The New York herald., 1874-09-21
CRIMINAL CARELESSNESS OF LIFE.
No Precautions Against Fire When Fire
Was an Ordinary Occurrence.
HEARTRENDING SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
The Origin and Progress Of the Flames aS
Described by an Eyewitness.

FALL hIVE En- mdSS., SepC. w lo'as
The Granite Mill calamity Is Still the matter
pppermost in the public mind in this vicinity
Little else is thought OF, and certainly nothing
else Is talked about and the language employed
in fastening Its responsibility Is terribly severe
The sudden sacrifice OF twenty five or thirty lives
and the wOundlng and manning OF twice as many
more unfOrtunates, has caused q horror and in
dignation in the community which even the
momentary sadness cannot conceal. That fear.
full responsibility rests somewhere is an opinion
which the public are to-day begianing to realize.
The sorrow-stricken city does not for moment
accept the calamity as prOvidential inflict'on,
but rather as the result OF the penurlousness of
those corporations popularity regarded as without
souls or the common feelings OF humanity. 1t
may be that these opinions are uncharitable, but
from all that can be gathered during the con-
fusion and excitement Of common afliiction the
criticisms and indignation seem amply justified.
The scenes in the city to-day have been sickening
and narrowing. The streets have been filed with
curious spectators from the surrounding country
and these, together with the resident operatives
OF Fall River. have crowded the neighbor-
hood of the ill-lated mill from sunrise
to sunset There has been no rowdyism, but, on
the contrary, the most emphatic expressions OF
grief and sympathy, mingled with indignation to-
ward those who are alleged to be responsible for
the fearful sacrifice OF life. From Taunton, New
port, New Bedford and Providence as we'll as from
smaller places in the immediate vicinity, there
have beee1f hundreds Qf Visitors oil the day long.
Probably never before Was there such an influx Of
strangers gathered within the limits of the 'Bor-
der CITY," The streets surrounding the mill have
been thronged all day long, and in the heart Of
the city the scene has been one of interesting sad
ness, in which thousands have mingled
hoo hnnn nndu n<N
stormy, and in every way sadly in keeping with
the n;Ournful occasion.
IN ALL OF THE CHURCHES
alusion was made to the terrible disaster. and in
some special lessons were drawn from the great
affcton. The venerable Father Murphy, the
senior Catholic pastor OF Fall River who has been
Identified with the city for nearly half century,
made touching ausion TO the calamity at the
morning service. He had no set sermon prepared.
but spoke in,prOnptu the feelings OF an almost
broken heart, and his manifestations or grief
found sorr0wful response in the sObs
which went up from the hundreds Of operatives
comprising his congregation. He sketched most
eloquently and ieellngly the terrible moment when
so many were called suddenly to the other realm
without o moment Tor preparation, and, in Ian
guage which brought tears to the eyes OF all, he
depicted the heartrending scenes OF the sunerings
Of those whose safety from death has only secured
them a life OF misery. He had kind word for the
afflicted in his heart and mind but his own tender
feelings destroyed all power Of utterance and he
mingled his expressions of grief with those OF his
parisnioners. The scene was an affecting one and
one which well illustrates the sympathy OF feeling
between the pastor and his afflicted people.
Rev. Father Quinn, pastor OF the Church Of the
Sacred Heart, at which most Of the operatives wor
shipped, also made touching aluslon to the
A,tny
erened father's remarks the soos and cries OF the
afflicted were audible to those who were passing
In the street.
was the words:-"ln the midst OF life we are in
death.n Alter few Introductory remarks, re-
ferring anew to the words Of the text the priest
sad:-
Such has been the impression, my children
that | have received from announcing the banns
OF matrimony and speaking on our great Calamity
OF Yesterday Yes, there is JOY and sadness,
pleasure and gloom, happiness and misfortune,
our heart hnds expression, and we can but say
that we know not the day nor the hour. Though
courses with Gthe utmost buoyancy through our
veins and we believe we have before us long
OF oil le we are in death so have the danes OF the
Granite Mil No. spoken yesterday. So 40 It's
smoke-begrlmmed runs speak to-day. Ay. It's
backened walls, though they speak 10 the entire
city and to the country, speak IN trumpet tones
to us as they STAND IN the midst Of this parish Of
our people and concern us the most. We have
from them warning from the finger OF God, q
warning tnat have, as your pastor, IN times past
told you would come to teach US In our duties to
! God and cause exactnes In their fulhment. And
what lessons should we derive from itY Oh what
other than that OF continual preparation to stand
have lost our friends and relatives our associates
even our children, are appealed to by them from
pile and by the fearful leap Tor lie or death, 10
take a warning TO be always prepared. |, your
pastor now appeal to you , IN the words is OF the
not yon hearts naye IN ns
Merss o haGs ave
| his omnipotent power for yesterday, tut taught
us our own llttleness and God's greatness; on
! then harden not your hearts, but turn TO God to-
! day by repentance and be prepared 10 meet Him
! at any moment. Approach the sacraments OF the
! sanctliying grace, and resolve never more to for
| sake the way oi righteousness. Parents, rela-
fiesn % the bitterness OF this sting, but wh at
must have been the feeling OF the
priest Of God who has the care OF and feels for the
spiritual anllcrions OF his peoples What mine, as
With hurried steps passed rom wagon 20 wagon,
from house TO house. from body to body, to shrive
them by the words OF absolutionp What mine, as
| | cast my eyes aloit and saw how many more
could not reach and at the same time attend TO
Jepema1~"A Voice in Rama was neard in lamer ia.
ton and IN great mourning; Rachel bewamng
her children and would not be comlorted,
because they are not" were true, and found eX.
preston my heart, for my children might be not
in this body, but with poor souls within tnat burn
Ing pile, ready TO meet their God and not able &c
impart those graces consigned by God TO his Church
! / nave sorrowed since; can never forget II nol
cease TO sorrow, though have some consolauor
TO know how many o! my best young people there
were, in that great danger OF tleir nves whose
first thought was OF GOO. The first outcrles, tht
prayers OF those l met manned and wounded
TO death, gave me tue knowledge tha
tney had only week ago received
from my hand, at the altar. the bread OF life Thl
pave me hope, and the recital OF the prayers by ou
Catholic girls and children, as with their heads 4
their hands they knelt. suifOcating at the Win
dOws or prepared to hurl themselves the efron
to almost certain death, renewed that hope tina
God heard their prayers and gave them the grace
of true cOntrtion Then shall conclude by beg
pino of parents, first for themselves, then 10
tnair c1ildran- to see that they are IN contlnna