Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1860-01-27
THE LAWRENCE CALAMITY.
PARTICULARS or THE
DLS.fSTER.
SCENES And INCIDENTS.

The sad and thrilling details OF tue great
calamity at Lawrence, Mass, continue to fill
the Boston journals Tho bodies of several
of the victims have been discovered this week,
aud their names, where Identification was pos
sible, were added to the sad list already pub
lished. As yet there seems to be no reason TO
estimate the loss Of life as being greater than
was stated by the Mayor of Lawre ce, name-
ly: 100 killed and missing, aud l65 wounded.
Up to Thursday evening the clerks OF the
company bad obtained list of all the en-
ployees, with tie exception OF 100. Thei,
list of dead and missing numbered only H.
The investigation by tie coroner has been
commenced, and the evidence taken tends to
| throw the burden of blame on the contractor
who built the mills. Several thrilling Incl
dents, recorded by eye witnesses of the sad
scenes are subjoined.
RECOVERY OF THE BODY OF a FEMALE.
| The dead body Of woman, apparently
about % years old, but so shockipgsy muiiia
ted that even the eyes of the nearest relative
could not possibly recognize any familiar line
|
| day Her face was charred and burnt 10
depth of about half an inch, and the back OF
her head and all the way behind the ears,
were also burnt to the bone, but otherwise the
flames did not appear to have reached her,
| Her bosom and lower part of her body was
injured. She had, probably, lain iu place
where her head alone was exposed TO the
flames, and had burnt her hands in striving 10
protect it.
APPEARANCE OF THE RUINS.
Nothing remains standing at the scene of
the disaster except two immense chimaeys,
through which ran the shafting which carried
on the works in the various ROOMS. The wood
and. timber work has pretty much all been re-
moved from the spot, aud nothing now remains
but crushed aad mingled mass Of bricks,
mortar and broken machinery. The peni5er-
ton corporation bad the ruins in charge, and
employed about fifty men on Thursday clearing
away the rubbish. Tie smoke is still ascend
ing frem the black heaps, and a stream from
the FIRE engine from Manchester is kept upon
| the heated mass.
THE LIVING LOCKING For THE DEAD.
The City Hall Was filled With men and wo-
men, relatives aud fsit.ds, looking for the
dead. The cries Of some, the deep mournings
OF others, we're affecting 10 the extreme. At
every turn the ear was greeted by some agon
lied mourner. One fraBtic mother rushed
past the officers 10 charge of the door, aud re-
cogDizing the dead and mangled body of
child In the midst OF the mass, claspedst, call
led it by endearing names, aud wept as only
mother can weep. 1t touchia1 scene,
indeed. All day the living hunting for
/ the dead. Alas, thore were sotne whom none
of the living could recognize poor human be-
ings, so marred and blackened and deforped
as to resemble little but mass of flesh and
! bCne, or heap of rubbish
SCENE IN ONE OF THE DEAD ROOMS.
I In one of the dead rooms on the lower floor
are seven bodies which are in collins One Of
| these is that OF Bridget Loughrey. Her face,
/ though badly muiilated, was still preserved
| sufficiently el.tire to render ber identification
| easy.
/ Two boxes contain he charred remains of
bodies SO badly burned that but for the posi-
! ton in which they were found an ordinary eb-
server would not have suspected that they
! were remaius of human bodies.
! Another cefin contained body on which
j the fire bad committed dreadful ragsges. Tue
/ legs we're burned yearly eff. The breast WSs
| burned IN a large cavity reaching TO the intes-
| tines, which seemed burned out. The head
was entirely destroyed, and the shoulder bone
protrudcd through the flesh.
In the centre of the room was uass of
human remains 10 one solid lump. Another
| cCfFlo cputalned the body Cf man not yet
Ideuilfed, bis clothes clean, aud his body ap-
parentlY unujured, bat his head crushed by
heavy weights, and dis6gured with NUMEROUS
wounds; and in another was young female
whose name has not yet been ascertalned.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
1t is relstod by gentleman who was early
| ca the spot, that at one point of the ruins he
| distinguished female voice crying in distress,
and soon another voice answered, SIS that you,
Lizzie? Are you hurt!' The reply was
another groan, aud an appeal to Gods mercy
in her behalf. Both these girls were after
wards rescued.
4 young man who was taken from the ruins
after confinement of some Eve hours, saws
his feelings were of the most painful and in-
describabe nature. The groans of the wound
ed and dying met his ear at everv moment.-
The shouts of the people without mingled with
the terrible sounds within. When released,
such bad been the pressure upon bis person,
that he was nearly unconscious. He nsger
expected to get out alive, and it is miracle
that he did.
young woman, aged 90 years, narrowly
escaped an awful death. Unappriaed of the
fall Of the building until the terrible catastro-
phe itself came upon her, she was >. work in
the third story. She ouiy knows that the
whole flooring above her was precipitated up
on that on which she stood, accompanied by q
terrible noise. She vas crushed beneath some
machinery near which she was as work, her
head oeing pressed against beSsp, securing,
as she described it, as if her bead would
sssplit iu two at every momeDt." Her limbs