Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1860-01-14
= bisTRESSlAG CALAMITY =.
Fall of Pemberton Mills Building, al
Lawrence, Mass.
Nearly Seven Hundred Persons Blu
ried in the Ruins-O over Two Hun
bred Killed-Numbers Mortally
Wounded or Mutilated.


bred Numbers MORALLY
Wounded or Mutilated.
4 LAWRENCE, Mass, Jan 100 o'clock, P. NJ
\ The lemberton mills fell in, suddenly, at about
/ five O'Clock this evening, while from six to
seven hundred operatives were at work.
4 The mills are Il complete wreck.
II is supposed that from two TO three hun
dred bodies are buried in the ruins.
Il is impossible, ut present to give correct
account of the loss Of life
| Eighteen dead bodies have already been la
\ ken ont, twenty-five mortally wounded, and
4 fifty in different stages of mutilaton
The agent Of the mills and the treasurer es-
capped by running from the falling building.
II is impossible yet TO tell the cause of the
4 fall Of the building.
/ The scene bcggars all description. Some two
! OF more acres of ground are piled up with ev-
! cry description of machinery and the fallen
ruin. Huge b0ntires are burning to afford light
I TO some two or three thousand persons, who
are working Ms il for their liycs.to rescue the
unfortunate many of whom are begging to be
released from their tortures by death
| Every few minutes some poor wretch is
dragged from his or her prison, utterng the
most heart-rcnling cries while being drawn
out with legs and arms crushed or torn TO
/ pieces.
One man, who WAS sockingly mangcd, and
still partially buried under the bricks dclibcr-
ately cut his own throat.
! The whole city seems to be in a state of
mourning. Many Of the friends Of the victims
are running through the streets, and with fran
tic cries are searching the ruins, while others
stand looking at the ruins, irigd with despair.
Temporary hospitals have to be arranged for
4 those taken out alive.
While the ruins were being cleared away, II
| portion of the mills which was still standing,
fell with Il terrible crash, threatening death TO
all who were still alive in the ruins.
Gangs of men, with ropes, are constantly
dragging out huge pieces of the wreck, which
imprson 50 many of the poor victims.
Some Of the rescucrs were killed in their at
/ tcmpts TO relieve the sufferers.
SINCE we left the scene Of disaster reports
4 are constantly coming in adding to the list Of
the dead and dying
Surgeons are coming in from every quarter.
!. Everything is being done for the suffering
fctims
I LAWRENCE, Jan. lO.--ll o'clock, r. M.-The
4 fhllowing details of the sud event have been
collected;
i At about five O'Clock this afternoon, the cit
liens Of Lawrence were alarmed by cry offre
which proceeded from the Pembcrton Mills,
about four-tfths of which had fallen into
shnpeless mass, without the slightest warning
to nearly eight hundred beings who were there
at work.
Tic building has never been considered rs
sannch 1t was built seven years since, and
il WAS then considered sham Indeed, before
the machinery was put in, the walls spread to
4 such degree that twenty-five tons of stays
had 10 he put in to save it from falling.
The building appeared to crumble and fall
first from the eastern corner. II fell mwards,
as if powerfully drawn that way. The fremen
4 OF the city at once repaired to the spot and set
NJ work to remove the rubbish. They soon
reached some of the rooms so that the dead
and wounded were taken out as fast as posi-
bic.
Charles Batcheder helped to remove TWEEN
i ty-siN of The victims, some of whom were liv-
ing. while others were dead or terribly mutila-
ted.
Messrs. Chase, Clark, Patterson, Melvin, and
Vim, oyCrscers and clerks, are safe Mr..
/ Branch, an oyerscer, has not yet been found,
and it is supposed that he is lying under the
ruins.
The City Hall has been made temporary
hospital for the reception Of the dead and
wounded where they will remain till Recognised
and taken care ofby their friends.
Mr.. Palmer was deeply buried, and thinking
there was no prospect Of his extrcation cut his
own thrOat, but was exlrcated. and lived some
/ time after his arrival ut the Hall One woman
in the portion Of the mill that remained stand.
ing, in her fright. threw out her bonnet and
shawl from the fifth story, and then jumped
from the window, breaking her arm, and i'll
Fjufing herself 50 badly that she cannot recover.
4 The laborlng force Of the mill numbered
about 900, and about 700 were actually buried
III the ruins.
y woman who has Just been rescued saws
there were some twenty-five more in the Vi
rinity the place where She was buried who
were still alive,
An Additional Horror-Fire Broken
Out in the Ruins.
About half past nine o'clock to-night fire
was discovered in the ruins.
This additional horror, although somewhat
apprchrnacd, struck terror iuto the hearts of
those who before were hopeful of saving more
lives.
still the work Of removal went briskly ON.
Force pumps and engines have been pouring
Streams Of water on the flames, so that at the
PRESENT. time. thalf-past eleven clock, although
4 the smoke and steam are rising, the fire does
not seem 10 gain, and it is certainly to he
hoped that it will be stayed.
Those near The place where the fire commence
g, were at the point Of cXtricating a woman
not badly burnt but the flames drove them back,
and she Is supposed to have pcrshed
The Mayor tclegrahcd to Lowell, and the fire
men from that city will arrive about one o clock.
II ocLocK-lhe whole mass ofruns is now
in ~ sheet of flames. The screams and means
Of the manglcd victims are heard distinctly.
7 but no power can save them.
The ames threaten the destruction of tho
Washington Mills and the bridge near the
river.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
LAWRENCE, MASS, JAN.ll.-The building was
five stories high, ESQ feet long, and seventy feet
wide, with wing 40 feet square, ltcontained
/ ZOO spindlps.
The Pemberton Mills cost originally, between
! S700,0O0 and 100000, and were owned by a
4 stock company.
They produced over s. 100000 of goods
4 perhaps l,500000--pcr annum, n considerable
4 proportion of which was sold ut their arcncies
on commission. The superintendent was Mr.
David Nevins,
LATER.
LAwnENcE, JAN. ll.-There are but few addi
tional particulars to report
The dead and missing number ll5 large
proportion of whom We're young girls--many
OF them being the main support oftheir families.
The fire was confined to the ruins of the Penn
berton Mills
The surrounding property is uninured.
The dead number IL, and the wounded lG5
Some of the latter will die, but by far the larger
part may survive their injuries
The loss is estimated at $600,O 900
BOSTON, January 1.-The Lawrence catas-
| troplle casts gloom over this city.
John Ward, an operative in the carding room.
which was situated in the second story who
was tremendously saved with his wife. who
1 $50. 1s..1 l.