Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-01-09
TOday's Telegraphic News
Terrible Disaster and Loss of Lite.


Terrible Disaster and Loss of Lite.
Haverstraw, n. Y, Jan. 9.-From
sixteen to twenty bodies are now thought
to be in the ruins Of the ten wrecked
and hre-destroyed homes which slid
over the clay embankment st midnight.
Rescuing parties who had remained on
the scene all night, powerless to help
because of the intensity of the flames,
at daylight began the work of recover
ing what is left of the dead. The VIC
tins, mostly women an children, we're
either killed outright, slowly smothered
or burned to death while imprisoned in
their overturned homes by the sudden
precipitation of ten frame houses over
the brink of clay bank.
Without minutes warning the en-
tire row of houses, which comprised zen
family residences and three stores, shot
over the edge of the bank, turning com,
pletely over in their descent of one hun
dred feet, carrying many of the inmates
to distressing death,
The situation was rendered addition
ally appalling when the overturned
stoves spilled their fiery contents among
the dismantled interiors, setting FIRE TO
the collapsed houses, in which many of
the inmates were imprisoned beyond.
hepe of rescue before the flames reached
them. The remarkable accident hap
pened close to midnight when the domi
Giles contained their ll.quote of sleep
ing inmates, served TO-. lengthep the list
of fatalities. ~.. "' -
The houses we're located on Rocklsnd,
near Division street, and stood in uni
form row near the edge Of the bank, at
the foot of which are located several
brick yards. Recent demsndsfOr clay Tor
brick manufacturing purposes caused the
diggers to delve deeply into the banks.
With recurring frost and thaw, the bank
unknown to the operator became trap.
With the fall of snow yesterday the
danger increased The row Of houses
perched on the edge of a precipice, slid
SLOWLY Oh first, rearward and then
crashed down the slope The screams
of terror of the inmates was the only
alarm which gave warning to the neigh
bors. When the latter rushed from
their home, all in night dress, the space
upon which the row Of houses had stood,
was vacant. Every vestige of the former
homes was swept out Of sight, as if cleft
from the earth by some mighty hand
The cries Of The injured and imprisoned
drew the would-be helpers to the edge of
the clay cliff in time to see sputtering
of fire and then a general outbreak OF
flames throughout the mass of wrecked
homes. The rescuers witnessed the
frantic endeayors of some OF the impris-
oned to escape and noted with terror the
encroachment of the flames.
Hundreds rushed To the scene and the
several FIRE companies of this place, to-
gether with apparatuq summoned from
Gainesville, dashed to the rescue. The
6remen, however, we're confronted with
a horTifying handicap when they dis
covered that there was absolutely no
water with which to fight the fsmes.
The downward rush of the topping
houses having carried away the water
mains as we'll as gas mains aud electric
wires, deprived the 6re-fghters of means
with which to combat the flames which
consumed the demolished homes with
their imprisoned living and dead. 10 the
region which has suffered BY this dread
full disaster, we're mostly persons employ
ed in the brick yards or were small ware
merchants occupying the few stores IN
the doomed houses. '
As nearly as could be ascsrtained at 2
clock this afternoon, nineteen persons
lost their lives in,the catastrophe.
The flames were not extiuguished en-
lirely until late this morning and as the
ruins had 10 be given time to cool, the
work for searching for the bodies OF the
victims did not startuntii this afternoon.
So far not one body has been recovered.