Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-01-18
THE pEMBRRToN MILL DISASTER.

10 tue trustees OF Tue TeieI uilO COHtflputloHS
are raised by individuals, societies, aud church.
es. Here is a report of some of the contIlbu-
tons :-"Letters were received from Egbert
Clements, Danvile, n J, contributing So; Isaiah
Anderson, Yonkers, N. Y, with So, forrelief of
Mrs Mary Ann Hamilton, poor widow and
Davis and Furber, North Andover, enclosing
check for 500; L. w. Manchester, of New
York, $50; occupants of the Washington
Market New York, S30S; Father Doherty's
congregation in Cambridge (Catholic) give
$436. There will be considerable money rails
ed but the need is very great.
Yesterday, at Lawrence, was day of fast
ing and prayer, and the inquest was adjourned
over from Monday to Wednesday. John
Crawford, an operative in the mills, and Ben
jamin Harding, carpenter, were among those
examined Monday. Mr.. Harding stands high
in Lawrence, as a man and mechanic, and
his testimony is important He gave an ac-
count of the short floor timbers in the Penn
berton Mills, which were flour inches too
short at each end" and for which projections
were built out on the walls. Mr.. Harding did
the work on these timbers, and made due re-
port of their imperfection, which, however,
did not prevent using them. He has worked
on many cotton mills, and speaks as follows
of the Pemberton:
"Neyer knew mill to be supported like
this III the snoring; should think the best
method was not used in the snoring of this
mill always thought the columns Of the low
er story of the Pemberton mill were about big
enough Tor the third story, and said SO at the
time thought the caps were not large enough
and not more than half thick enough think
the pintles were not large enough, and that the
fanges were not secure, for if the f1ange should
by any cause break as one did once, the pin
tie can run up into the hollow column, the
core being larger than the pintle; l asked if
this was secure when we were putting them
up, and was told that that was the orders
l said no more, it being none of my business;
settling would have no effect, except to bring
the column down on to the wood or inch.
es; in the upper floor the pintles were an inch
shorter than the others the beams were laid
on ten feet apart, and then with four inch
planks for the floors, and on the two floors
boards were put over that diagonally /; the
building in all its parts, for its size, was rather
slender; not only the columns were deficient
but there was too much space given to win
dows, making the walls weak; would have
had three rows Of columns, making shorter
sections the machinery was very heavy for
the surface-a monstrous weight to be held up
by the columns below; never knew of any
other mill with so long sections the man who
superintendent the building said they should
never be over % or "a feet; they were 81;
the beams were small ior the length of the
sections; the carding room described by Mr..
VIM, overseer, was very heavily loaded it
has ever been my opinion that the floors were
loaded very heavy; there might have been
much greater weight to the square foot than in
smaller mills, but we cannot put double the
weight on double the length should think
that by changing the bearing by moving the
machinery, there would be danger of straining
more; think it would have been better to have
had the pintles and pillars turned and fitted
together; don't think deficiencies in the pillars
could have been known by examination unless
it appeared on the outside; had no reason OF
apprehension because of the short timbers
think if one of these pillars had broken off, so
as to have rubbed down, it would have brought
all above it down to the lower floor, taking at
least two beams; after the first pillar had brok-
en- the others would break easier have exam
med the ruins; have seen no evidence of the
settling of the foundation think that there
was a little giving way OF column where
that machinery was moved; l make up this
opinion from remarks which had heard made
when the mill was examined and from talk
had with persons in the mill if pintle had
broken when the column gave way the effect
would have been fatal This mill had but
very little vibration; less than most mills but
this is not proof of safety or test of strength;
the mill had fiat roof and was very wide, so
there was no chance to vibrate; peak
ed roof would, however, have been no
improvement, as the walls were too wide
apart to have such roof put on
Mr.. Crawford told, as follows, how the ruins
were set on fire My daughter was in the
ruins, and was looking for her; got part
way into the weaving room and was stopped
by the ruins at the time of the fire was on
the ruins, when young man came up and
asked me to hold a lantern; l held it about
ten minutes, when somebody asked for it,took
it and went down. he came back and said there
was hole which went down to the card room;
he wentdownagain and said, "For God 5 sake,
be careful of the lantern;" he went down fur
ther, and | said, "For Gods sake don't go
there with that light" he went, however, and
in going down, struck the lantern on some
timber on the right hand side when he struck
the lantern it broke and Immediately fell |
shouted fire." and stopped down to pull him
out; he was on fire himself, and the fire
was spreading like gunpowder l ran for our
machine, and we got it out and went to work
the fire took near the center of the building"
Tur OtsIo Crx.ropeu,, rrko nl: Co..