Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-06-25
The Syracuse Disaster.

SYRACUSE, N. Y, June "a The Central
Baptist Church disaster proves to have Dren
fully as serious as tclcsraphed. The bodies If
fourteen persons killed have been recovered,
AMI further search this morning shows that this
is the number of persons Killed outright. Sew
craI persons are So seriously Injured that they
will probably die. The number of minor casu-
alties is nearly or quite one hundred, among
them about dozen persons with broken limbs.
The cause Of the disaster was the defective con-
sttuciou Of the building. The supporting truss
was composed Of planks spiked together. The
excitement IN the community continues very
great. -.
A further search this morning iu the debris
Of the Church failed TO 6ud any more bodies
The list Of the killed numbers thirteen. The
number of wounded foots up 90, OF whom 20 are
seriously injured. The scene of the disaster
has been visited by thousands during the entire
dav The occasion of the gathering last night
was festival given by the ladies' of the church
and concert by the Little Old Folks At
the rear of the church are the Sunday School
rooms occupying the first flor, and the church
narlors, occupying the second floor. This part
of the ed6cc was 10 use tor the festival and
concert.
At the time of the accident supper was being
served in the central paror, which had been
prcparcd for the occasion with tables, &c. This
room, which was forty feet square, Was filled
with people, the session room below belng de-
serted, save by few persons. The number 10
the supper room is variously estimated at irom
$50 to 500 mostly grown persons. At the time
the floor gave way the children of the congre-
gatlon were in Que Of the ante-rooms being pre-
pared for the "aucent concert But tor this
fact alone the list OF dead must have been very
much larger. At the moment OF the falling OF
the & or the scene within the parlor was Que
of happy enjoyment. While all we're pleasant
ly engaged, without single sign OF warning
the floor suddenly sank beneath them, and IN
an Instant the happy throng found themselves
buried in mass of struggling humanity, n-
tcr.pixed with falling timbers, furniture, &c,
and 10 utter darkness the gas having been ex-
tinpushed by the breaking of the. gas pipes
The descent of the Il Or Was accompanied by
terrible crashing of timbers, and from the Gu
dangered human beings went up horrible cries
for aid. An instant after the fearful descent
had baen made all was silent; but Immediately
after hear,rending appeals for help we're to be
heard from hundreds Of those who were IN
agony. Immediately after persons we're seen
issuing from the doors aud windows which
were smashed out by the frightened people,
and an alarm was sounded. The uninjured
within the church who were able to free them
selves from the mass began at once to assist in
rescuinr others Fircmeu aud police were
quickly at hand and labored nobly in the work
of rescue The entrance to the church was at
once stopped, and none were allowed to enter
it except those engaged in taking out the IN
mates The scene within the building was
terrible IN its details and that without the
edlfce hcarrending, fathers and mothers
searching for their children, husbands looking
for their wives, wives inquirug tor their hus-
bands, brothers for sisters and children tor pa
reuts, Of whose fate all we're uncertain aud IN
dread Quietly but rapidly the work of ex'r-
ca,iog people was carried on by the aid Of Ian
terms, while some busted themselves with rails
ing UP slanting seclous OF floor
Many others were aiding men, women, and
children to free themselves, and as fast as Inv
ing and dead we're rescued they were passed
out through windows and doors, where ready
hands assisted to convey the dangerously in-
turned aud dead to physicians Offices and
neighboriug houses. The work was vigorously
but slowly prosecuted. aud before midnight
the last Of the living and dead had been taken
out.
The floor which fell was suspended by iron
rods from wooden truss uoder the roof; these
rods went through the lower but not through
the upper chord Of the truss. Tie lower chord
had been spliccd wrong side up, and at that
pon, was first to give way. The floor having
no props beneath, it sunk in the form Of the
letter Y.
Most of the deaths were caused by the fall
inl tmbers. Some victims, however, we're
smothered by the plastering. The floors of the
church were supported orr pinally by iron pill
lars. 4 short time ago the church building
committee, with the consent, as they say, OF
the architect, removed the iron pillars, and the
result was the calamity of Tuesday night. The
truss was not only imperfectly constructed, but
the most prominent builders 10 the city declare
drv rot