Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-03-08
n lFron the Cineinnatia Gazeet,e of March 2.
Appalling g Catastrophe.
THIRTEEN LIVES LOST.

| The city of Cincinnati was thrown into
state of great excitement yesterday, IN con-
sequence of an appalling catastrophe
which occurred about eight o'clock IN the
morning, at the St. Xavier Church, on
Sycamore street, between Sixth and Sew
enth. ThesChurch has lately been under
going demolition, preparatory TO erection
I of a new and more commodions one, and
is at the present time more than half torn
away. Some thirty or forty laborers,
mostly Irish, were engaged in the process
of razing, thirteen of whom at the time
of the accident were at work on one of the
northern walls, arranging to tumble it down,
but of a sudden it tottered, and without a
moments warning to the unfortunate work
men, it feel inwardly, burying all of the
thirteen beneath the ruins. The news of
the sad calamity, so unusual and so terri
bic in its details, spread through the length
and breadth of our city like wildfire, and
half hour had not elapsed before there was
drawn to the spot fully fifteen thousand
spectators. Hundreds ofpeople with picks
and spades lent their might, and quickly
the bodies of the men were exhumed, ex-
hibitipg in their mangled appearance a
most horrible and revolving spectacle
Brains, piecee- of skulls, DC, were scattered
about here and there, and the bodies gen
orally were so mashed and distigured as to
preclude immediate Identification. Fa-
thers, mothers wives, sisters, and brothers,
of those known to be employed at the
the church, flocked 10 the ground, and by
their piteous wailings, mingled cries and
pray yers, frantic ejaculalions, and in some
cases, the most terrible suspense, all formed
a pageant of sorrow and desolat ion that we
hope never again TO witness. = ca
The bodies were removed fast, as the
work of disinterring proceeded, TO subter-
ranean apartment of ST.. Xavier school,
building adjoining: The first one taken
from cut the crumblipg mass Of brick and
mortar, was identified by a women close at
hand as being that of her husband. As
it was borne away she threw herself upon
the corpse aud clung to it with the greatest
tenacily, the whole lime giving vent to her
unbounded grief that must have touched
the sympaihies of those around: To dis
engage her from the body required force.
She was led away, but needed not the ca
ressiug kindness of friends; a .bastly smile
was percepGble about her lip, and her eye
WAS lusterless, and wandered in frenzy from
object 10 object. She muttered incoharent
sentences, and ever and anon would pause
and fold her hands to Heaven, as if in
prayer. At dusk last evening, she uas ma
niac-,he awful reality of the day was too
much for her. -.i $50
One of the killed, a young man from
Brown county, Ohio, had just been employ
ed-scarce aud hour had elapsed from the
time of his setting 10 work before his death.
He came TO this city for the purpose of
studying bookkeeping, and completed a
course of instruction at one of the colleges
last week, being but without friends and
without money, he availed himself of an
Of going to work as laborer.
With the exception of the above men
toned, all the parties were married and
leave families, who are in the most abject
circumstances, depending upon the meagre
pittance of dollar day for subsistence.
With much commedableness, the Society
and Church of Jesus (Jesuits) have deter
mined upon aiding and caring for the
families of the deceased. A all the diff
ferent Catholic churches of the city there
will also be taken up, next Sunday, COL
Lection for the same purpose.