Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-03-08
Cincinnati correspondence.
CINCINNATI. March Sd, 1850.

CINCINNATI, March Sd, lS6O.
On Thursday morning last, between eight and
nine o'clock, our city was startled by the report
that st. Xavier Church, on Sycamore street had
fell and crushed large number of people in the
ruins. The first impression upon the minds oi
those who heard IL seemed TO be utter ncredulity
as there did not accompany the report any assgna
bc cause that such Il calamity could occur in such
IL substantial, well-triod building. 1t was notgen
orally known that the building was being torn
down to make room for larger building. Slight
and unsatisfactory as the report a; first appeared
it was soon observed that the current of the pop
ulace set in one direction with unusual celebrity o.
first report was, on arriving in the neighborhood
the crowd and confusion and sad heart. rendinl
walls of sorrow that rose above the noise, all in
dicatcd, too truly, that terrible calamity hat
fallen upon the city. No Church was there, ant
in the Wild uproar every possible report obtained
credence. Yet after the widest reports were re
futed and the facts developed, enough was left IL
the actual casualty itself to cast the black shadow
into many homes and the bleakest grief in hun
dreds of loving hearts.
! The Church was heavy substantial building Of
brick, and in order to take it down, the always dan
gerous process of undermining was adopted. Ii
this way the front and rear walls were taken down
On Tuesday night and Wednesday it rained very
hard and the standing walls were penetrated witt
moisture to a considerable depth On Thursday
when the men went to work, this important fac
appears not to have been considered, and ffteel
men set to work to undermine, by removing with
the aid ofpcks, the lower inside bricks just above
the foundation. The wall stood twenty feet above
the foundation and no props or other means ap
pear to have been set up to prevent its giving way
suddenly The digging progressed, and, in an ,n
expected moment, even before it was thought tho
wall was seriously affected, down it came, crush
ing thirteen men beneath the ruins.
/ For few moments those at work at other part
ofthe building stood transfixed with horror, bu
/ they soon rallied and rushed to the work of ex
huming their companions from beneath the brcl
and debris. In few minutes hundreds of stron
arms were aiding in the work as iflife and not tn
recovery of dead and mangled bodies depende
upon the ex ertion. The crowd continued t
increase and press upon the labOrers till there wa
not room left TO prosecute the search, when til
mayor brought the police into rcquisition AIN
forced the crowd off the ruins in order that tn
work OF exhuming could proceed with prope
celerity.
AS the crushed bodies were carefully lifted ou
friends soon recognized them, and it was sad am
melting scene to see wives PROSTATE themselve
upon the crushed and bleeding forms of the hus
bands from whom they hau parted but a couple O
hours before full of life and hopes and as childre
rushed in to learn what they most dreaded to know
a scene of sadness and sorrow cnsucd that mete
the most obdurate hearts, and even men wer
moved to tears.
OF the fifteen men engaged in undermining tn
wall thirteen were killed upon the spot one takcl
out not seriously injured, and one escaped
Twelve of the dead leave families who were dc
pendent upen them. Measures are taken for
public expression of sympathy for the bcreave
and for the purpose of establishing fund to al
them through the fearful trial that has fallen upo
them.
| The members Of the Mechanics and Manufac
tures' Exchange are making arrangements to in
duce the holding of the Fair of the National Ag
rcultural Society in this city. The committee ol
! Ways and Means report that they have guaran
teed subscriptions to the amount of $4,000, All,
can raise any amount that may be required for thu
object in view.
Charles Clawson was tried during the past weel
| for the homicide of X. Il. Malone and acquitted
This acquttal was based upon the precedent es
tablished in the famous Siclllcs case.
Yours respectfully,
ECLOTIS.