New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-16
THE LAWRENCE TRAGEDY-rTs
ALIENATION.

The awful wall of agony arising from the ruins at
Lawrence ia prolonged by fresh discoveries aud the
increasing list Of the yctims The dead and missing
already number over two hundred; and of the inn
mense aggre gate Of wounded how many will speedily
follow their i'll fated comrades, or linger manned
ard suffering through life7 Speedily, ono by ono,
they will go to their graves, into obscury, and
none will know their future fate, except when it
shall be occasionally announced by line in news
paper that such and such pauper, or such and such
an unfortunate cripple was made so by the memo
rable catastrophe at the PembeIton mills. In the
many cases of "badly wounded" speedy death or
bitter and helpless poverty will be the sequel Their
hopeless destiny is, if possible, worse than that of
the dead. Certainly it appeals more earnestly to
our practical sympathes.
1t costs nothing to regret, to mourn, or
10 denounce. 1t costs much to Lift and sustain
the poor and needy, aud helpless. Among the vic
tins We notice that many were parents, and have
left helpless orphans. Widows they seem to have
been. dependent on their work III the factory for
the daily bread of their little ones How many
aged and dependent parents have also been deprived
of their only stay by this unspeakable calamity,
we shall never know. But in the various classes
of wounded, of the MANNED of destitute parents and
other relatives dependent upon children, grown and
ungrown. of little children deprived of their only
support-in these various classes there are abund-
ant objects on whom the charities Of the rich and be-
neyolent may properly be bestowed. Various indi-
viduals and associations in Boston have promptly
contributed and the City of Lawrence ITSELF under
the Poor system Of wEngland, will necessarily,
and we doubt not cheerfuly, render efficient aid to
many sufferers. But when all is done, vast gap
will remain to be filed. 1t is but the dictate of o
common humanity, that all our principal cities
should give of their abundance in alienation Of this
unparalleled catastrophe. II is so broad in its ex
tent, and so dreadful in its character as to claim
universal sympathy and universal contribution.
Beyond this method of relief there is another.
Enough, we think, has been shown in the
investigation into the causes of the disaster, TO es
tablish the culpabty of the projectors, and build
ers. and owners of the factory. They, and their
accessories are, on every principle of justice,
chargeabe for the suiferings to innocent parties
that have thence accrued. If Railroad Compa- !
MES are liable in pecunary damages for disaster to
life and limb, we reason why companies like
that of the PembertOn mills not equally liable,
especially under such circumstances of fagrant |
disregard for tho safety of their employees, as the
Investigations of the Coroners inquest have already
disclosed We think, therefore, that one of the |
most effective forms that charity can take in this
instance, both as regards the past and the future,
the dead and injured of this calamity, and the pos
sbility Of similarly crcumstanced unfotunates |
hereafter would be to create purse to test the |
liability and responsibility of the parties to whose
cupability the shocking results developed to be
charged. II the existing Company, or the mem-
bers of any former Company, can BIO reached by |
the law, and held liable for pecuniary damages, by
all means LET it be done. But it must be remem-
bered that all the parties in this instance poor,
and unable to prosecute rich corporation which |
should avail itself of its great means to protract
litigation and defeat the demands of justice. A /
prosecution therefore, to thoroughly test the case,
must be set on foot and maintained, by combined /
efforts. 1t cannot be done by the operatives them-
selves, or those belonging to other establishments |
even, for this effort would probably cost any ndi-
ydual who should be known to be engaged in it, his
OF her place. 1t must, therefore, be done by out
siders, if done at all; and the move We suggest,
seems TO us practical and efficient.
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