East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1860-01-19
The Calamity at Lawrence.
INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER


One young lady twenty years Of age,
who was at work in the second story, /
heard the crash Of portion Of the build |
ing, aad saw portions Of 1t tumbling
down. She Immediately started in the
opposite direction, but before she reached
this point the waifs were cr6mtling, and 7
threatened instant death. Almost panic
stricken, she lttshcd to a door, and was
just emerging to the entry when it was
crushed in. She recOllected nothing
more than getting through a window
and leaping to the ground, where she
was unconscious and much wounded
She was taken TO her boarding house, as
was supposed, in dying condition. This
happily proved a mistake 1t was par
oxysm Of fright She recovered during
the evening, and yesterday was sufficient
" well to stand in the doorway Of her
clearinghouse.
Another young woman, also about
twenty, whom we corversed with at her
bedside, narrowly escaped an awful death.
Unapprised of the fall of the building
until the terrible catastrophe itself came
upon her, she was at work in the third
story She only knows that the whole
flooring above her was precIpltated upon
that upon which she stood, accompanied
by a terrific noise. She was crushed be-
meath some machinery near which she
was at work, her head being pressed
against beam, seeming, as she described
it, as if her head would "split in two at
every moment Her limbs were forced
in one direction, her arms in another
But one arm could be used at all. Every
second the heavy weight appeared to be
settling closer and closer upon her. She
saw nothing but death awaiting her
Her feelings were those Of the most
aoonizing nature. She said that she
prayed God that she might be delivered
from impending death. Hardly had she
ceased uItcyiIg this prayer than the fall
ing Of wall in a distant portion of the
mill released her from the imminent peril
about her. With a presence of mind
that exhibited genuine heroism, she strug-
gled amid danger and death, and in time
reached point of safety. This was after
being in the ruins for upwards of an hour
She was, however, more injured than was
at first supposed, as is evident from her
inability not only to leave her bed but
hardly turn her body Her physician
apprehends some internal injuries of a
serious nature. She conversed without
difficulty. Her condition was pitiSble.--
She was intelligent and most interesting,
and expresses a thankfuness for being
saved from so terrible death in a man
ner that is truly touching
a painful incident is thus related by
one OF the engineers: When the fire
was beginning to rage, and before it had
stihed the cries and groans Of those In
the ruins, he, with Others forced his way
against the smoke and flame, TO try and
rescue some of those whose voices he
could hear. Suddenly he caught the
glimpse Of three persons imprisoned by
crumbled partition--two men and a
woman. He even caught one of the men
by the hand, and hoped to draw him out
but the cracking of the flames around
him, and the warning voice Of an officer
impellcd him reluctantly to desist, aud
by timely retreat to save his own life
Neither of the three persons appeared
Injured at all, and they must have literal
~ roasted alive.
On Tuesday evening, before the fire
broke oGt, while two thousand men were
cxerting every energy in rcscuing thu
survivors from their living sepulcher
and the dead rubbish which buried them
a party came upon the body Of q littl
girl. She lay apparently crushed be
meath ponderous block OF iron, weigh
ing over thousand pounds, and whic'
covered her body to her chin. Her bacl
was pressed against huge timber, on
of her arms was thrust TO the elbow thrc
ring in piece Of machinery, and sh
was completely wedged in by iron gear
ing. Intent only on preserving her feG
lures and form rs little dis6gured as pos
sible. the men labored carefully TO remov
the block of iron without crushing he
still further. Four of them tugged upo
il, but could not make itstr. Afterthe
had made several Intellectual attempts
stalwart and athletic man, in passing
caught hold of it, and, with marvelor
power, aided by the excitement whic
The scene produced upon him, he succeed
cd in loosening it. The other rubish wa
then removed and the body taken on
when, what was the surprise and Joy
the man to find that they had rescued
living girl instead Of corpse, and NOR
that her injuries were not fatal, butoon
paratively triaing The heavy iron ho
met with some more powerful obstructic
than her body, and her life was spared |
by miracle, Had the pressure upon b
body been but slightly increased, or ha
the least carelessness been allowed in G!
Treating her, she would have been anotl
er added to the list Of victims.
In another spot near by, andat aabot
the samo time, the body Of a woman WI
extricated from the ruins by some of h
relatives and friends. The bricks al
iron had buried her so tightly that I
hopes were entertained Of her life, al
when the body was at last drawn out, Il
little circle of friends found their wor
fears confirmed Her husband took h
carefully in his arms, aud, with hoa
throbbng with grief, bore her towarr
his home. A number of relatives we
there awaiting her. and when they sa
her lifeless form, cried out in sorrow.