The Portland daily press., 1874-05-19
MASSACHUSETTS,.
THE MILL DISASTER
l4S Lives Lost.
Total Loss of Property 1000, 900
ITO BODIES RECOVERED.

ITO BODIES RECOVERED.
SPRINGFIELD, May 1S.-Thousands of peopl
| nave gone from this city and surrounding conn
try to Northampton and the scene of the Mil
| river devastation to-day The search for deaf
bodies has been going on all day and will bt
continued under the best possible management
for several days, and perhaps even weeks. The
meadows are so deeply covered with debris re-
sulting from destruction, it is feared that many
bodies had yet been undiscovered A number
have been recovered to day, and it is thought
| yesterdays estimate of 200 lives lost may fall
| below the actual truth. The extent of tie dis.
| aster increases rather than diminIshes, and it
is as yet impossible to give full and reliable
estimate of the loss of property and life
AT Haydenvllle to-day sixty families have an
Piled for relief. The temporary funds furnish
ed Tor northampton yesterday are now exhaust
ed. Inc whole community is moving in the
work OF relief. and everything that can be done
will be done to alleviate the loss and suffering.
Hayden, Gere & Co., at Haydenville. proprie
tors of the destroyed brass works, commenced
the work of rebuilding this morning, but have
been obliged to desst on account of the rain.
Ihey VIII resume their work as soon as the
weather allows, and hope to have their building
ready for occupancy in three months time
L. James, woolen manufacturer at Williams
burg. whose mill was left standing, although
badly damaged, will prepare for a full resump-
ton of business as early as possible. The most
of the other business men affected by the disas.
ter Will probably resume as early as practicable
but the suffering of the laboring classes must
inevitably be quite severe.
A fuller investigation only confirms the sub
stantial accuracy of the estimate of the num-
ber lost furnished to the Associated Press last
night. The Republicans latest revised lists
make the total number certainly lost 145, dis
tribu ted as follows between the four villages:
Will amsburg 60; Skinnersville A; Haydenville
80; Leeds 81.
Carefully revised estimates fix the total loss
at VI 100000, of which the manufacturers and
mill-owners sustain S550000: the towns of Will
lams6urg and Northampton $3.50 900; for re-
pair OF highways and bridges and the operatives
an and individuals not less than $15OOO0 or $780,
The relief committee have been organized
and are actively at work in all The neighboring
villages.
A general relief committees was organized at
town meeting in Northampton this evening
which will take charge of and distribute all
outside contributions, The Selectmen of Will
llamsburg will petition the Legislature for ex.
emption from State and county tax this year.
and for leave to change the annual valuation of
the town from May 1st to June 1st
Of the whole number lost, the bodies of 11O
have been recovered, II of the missing being
from Haydenville and Is from Leeds The
search for bodies will be resumed Tomorrow
with more vigor and system than before. Total
NUMBER, however, will scarcely exceed $50.
Aid to the Sufferers
BOSTON, May 18.-A committee of the Mas
sachusetts Legislature to investigate and report
upon the Mill river disaster, with a view to ex-
tending necessary aid started on their mission
at 8 p. m. to-day. Mayor Cobb has called an
informal meeting of citizens at City Hall to-
morrow morning to devise measures
Gov. Talbot, who returned from the scene of
the disaster to day, states that the immediate
wants Of the most destitute are being supplied
by Springfield and other towns n the vicsnity
put that more permanent and systematic relief
IS demanded. Besides the three or four hum
dred families rendered homeless, a large num-
Der OF operatives are thrown out of EMPLOY
ment, with the loss of everything except the
scant clothing on their persons.
Labor Reform Meeting.
Faneuil Hall was half filled by the labor Or
CARNATIONS of Boston and its vicinity this even
Mems Central Council, United States, to con.
slider the attitude of the governme Mt toward the
hours of labor. John Marshall presided. and
there was goodly array of sub-oficers. The
galleries contained many ladies, and several
well worded notices were displayed. On one
Of the transparencies a demand for the removal
OF Supervising Architect Mullett was expressed
on account of his violation and notification of
the eight hour law, and the subsequent tone of
the meeting was pitched to that text and the
work. -4--.----
The President denounced E. R. Hoar as the
first official to trample on the eight hour law.
This remark was received with hisses as was
another assertion that Henry Wilson had gone
back on his fellows by urging Hoar for Secreta-
ry of the Treasury. The meeting finally rcfus=-
ed to hear its President, insisting on hearing
Arthur French, but Josiah Power was put for
ward, and gave partial satisfaction by inform
ing the meeting that Massachusetts was a quar-
ter OF a century behind Great Britain, and urg-
ing union as the only means of acquiring privi-
leges that were their right. Mr.. French finally
took the platform, but could not be heard, even
by the reporters. He was well applauded how
ever, by his friends
IL. M. Chamberlin stated that while men who
obtained their living without labor did not com
PLAIN that laws in their power were violated,
they had held meeting to express their fears
of the myth of imitation and pay their respects
to the cake of gold which the government had
rashly promised them. But the men of labor
who met to night were not frightened by
shadow, There was reality in the official vio-
laton OF the precious Congressional act for their
protection. He alluded to strikes in Fall river
and at Susquehanna depot and animadverted
upon the course of the Governors of Massachu-
setts and Pennsylvania in sending regiments of
armed working men to shoot down their fellows
who had forbOrne until forbearance had ceased
to bring them the desired relief. He offered
the following resolutions which were received
with applause and adopted:
Resolved, That the government of the Unit
ed States, in taking such pains as it does to en-
force its financial and other laws made in the
interest of the rich, while deliberately and in
dependently violating the eight hour law, made
in the interest of labor shows itself to be
tyrranous fraud, fit only to be despised by hon
est men.
Resolved, That the prevalent record of arm
ed violence on the part of capitalists and the
ruling classes for the purpose of reducing 10
submission unarmed bodies of their felowmeu.
Is an unnecessary, inhuman, brutal and infa-
nous proceeding that will only end, if follow
ed out, in their own destruction and in common
misfortune. 3f4r
Resolved, That we earnestly entreat all work
ing men, of whatever trade to abstain from en-
listing into the militia of their respective local
tiles because the employing and ruling classes
only use them and their weapons on the least
pretext to put and keep down their comrades
in other trades.
Resolved, That we tender our congratulations
to factory operatives of Massachusetts upon the
passage of the ten hour law; and recommend
them to loose no time in agitating for an eight
hour factory law, that men and women of all
trades may stand upon common ground to-
gether, and by their united numbers wrest
further concessions from the rich and ruling
Resolved, That we want eight hours as q hm-
1t OF the days work in all occupations, because
1t means higher wages, more comforts and en-
Joyments, better life and better homes.
Several other resolutions were passed and