Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-03-08
Appalling Catastrophe--Falling of
. Wall at st. Xavier's Church.
Cincinnati---Thirteen Lives Lost.

OihOtiillLul,- Ill tCOh AlNCb LOOt.
The city of Cincinnati was thrown into a
state o: great excitement yesterday. In
consequence OF an appalling catastrophe
which occurred about eight O'Clock in the
merning. at the st. Xavier Church, on
Sycamore street, between Sixth and Sew.
en,h, The Church has lately been under.
going demolition. preparatory to the erect.
ION ola new and more commodious one
and Is at the present time more than hall
torn awny. Some thirty or forty laborers,
mostly Irish, were engaged in the process
Of raising, thirteen OF whom at the time .oi
the accident were at work o. one OIL the
northern walls, arranging to tumble, il down
but of a sudden IL tottered, and without, a
moments warning to the unfortunate work
men it fell inwardly, bury ing all Of the thir
teen beneath the ruins. The news of ,be
sad calamity, 80 unusual and so terrible in
It's details, spread through the length and
breadth Of our city like wildHre, and scarce
a half hour had elapsed before there was
drawn to the spot fully fifteen Thousand
spectators. Humid eds Of people with pick.
and spades lent their might, and quickly the
bodies Of the men were exhuned, exhibiting
in their mangled appearance a most horrible
and revolving spectacle. Brains. pieces o
skulls, &C., we're scattered about here ant
there, and the bodies generally were sc
mashed and disfguted as to preclude impe
date Identification. Fathers, morhors, wives
sisters, and brothers, of those known to b,
employed at the church, flocked to tn,
ground, and by their piteous wailings, min
g!ed cries and prayers, frantic calculations
and, in some cases. the most terrible sus
pen'e, oil formed a pageant of SORROW ant
desolation that we hope never again to wit
ness.
The bodies were removed fast, as tn,
work of disinterring proceeded, to Q subter
ranean apartment Of the ST. Xavier school
a building adjoining. The first one take:
from out the crumbling mass Of brick an,
mortar, was identified by a woman close o
hand ss being that Of her husband As |
was borne away she threw herself upon tn,
corpse and chung T. 1t with The creates
tenaci,y. the whole time giving vent to th,
most unbonnded grief that must have touche,
the symputhics OF those around. To Olsen
gage her from the body required force. Sh,
was led away, but needed not the caressiu,
Kindness Of friends; . ghss,ly smile wa
perceptible about her lip, and her eye wa
lusterless, and wandered in frenzy from Oh
Jet 70. object. She muttered inro,eren
SENTENCES, and ever and anon would psus,
and fold her hands IL Heaven. US il in prov
er. At dusk ldst evening she pas a mania,
the awful reality of the day had been toe
much for. her,
One Of the Filled, a young man from
Brown county. Ohio, had just been EN-
pIoyed--scarce an hour had elap.e from
the time Of his setting to work be fore hi
death. He came to this city for the pur.
pose OF studying o kkeepiny, aud com
pleted a course of instruction at one sc th,
colleges last week; being without friend.
and without money, he uvailed h,mseIfo of Of
opportunity Of going to WORK as 4 laborer
With the exception of the above men
toned, oil the parties were married snt
leave families, who are in the most abjecI
circumstances, depending upon the meagr.
pit tsnce Of dollar a day tot subsistence
With much commepdableness. the Soci
ETY. and Church of Jesus Cesuits) have
determined upon aiding and caring for tn,
fam lilies Of the deceased At all the %Gifferen'
Catholic churches of The city there vii
also be taken up. next Sunday, a collection
for the same purpose Gin. GAZETTE.