The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-01-19

dreaQIul Oeatn, sne had not noticed the
hurt.
One woman was found with her head
famed between two heavy beams. and
pressed SO that it was not thicker than
the thickness of hand. 1t was a
sickening sight.
One young girl, whose name we have
but do not publish, was confined IN
narrow hole surrounded by broken
machinery and ragged timber and
boards, and succeeded in crushing ont
into Il open air, but when she emerged
from the ruins she had scarcely an
article of clothing on her person.
Perhaps one of the saddcst episodes
of the whole calamity was the fate of
Mr.. Maurice Palmer, who was an over
seer in the mill. In the fall he was so
EMBEDDED in the ruins that he could not
be extricated before the fire, and, seeing
the dreadful element approaching him,
he, in his agony and despair, deter
mined not to be roasted to death, and
so drew his pocket knife and cut his
throat. He was, however, taken out
alive. and would have survived but for
the self-inficted injury. Who, however,
can Judge the anguish and agony which
induced the fearful deed?
Our reporter is told by gentleman
who was early on the spot, that at one
point of the ruins he distinguished a
female voice crying in distress, and
soon another voice answered, as that
you, Lizzie? Are you hurt?" The re-
ply was smothered groan, and an APP
peal to Gods mercy in her behalf.
Both these girls were afterwards res
cued.
Iminedidately after the dreadful &C.
currence the City Hall was thrown
open, by order of the Mayor, as hos
pital for the wounded and receptacle
for the dead.
At seven o'clock this, morning, the
stairways were thronged by a multitude
of people, every one apparently in an
agonizing state of suspense to ascertain
whether father, husband, wife or child
had been immolatedin the awful funeral
pyre.
1t was struggle for our reporter to
obtain an entrance to the main hall,
but by the aid of the city officials he
finally succeeded-and the sight was
fearful. Stretched on mattresses around
the hall were men, women and children,
all more or less injured-some dread
fully mangled.
On the right of the entrance, in
small ante-room, were stretched the
corpses of thirty-six persons of both
sexes, old and young. The bodies
were so close together that it was diff
fcult to pass between without treading
upon mangled limb. Feet were
crushed-shouldcrs, arms, legs, bodies,
all terribly gashed and mashed. Faces
so disfgured that it would be difficult
for the most intimate friends to reoog
nize the bodies by the countenances.
In the midst of the CHASTITY throng was
to he seen minister of God carefully
scanning each countenance, and we
could see tear drop from his eyes
upon more than one of the CHASTITY dead.
From the Boston Transcript, Jan. IL.
The Pemberton Mill was chartered
in 1853, and the factory was erected
soon afterwards. John A. Lowell and
Samuel Lawrence were the leading
owners. It's size may be inferred from
the fact that it contained 600 looms and
10000 spindles. 1t was three hundred
feet long by eighty-four feet wide. The
mill was involved in the failure of
Lawrence, Stone & Co., and it was sold
by auction late in 1857. 1t was pur-
chased by Messrs. David Nevins and
George Howe for 100000. The orig
inal cost was 100000. The present
owners have run it about two years.
Mr.. ]. E. Chase, the agent, who so
narrowly escaped with his life, has filled
that Office with great ability since the
mill was erected.
The main building was in the form
of parallelogram, and Immediately
adjacent to the store-houses of the
Washington Mills. 1t was built of
brick, five stories high, and has always
been considered one of the finest mills
in Lawrence. 1t had a fat roof, like
the Pacific Mills, with an ornate coping.
The exterior was of handsome appear
rance, with very large windows extend
ing through two stories.
Two lines of boarding-houses, now
so suddenly deserted, were situated on
the opposite side of the canal. in front
of the mill, and the operatives were
obliged to cross a narrow bridge in
going and returning from work. The
operatives were mostly girls; great
many of them were of Scotch origin.
and were regarded as the most skillful
operatives in Lawrence.
The spinning-rooms were high stud
ded, long and narrow, without partiti-
tons, and crowded with looms. 1t is
supposed the strength of the mill has
been severely tried by the recent intro
duction of heavy fancy looms. The
goods manufactured were principally
ticks, dcnims, stripes and fancy cottons,
and have always taken the highest rank
for superiority and worth. The orders
for goods have frequently exceeded the
supply. The goods were sold in this
city by David Stevens q Co., mostly
from samples and ordered from the
mill in the quantities desired. Thew
have recently produced several new
fancy double and twist cottonades. and
were taking orders for spring deliv-
cries.
MIR. GERRIr SMITH. = The Utica