The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-25
THE DISASTER AT QUEBEC.
WORK OF REsculNe THE VICTIMS.
Thousands of Persons Visit the Scene of
the Terrible Landslide-Many Persons
Still Buried Beneath the Debris
Many Bodies Recovered.

QUEBEC, Sept 19.-To-night several thou
sand tons ofsolid rock slid from Cape Diamond,
at the end of DuIerin's terrace. to Champlain-
ST., 800 feet below. demolishing in its course
seven dwellings. Up to midnight six bodies
have been taken from the ruins. About twenty
five persons have been removed from the debris
badly injured. Il is supposed that at least
fifty persons are yet under the ruins
QUEBEC. Sept. 20-PreparatiOns are being
made for the funerals of those killed in last
nights terrible landslide, who will be buried at
the Joint expense of the citizens and the local
government.
Among those buried by the rocks young
couple named Nolan, who were married a few
weeks ago. Nolan could have escaped, but he
lost his life in trying to get his wife out OF the
Nuse. 1t is thought that the kings bastion on
the citadel will have to be removed, as it is now
near the rock with unsafe crevices in front of
il. As precautionary measure, all communi-
cation with the bastion has been cut of, and
the morning and evening guns will no longer
be fred from il.
About twenty thousand persons have visited
the scene of the disaster during the day.
Thousands crowded into the morgue and seized
every point inside and outside the building
where glimpse could be had of the bodies OF
the victims. Many women who obtained an
entrance had to be removed in fainting con-
dition, the mangled bodies being sight to try
the nerves of the strongest men.
1t has been decided to small charges OF
powder to break up the huge powders covering
the roadway, as ii is certain that there can be
nothing living beneath them.
The horrors of this dreadful day still sue
ceeding each other. While the workers were
busy clearing away the debris OF crumbled
building faint grOans were heard at intervals
from under huge piles of rock. The efforts OF
the volunteers were concentrated to that point,
and after three hours hard work the bleeding
body of Joe Kemp was extricated from the
mass of rock. The poor man is in a pltiable
condition. Both legs are broken at the knees,
the left arm is fractured above the elbow, and
several ribs are fractured. He can not live
many hours. Two hours later his wife's body
was taken out of the wreck. Her head was
almost severed from her body.
Farther away another hideous spectacle was
offered to the sight-the corpse OF young
woman Mrs. Lawtonl who had been admired
in her lifetime for her beauty. Her body had
been crushed almost fiat. Her abdomen had
been ripped open and her entraiis scattered
about. Shortly after viewing her remains her
husband became raving maniac. 1t is doubt
full if he will recover his reason.
A man named Michael Bradley who had
gone almost crazy when told that all his family
had persisted in the landslide, discovered while
working over the wreck of his house his five
year.0ld daughter still alive. His JOY was In
describable Ii is thought the child will live.
Up to this time the mum Der of bodies found is
twenty-five, and the number of wounded
eighteen.
The city is thronged with strangers coming
from all parts of Quebec district to witness the
effects of the terrible avalanche.
Among those who are still alleged to be miss.
he he ruin arc 4
his wife, Mrs. Stevens, Mrs. Henry. Richard
Maybury and wife, Mrs. X. Lawson, r. Kempe
and family, Michael B. Leahy, and a number
of children.
The loss sustained by the surviving victims
of the disaster is very great Some of the
workingmen, who are deprived of homes, lose
all their furniture and other effects, even their
summer earnings. Many are left virtually
penniless at the commencement OF Canadian
winter. The injured have been nearly all re-
moved TO the hotel Dieu, where they will re-
ceive all possible care and attention. The
work of rescuing the victims is going on
vigorously. The members of the Black
family were buried alive twelve feet below
the surface Of the debris. On being asked
fl they were safe, Mrs. Black answered:
'My husband is killed at the door. The
rest are safe, but We are suffering from
wounds and bruises on our limbs" Shortly af-
ter, Miss May Cauldwell, a niece of Mr.. Black,
was extricated from Mr.. Blacks house. Her
touch on them caused excruciating pains. The
next person taken out was Thomas Berrgan,
whose wife was taken out of the ruins dead He
was so disfgured his friends could hardly rec.
ognize him. He was removed to the hotel Dieu
hospital, muttering prayer of thanks for his
miraculous escape. The next to follow was an
eight-year-old boy, also named Berrigan. His
left leg crushed TO jelly. Then came Mrs.
Black. Her bosom, neck and face we're dread
fully swollen.
\ large force of men is engaged in the work
of searching the ruins. The shipping office in
the Dominion government building has been
turned into a temporary morgue and over
twenty bodies are lying in it. 1t is difficult to
Identify some OF the bodies, so much have they
been dis6gured and crushed. Several OF the
persons reported missing have turned up, but
it is thought that there will be ten more vic
tins to be added TO the list. A complete list
of the injured cannot be made up as yet as
they were removed to different hospitals and
to friends houses as soon as they were taken
from the ruins
1t is feared that large part OF the rock adj
joining the site of the slide will come down,
a large crevice has appeared and the rain is
still falling, and may repeat the operation
which caused lighter disaster. The people are
moving out of the threatened houses. There
has been no lack of volunteers for work at the
ruins, but there is lack of intelligent direction,
as there is no person in authority. Citizens are
sending in money to relieve any immediate dis
tress among the homeless women and children.
The site of the landslide is almost identical
with that of the one which occurred in 1871,
when eight buildings were crushed and thirty
two people were killed. The houses destroyed
last night all stood on the other side of the
roadway and were not thought to be in danger
but the immense mass Of rock swept clear
across the roadway and over the brick build
ings, demolishing them if they were made of
cardboard. The mass of earth and rock moved
is, roughly speaking, about six hundred feet
frontage by eighty feet in depth. Some of the
masses of fallen rock must weigh nearly twenty
tons, and there are so many huge blocks that it
makes the work of clearing away very difficult.
Corn Crop Safe From Frost.