The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1860-01-14
The Lawrence Disaster.

LAwRHNoE, January l3.--The Boston Her.
ald's correspondent tonight, from Lawrence,
says that but one dead body was taken from
the ruins, apparently about twenty-five years
old, but so shockingly mutiated that even the
eyes Of the nearest relative could not possibly
recognize any familiar lineaments. Her face
was charred and burned to the depth of about
half an inch, and the back part Of her head,
and oil the way behind her ears, were also
burnt to the bone. Otherwise the flames did
not appear to reach her. Her bosom and
lower part of her body is uniDjured. She had
probably lain in place where her head alone
was exposed to the flames, and had burnt her
hands in striving to protect IT,.
The wood and timber work has pretty much
all been removed from the spot, and nothing
now remains but o crushed and mingled mass
Of bricks and mortar, and broken machinery
The Pemberton Corporation has the roins
In charge, and employed about fifty men in
clearing away the rubbish. Their progress,
however, owing to the storm and difficulties Of
the job, were slight.
The volunteers, who had worked there with
almost superhuman efforts for twenty -four
hours were worn out with fatigue, and II was
impossible, this morning, to hire lAborsrs to
prosecute the task of exhuming those who yet
lie buried IN the rubbish.
The smoke is still ascending from the black
heaps, and stream from the fre-engine from
Manchester was kept on the heated mass.
Besides the sums of money already men
toned as having been forwarded, the Mayor Of
Lawrence has received a number of donations
from various parties, many Of whom did not
send their names. Among the presents was a
box containing one hundred and twenty-five
linen sheets, the gift of the owner Of the
steamer Memsnion Sanford. kind lady,
from Charleston, also forwarded large lot OF
carefully prepared bandages.
The Coroner's Jury reasssmbled this morn
ing at . o'clock. The testimony during the
forenoon was mainly relative to the construc-
ton Of tho building, but nothing new YVES
slicted.
Three moro bodies were taken from the
ruins to.dsy. They were all badly mutilated;
two Of them so badly that they could not be
recognized. The third was discoved by frag-
ments of clothing, to be that Of Mrs. Augusta
Ann Ashworth. She was eighteen years Of age,
and was married in March last. Her husband
is shoemaker, and works at North Salem.
Her body was nearly consumed. The body
taken out last night has been identified as that
Of Mrs. Margaret Turner.
Stephen Wallace, mason who worked on
the mill, confirmed the story about water
running through the foundation of the mill;
thought it true that the foundation might be
undermined by water; thought the walls too
thin; never worked on large wall so thin;
the mortar used was good, the bricks were
hard, but rough.
Maurice Knoles, carpenter who worked on
the Pemberton Mill, did not know that he had
ever worked on mill with walls so thick (?)
as these; thought at the time the snoring of
the floors was insufficient, the cups on tho
pillasters were too small; he had never seen o
mill so much cut up with windows, this would
weaken the wall; didn't think the cracks by
the chimney weakened the building materially;
could not give q decided opinion as to the
oouSs Of the fall, but thought from present
appearances that the pillars gave way 6rst.
Benjamin Coolidge, Assistant Engineer,
Essex County, at the time Of the building Of
the Pemberton Mills, testified that the soil
was remarkably solid: sand loan, under that
was the bowlder foundation, extending three
or four feet, composed of stones from five
hundred pounds weight down to the size of
mans head, and ssldj un6er this lies what is
called in Lawrence, pudding, something 80
solid that it breaks out in Jumps when dry
and when wet, as In Pemberton mills, little
mud leaks out Of it; under that is peculiar
quicksand, useless to excavate 1t as It comes
up; we only touched this in the excavation of
the wheel building, which is not the main
building; there never was foundation wall
laid in Lawrence equal to that in solidity and
strength; 1t was made with stones long enough
to 60 way across; think the foundation will
be found to be solid now.