Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1860-03-07
From tie Cincinnati Gazctts ofMarsh2
APPALLING CATASTROPHE.
Falling of a Wall at st. Xavier's
Church, Cincinnati.
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THIRTEEN LIVES LOST.

The city Of Cincinnati was thrown int,
a state of great excitement yesterday, il
consequence of an appalling catastroph,
which occurred about eight o'clock in til,
morning. at the st. Xavier Church, on Syc.
amore street. between Sixth and Seventh.
The Church has lately been undergoing
demolition, preparatory to the erection of
larger and more commodious one, and is al
the present time more than half torn away.
Some thirty or forty labOrcrs, mostly Irish.
were engaged in the process of razing thir.
teen of whom at the time of the accident
were at work on one of the northern walls.
arranging to tumble it down, but of a sud-
den it tOttered, and without a moments
warning to the unfortunate workmen it fell
inwardly, burying al of the thirteen be-
meath the ruins. The news of the sad ca
lamity, so usual and so terrible in its de-
tails, spread through the length and breadth
of our city like wildfre, and scarce a half
hour had elapsed before there was drawn
to the spot fully fifteen thousand specta-
tors. Hundreds of people with picks and
spades lent their might, and quickly the
bodies of the men were exhumed, exhibi-
ting in their manglcd appearance a most
horrible and revolving spectacle. Brains.
pieces Of skulls, &c. were scattered about
here and there, and the bodies generally
were so mashed and disigurcd as 10 pre-.
clude immediate Identification. Fathers.
mothers, wives, sisters, and brothers. of
those known to be employed at the church.
focked to the ground, and by their piteous
wailings, mingled cries and prayers, fran
tic CALCULATIONS, and, in some cases, the
most terrible suspense. all formed a pageant
of sorrow and dcsolation hat we hope nev-
er again to witness.
The bodies were removed fast. as the
work of disinterring proceeded, to 4 sub
terrancan apartment of the St. Xavier
school. a building adjoining. The first one
taken from out the crumbling mass of brick
and mortar, was identified by a woman close
at hand as being that of her husband. AS
it was borne away she threw herself upon
the corpse and chung to it with the greatest
tenacity, the whole time giving vent to the
most unbounded grief that must have touch
ed the sympathies of those around. To dis
engage her from the body required force
She was led away, but needed not the ca
ressing kindness of friends; aghastly smile
perccptible about her lip, and her eye
was lusterless, and wandered in frenzy
from object to object. She muttered inco-
herent sentences, and ever aud anon would
pause and fold her hands to Heaven, as if
in prayer. At dusk last evening she araS
a maniac-the awful reality of the day was
too much for her.
One of the killed, a young man from
Brown county, Ohio, had Just been employ
ed-Scarce an hour had elapsed from the
time of his setting to work before his death,
He came to this city for the purpose of
bookkeeping, and completed a
course Of instruction at one of the colleges
last week; being without friends and with
out money, he availeded himself of an op-
.oortunity of going to work as a laborer.
With the exception of the above men,
toned. all the parties were married and
cave families, who are in the most adject
circumstances, depending upon the meagre
of a dollar a day for subsistence.
With much commendableness, the Soci-
ty and Church of Jesus (Jesuits) have de-
ermined upon aiding and caring for the
of the deceased. At all the differ
mt Catholic churches of the city there will
lso be taken up, next Sunday, q collection
the same purpose