MOuudJ, ohu ~ lcN''
The innues = before Coroner Lamb was resuuled this
morning st o'clock.
Newell W. Dean, employed in esrdng room, second
story described the falling of the floor above him; the
part coming down was almost tho whole ceiling at the
south end and though at the time, clear across
the southern end, did not at that instant perceive
that tie floor on which stood, Or the walis were In
jured; the rext instant l saw that everything was
coming from above, and hurried out of the northern
door, and through the countiDg-Foom; between the
tjme Of fist hearing noise and the timo that WIS
safely out of the door might have been thirty seconds
probably twenty people escaped at the sare door,
some Of whom were ct work twenty or thirty feet
from the door; do not remember airy moving Of ma
chnery in second story for year and half do not
remember sny pecessity for adjusting or altering the
gearing; feel certain that the machines were in Their
ns,aI operation at the moment beard sthe first
moved that day. but in The Third story, and none
in my secoDdl story; did not know OF any suspicion
Of weakneFs Of pillars or wallis never knew OF an
accident TO any pillar in my room have noticed that
tie floor bet~ cen the two ranges OF piuars was sgnuy
settled in The middle, but not more than have noticed
in other mills; there less Earring there than IN
any ether Mills the fly frames in the second story
were heavier than those commonly used have
thought that If the mills should catch fire the building
would coon fall account of the great space occu-
pied BY windows; when first glanced IT the ceiling
At the soush end seemed to be crushed down IN the
center, making two obbque Lines rom tHe confer up
ward 10 euoh side wall; the fall not merely be-
tween the two rsDges OF pillars, but included and COW
eIed them onward to each wall; could see into the
inverted pyramid formed by the falling ceiling, and
e the machinery which he'd been the door above.
DR. Bepjamin Coolidge was here recalled TO identity
and de scribe the original plan of the MILL and the plans,
81 altered for the budiDg lie testified ~ follows:
The floor was clear and level thr0ngh the top oil the
floor wa. level; competent engineer should exam
inc with levels he could ascertain ifthe foundations
were untouched think that it will be found that the
lower floor on both sides Of the south end are un,n-
ured and stand built ii 30, then, when cleared, an
examination by levels will establish the fact whether
the foundation bad settled not; an inch might be
allow ed for srnkage by time and the irei have OK
amned tbe foundations and have nothing To indi
cato tf settling oil the foundations; the lumes of the
bafemen are standing unnjured; persons have been
up under the first floor and along the basement;
think the cause of the accident was the breaking Of
pillar near the southerly end
Thomas s. VIM, recalled In moving the four ma
eLines on the day OF the accident did by insert
ing iron bars in all the hoes in the floor and hteing
the tacklng; hole for bar nearest the southern end
was 20 feet from It, and few feet from the western
wall; The mll from its sile and weight, should not
think as staple some mills have worked i'll; the
iitt year l worked there the chimney swayed ara
there we're cracks along the south ana west walls; the
southern wall secured by strong bars and after that
had no ears it always seemed 20 me that the pillars
and wslls not strong enough Tor tho wol3ht o.
Inachinery the beams were no larger than some
length; | have seen one hollow pillar snce tits
accident, which was an inch thick Que side and bal
a sixteenth of I'm inch on the oher al the weight OF
the iron there, blt all on one AIDE; Tue pdi" nero
shown looks to me Gs Il the hsnge on the top had
broken and let the hollow column down 30 the: the
head of the pindle was IN the column; there Wac =
greater weight on square foot on the hrt, second,
and sou.hoTly ends Of tue third fcor than have usd-
ally eeen ia mills; there were on and toward the
southern hal Cf the third floor 81 heavy ffaacs,
weighing seven-anda half TINS esohi my feel
ings Of Insecurity never slch as TO case me to
think Of sbange; DO Eot know whsther there
Wac laT2er amount Of snow on the ToOf or NOT tho
iaIring OF the walls in working was iess than
Usual Oh account Of the Iooms being 30 placed
az 10 beat leDgthwse rather than croas wise at tue
time Of the fall was eighty feet, or 20, from the
south end near the west WALL the irst sixty foet from
the solt end was occupied in the center and tho west
division by forty card frames, Wa Ching iUOVor -"
ponnds each; the next &wenty thirty feet by eight
yraInes weighing 1900 70 3 800 pounds each, total
OF between thirty anu forty t1ils. w6e beyond Inc
hy.anes, near the west wall; four OF the hy-.aInea
were behind ne; the floor WEI down behind ne first,
and -prsng forward to tho WALL whether tho other
tell sII.''' . Wv "'' "''' ~
We are informed that few days sinee Mr.. l.. W.
Winchester, Agent in this city of Iarndons Express,
visited the Office Of The Journal Of Commerce and
quersd the proprietor to to the plbc that
The Ha,nden Company would 9rstu.tously convey to
Lawstnce, Aa, contributions for the relief OF the
surer by the late dstter and that ths request wes
refuped or the ground that the political sentiments of
tho people OF Massachusetts, bad tina. The Jour
nal Of Co,gn-srce would DO nothing for t1eIn nnier
any rircurlsarces.
Such h ne sto-yas /. is tod to us BY respectable
wneseeS. We are convinced, however, that there il
some mistake about il, and that Il is incorrect. We
esbno. believe that the proprietor Of TIE J'.r1a' Of
Commerce ever ssid sucL thing.
kELIEy ron TnE ssEvxRESi.
The fcfqwiL tel'grsn Wac recei red yesterday BY
The Mayor;
T.vRpscR Jan. l6, 1850.
Hon. RrgaASDo wooD, Mayor New-fork city
Sir. John u. Watson, OF the firm a Gibbs, Watson
g. Oibls, No. IGb broadway. ia authorized TO nc. ior
tie City Government " receiving add trausm'.uhs
Ely lCnstiOns Cor re relief oi orr snHoro.s y. 'ne
COZ l c,lrlitr. n.hlI l. hiCEprEs, u, MHyDr,