Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-07-02
THE SYRACUSE HORROR.
Particulars Of al.s, CnIn,pI,y.

THE SYRACUSE HORROR.
Particulars 0f the Calamity.
: The following dispatch to the Chicago
Tribune, gives the particulars of the
sad affair at Syracuse, N. Y, It was
written tho day after the disaster &C.
Cured:
SYRACUSE, N. Y, June 24.-Further
search this morning in the ruins of the
Central Baptist Church failed to find
any more bodies. The list of killed
numbers thirteen. Last nights list is
correct, except in the case of tho re-
ported death of the boy Ostrander.
The number of wounded foots up ono
hundred, of whom twenty arc seriously
injured. There have boon NO deaths to-
day. A squad of police have possess
sion Of the building, pending the Cor
oner's inquest.
The Occasion of the gathering last
night was festival, given by the ladies
of tho church, and a concert by "tlle
Little Old Folks" At tho rear of tho
church arc Sunday-school rooms, occu-
plying tho rooms on tho first floor, and
the church parlors occupying tho
second floor. This part of the edifice
was in use for the festival and concert
at the time of tho accident.
Supper was being served in the CEN
trail parlor, which had, been prepared
for tho occasion with tables, etc. This
room, which was 40 feet square, was
filled with people, the session room be-
low being deserted save by few per-
sons. The number in the supper-room
is variously estimated ut from $50 to
500, mostly grown persons. At the
time the floor gave way the children of
the congregation were in one of the
ante-rooms, being prepared for the
"Ancient Concert" But for this fact
the list of dead must have been very
much larger, as many of the helpless
little ones would have been crushed to
death in the mass of humanity, crowded
into the "V" shaped vortex formed by
tho falling timbers. At the moment Of
the falling q the floor, the scene within
the parlor was one Of happy enjoyment.
While all were pleasantly engaged,
without a single sign Of warning, the
floor suddenly sank beneath them, and
in IN instant all were buried in q mass
of struggling humanity, intermixed
with falling timbers, furniture, ETC., and
in utter darkness, the gas having been
extinguished By the breaking of the gas
pipes. An instant after the fearful de-
scent had been made, all was silent as
the grave, but immediately after heart.
rending appeals for help were to b.
heard from hundreds Of those who were
in agony. Immediately after persons
were seen issuing from the doors and
windows, which were smashed out by
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 rescuing others. The firemen
and police were quickly ut hand, and
labored nobly in the work of rescue.
The scene within the, building was
terrible in its details, and that without
the edifce heartrending indeed. Faith
ers and mothers searching for their chill
dren, husbands looking for their wives,
wives, inquiring for husbands, brothers
for sisters, and children for their
parents Of whose fate oil were uncer-
tain and in dread. Quickly and rap
idly the work of extricaking the people
was carried on by aid Of lanterns. AS
fast as the living and dead were res
cued they were passed out through the
windows and doors where ready hands
assisted to convey the dangerously in
jured and dead to thephysicians' offices
and neighboring houses. g
The excitement without the church
was terrible, and as each body was
being carried to adjoining houses the
mass su ged back and forth, all terribly
anxious to ascertain who it was, and
whether dead or alive. At the height
of the excitement not less than ten
Thousand people were crowded into
| Montgomery and Jefferson streets and
in adjoining premises.
The floor which fell was suspended
by iron rods from wooden truss under
the roof. These rods went through the
lower, but not through the upper chord
of the truss. The lower chord had
been spliced the wrong side up, and
that point was first to give way. The
floor having no props beneath it, sunk
in the form of letter v, The most of
the deaths were caused by falling tim
| bers of the truss -; some, however, were
smothered by plastering. The floors of
the church were supported originally by
iron pillars. A short time ago the
church Building Committee, with the
consent, as they say, Of the architect,
removed the iron pillars. The truss
was very imperfectly constructed, be-
sides being spliced. The most promi-
nent builders in the city declare that it
was rotten. It was put in green, and
has the dry rot.
The wounded are doing we'll. The
Coroner's inquest will be held to-mor-
row.