The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-01-13
FEARFUL CATASTROPHE
AT LAWRENCE F.!
THE PEMBERToN MILLS A COM.
PLETE WRECK!
TWO OR THREE HUNDRED SUPPOSED TO
BE BURIED IN TIE RUINS.
Connagrntion OF the Ruin.-About Two
Hundred Persons burned.
LAWRENCE, Mass, Jan. 1

One OF the most terrible calamities on record
occurred at Lawrence, Mass, to-day, at about
, 5P. NJ.
The Pembcrton Mills fell, with sudden ash
while some six or seven hundred operatives
were mt work.
At present il is impossible TO give anything
like correct account of the loss of life; but
from the best authority it is believed that ut
least two hundred arc still buried in the ruins.
Eighteen dead bodies have already been ia
ken out, and some twenty five MORALLY wound
ed, besides fifty in different stages Of mutila-
ton.
The agent Mr.. Chase, and Mr.. How, the treas
urer,. escaped by running from the falling
building.
1t is impossible, rs yet, to tell the cause of
the disaster. We have just come from the ruins
and the scene beggars all description.
| Some two or three acres of ground are piled
up with every description of machinery, and
the fallen building.
Huge bonfircs are burning 10 light some 1000
Or 5000 persons who are working for their lives
| to restore the unfortunate persons, many OF
whom are still crying and begging to be re-
leased from their fortunes.
Every few minutes some poor wretch
dragged from his or her prison, and II Is l. art
rcnding to hear their cries as they are drawn
out with legs and arms crushed or torn out.
Some stand at the ruins frantic with despair
rs some terrible crash in the cleaning away
threatens death to all those who may be alive
| in the ruins.
Conspicuous in the crowd, laboring so man.
fully in the cause of humanity is our worthy
Representative Gen. Oliver, who stands high
upon the ruins, and his stcntOrian orders are
carried out with telling elect by those ut the
ropes below, who are constantly dragging out
huge pieces of the wreck which imprisOn 50
many ; some of whom nrc killed in the humane
efforts 10 relieve them.
| Since we left the scene of disaster reports arc
constantly coming to us 0t more dead and
dying.
Surgeons arc coming in from every quarter,
and everything that can be done at such a
painful moment is doing for the suffering vic |
tins of The fearful caamity-thc mystery Of
which will have to be cleared up by an in |
quest.
Second Dispatch.-About. 10 minutes OF 8
O'Clock, this afternoon, our citizens were
alarmed by the cry ofhre, which nrovcd to
proceed from the Pcmberton Mills, bou four
| lifths of which had fallen u shapeltss mass,
without the slightest warning to the near eight
hundred human beings who were then at
work.
The building had never been considered rs
staunch as il ought TO have been. 1t was built |
about seven years since, and was then thought |
sham indeed, before the machinery was put
in, the walls spread to such degree, that some
twenty-five tons of iron stays were put in to |
save the building appeared from the best in
formation that can now be gathered, to crumblc |
and fall from the eastcrr corner, or end towards
the Duck Mill. Ii fell inwarls as If powerfully
drawn that way.
The fire companies ut once repaired to the
spot, but there being no fire To contend with,
they ut once set TO work with will to
remove the rubbish. They very soon reached
some of the rooms so that the dead and wounded
were taken out as fast rs they could be carried.
Mr.. Chase Batchelder helped remove some
twenty. six in various conditions, some still
living and others horribly mutilatcd.
Mr.. Chase, the Agent, and Mr.. Howe, the
Treasurer, were both proyidcntially saved
They were in the spinning room conyersing,
when being warned by some unusual noise,
both started for door, which was By orders
strictly prohibited from being unlocked, Tut II
being the only possible exit, they tried that
door which unaccOuntably was open. They
had no more than made their escape, when the
part they had just left fell to the ground.
Mcssrs. Chase, Clarke, Tatterson, Melvin
and VIM, 0,crseers and Clerk, are safe. Mr..
Branch, fan Oyerseer, has not been found, and
is supposed to be under the ruins.
The City Hall has been converted into tenn
porary hospital for the reception OF the dead
and wounded, and there remain until recogni-
zcd by friends; although scores are recognized
Wnen thkcH lTOnl tHc runs, anu 'ah'h ~ ohSV
to their homes.
The following wounded are now at the Hall
Mary Ann Coleman, Ellen Clary, Sarah Dole,
Eliza Ward, Ellen Mahoney, Thomas Conner,
Bridget Bradley, Kate Harry kee, Joannah Con-
merry, Morris Palmer, George Hcodalpha, Mrs.
Frieder, Robert Hays Courtney, Mary York,
Margaret Hamilton, Margaret lanneyhill, Ma
ny Kennedy, Eliza Cav.
There arc twenty-five corpses, only the fol-
.,c L.; hay, loo, rocnOutgal Mary |
Mcdonald, John Dcarbon, Bridget Ryan, Mar
garet Sullivan, Mike 0'Brien and Mr. Palmer.
Mr.. Palmer was deeply buried in the ruins at
the time, and thinking there was no prospect
of being extricated, cut his own throat To end
his suffering; but still he was extrcated and
lived some time after arriving at the hall.
One woman in the part of the mill still stand
ing, became frightened, threw her bonnet and
shawl out of a fifth story door, and then jump
ed out herself, breaking one arm, and other
wise injurng herself, so that she cannot recoy-
or.
The laboring force ofthc mill was about 9G0,
and il Is supposed that about 700 beings were
actually buried in the ruins.
A woman has Just been rescued who says
there arc some twenty-five more in the yicini-
ty of her yet alive. One poor girl lays in the
hall, badly hurt, attended by her mother, who
had only entered the mill the day previous.
An engine has this moment arrived from
Manchester, bringing four more physicians:
About half past nine fire was discovered
This additional horror, although somewhat APP
pretended, struck terror to hearts that had be.
fore been hopeful of saving more lives. Still
the work ofremoval went briskly on. The force
pumps in the vicinity, and all the hand engines,
which had been kept on the ground, nj oncego
streams of water on the fire, and have Kept
mourning on torrents, so that now, III o'clock
although volumes of smoke and steam are rs.
inc. vet the fire does not seem to gain, ana u
Is certainly to be hoped that 1t has been stay
cd. Az. g., oro
almost on the point of cxtricating woman not
badly hurt, but the flames drove them back,
and the woman il supposed to have persisted IN
the flames when delivery seemed so near.
The Mayor has telcgraphed to Lowell for the
6remcn OF that city, who will arrive here about
n i,estimated that not less than two thousand
aple bodied men have been constantly mt work
an the ruins. but notwithstanding many are at
work in a small space, yet no accident that we
San learn, has occurred. !.
Az ~ O'Clock calamity succeeds calamity.
In ten minutes the whole mass Of ruins has be.
.ome ono sheet Of flames. The screams and
,ro,ninc of the poor burned creatures can be
distinctly heard, but no power can now save
them. r,n
Mills are now q fiat smoking mass. bricks,
mortar and human bones are prcmiscuousiy