Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-05-19
From the Cleveland Leader OF Monday
DISTRESSING CASUALTY.


-
Three Children Buried By the Sliding Of a Sand
bank-The COrpses Exhumed after Thirty
Hours Of Iuterment-fHO Families Plunged
into the Deepest Addiction.
One of the most lamentable casualties
it has ever been painful duty 10
record took place on Saturday afternoon,
although the occurrence of the accident
was not known until Sunday evening.
Emma, aged five and Johnny, aged four,
| children of George Graf, and Peter, aged
three. son of William Pigeon, were
buried to a depth of several feet by the
sliding of a sand-bank between one and
/ two o'clock on Saturday, and ON Sunday
evening the three little corpses were eX-
humed. The particulars connected with
the distressing affair are as follows:
MISSING.
The afflicted families are tenants Oc-
cupying apartments in the thistle
House. situated ON the north side of
Columbus street, near the top of the
hill. Mr.. Pigeon, a ~Frenchman, lives
upon the first floor, and Mr.. Graf, a
German, upon the second. The latter
came to this city from Buffalo about five
months ago. on Saturday afternoon,
about two O'Clock. the children mention
ed above-Uwo of Mr.. Graf and one Of
Mr.. Pigeon-were missed by their moth
ers. They had been at home at noon,
and being accustomed to play about the
grounds in the vicinity of the house,
nothing strange WAS al first thought of
their absence.
TIKI LAND SLIDE.
Immediately. below the house is a
bank of sand, fifteen or twenty feet in
hight. For several days past teams have
been engaged in hauling away large
quantities, 70 be used in filling up Yards
and gardens. BY this means a large eX-
cavation had been made at the base of
the bank, leaving a large mass above
ready to fall at any moment. Into that
fatal excavation the little innOcents
strayed, unconscious in their playful
glee of the danger which impended.
Between one and two O'Clock the huge
mass came tumbling down with a
mighty rush, burying them in an in
slant, closing their bright ewes and
hushing their infantile prattle forever.
The neighbors and even the mothers of
the victims heard the noise of the slide,
it being not more han twenty yards
from the house. but no n saw the
children, and none supposed that they
were lying beneath that mass of earth.
Had their condition been known there is
a bare possibility that they might have
hNCl EAAIlldlCu bCAOlt bGdAA NAINNANA >
but no eye witnessed their sepulture,
and with none to succor they breathed
out their young lives.
SEARCH FOR THE LOST.
As the hours of the afternoon wore
away, and the little mes did not return,
their friends were thrown into a state of
the keeneSt anxiety and alarm. Not
dreaming that they lay entombed almost
at the very threshold of their homes, II
was supposed that, as is frequently the
case with children, they had strayed
away and lost themselves in the mazes
of the city. As night came on messages
were dispatched in every direction in
quest of the wanderers. Information
was sent to the Central police station and
the night patrolmen. were cautioned to
be upon the lookout for them. Through
out the whole night the search was
continued, while at home the anxious
mothers waited in vain for tidings from
their darlings. On Sunday morning the
search was recommended with renewed
vigor. Many of the neighbors volun-
teered their services, and the city was
secured far and near. High noon, and
still not a word of the wanderers The
hours of the afternoon passed away. and
with the declining sun hope almost died
in those weeping mothers hearts.
FOUND AT LAsT-DEAD!
About six O'Clock some person sug-
gested the possibility that the children
might have been overwhelmed by the
slide. Although the majority pronounce
ed the idea a preposterous one, yet the
fearful suspicion that such might he the
case sent a keener pang of grief through
the bosoms of the distracted friends. Ii
was quickly decided to dig away the
fallen earth and ascertain the truth.
D1anN-a F gs-rrau Nrnn aud rra1lfnr aarf=
were found and the work which reached
such a sad termination progressed rapid
~. For an hour the digging went on,
the constant sliding of earth from above
rendering the process a tedious one.
An immense crowd collected in the street
and upOn the bank, fresh volunteers
relieving those at the shovels at frequent
intervals. Near by, with pallid faces
and fearful ewes, stood the stricken
mothers, watching the laborers with an
intensity of eagerness which words are
pOwerless 70 describe, dreading what
might each moment be developed.
About half-past seven O'Clock, when
many were counseling to abandon the
work, a little cap was thrown u by m
of the shovelers. This told the sad story
and as the intelligence flew through the
crowd the excitement was intense.
Those in front were so crowded up by
those in the rear as almost 3 prevent
the men from working, and the utmost
efforts of two or three policemen who
had reached the spot. aided by a few
sensible ones, were scarcely able TO hold
them in allegiance.
The effect upon the mothers, of the
cap which told them of the fate of their
little ones, may be but family imagined.
Mrs. Graf, when she knew that she was
childlesS, her only two treasures lying
beneath that heap of earth, uttered a low
moan and fell insensible to the earth.
Her husband, who had been foremost in
the work of eXhumatiOn, dropped his
shovel and fastened to his PROSTATE
wife. With the assistance of others he
bore her to the house. R~estoratives
were applied and she soon revived, only
but to realize more fully the force of the
crushing blow. Mrs. Pigeon, who has
other children, although affected deeply,
as only a mother can be beneath such a
stroke, seemed more able to control her
self, and refused TO leave the spot until
her little dead boy had been disinterred.
His BODY was the first discovered and
the others Immediately after, all being
near together. As the little cOrpses
were drawn out of the sand, one by one,
many a strong heart was stirred with
grief and sympathy and eyelids moist
ened which had long been unused TO
tears.
THE HOUSE OF DEATH.
The bodies were tenderly lifted up
and carried to the homes of the afflicted
parents. There was no lack Of Good
Carp,ariNan5 IN nafnigfar 10 tho haraauaa