Disastrous Accident at BRADFORD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 3, Issue 33, 14 March 1883, Page 2

Disastrous Accident at BRADFORD.

THRILLING DETAILS. 11

; £Pc* 8.-Mail.B .-Mail. Steamer. ) A frightful accident occurred at Bradford on December 29, by the fall of a mill chimney, whereby nearly thirtypeople were killed and about forty injured. The mili 18-called NWlahd Mill, lan 'l is situated' in "Upper' Castle-street, Bowling, Ojd-lane, a. suburb of Brad-, ford; r ' About five ; minutes past'efenfc'a large mill chimnov, 75 yards m height, standing m the mill yard, fell upon the spinning and drawing; sheds, and demolished a vast, portion of . the premises. Fbrtiiriately the accident occurred at the time of breakfast, when only a small, number: ot; workpeople were on the premises. The scene was an appalling one. A great portion of the premises were carried down to the ground and reduced to. an, immense heap of ruins. Broken masonry, twisted woodwork, and shattered machinery we/e- crushed together m a maBS, m whioh j;hey were hardly distinguishable. JLarge gangs of workmen and policemen i were soon set;toiw;ork; to rescue »ny whp tnight be- buried. In an hour eight er ten bodies were recovered, and many wounded p^erso"ns. The search was prosecuted- with vigour during the rest of the day, and up to 6 ,pf clock "next night no fewer than 24 de*d : bodies had been recovered, while "no fewer than 40 persons wer.% found to be more ordess injured. The rooms which adjoin the chimney were spinning rooms, and at the time the chimney fell the spinners, to the number of about 50 would be getting their breakfast. The chimney i was erected twenty years ago, and was apparently a stout and substantial (structure, and the only cause . that, can be assigned for 'its falling is the high winj which blew on Wednesday night, Edward Ripley's men were repairing the-yhimney. Sd badly were the features of the dead distorted, or, m many cases, actually crushed, that the identification of the Unfortunate Victims was a slow and painful process. As a rule, those m the upper floors principally suffered, and imoßt of the fatal injuries were found to ihave lseen : sustained on the head. ■ The workmen who were m the basement appeW to" have escaped most lightly. A group of girls were- seated together^ iat. breakfast, some were killed and some were seriously injured, { while one wag so slightly hurt that she was ablo to "walk home. In the top storey, just at the point where the chimney m its fall, 1 cut off one end of the mill with the precision of aiJkinife, itvfb, IrisTii.twdmen,* Lizzie "Walsh, of Caledonia*streefc, and Mrs Whelan, of Duncan-street, "weTo together, Mrs. Whelan, struck with a falling beam,'mußfr'have been killed instantaneously. The beam could not be removed, and the body was long visible' on the .topmost edge of the ruins. The, girl Walsh was not killed' at oiicej" but remained moaning and crying as efforts, were made to release her. She was imprisoned ,^about three . hours, dnringr jwhibh the Rev s Oanon l Motler' an i thte' ißev. Father Mulcany administered,-. to her the last rites of the Roman Catholic Church. A still more painful case was that of a girl one of whose . legs _it was necessafy'ttf cut off for ; the purpose of getting her out of the ruins;, -Eouly v MitphelU.pnß_o.f the dead,.- had the. top, bf her skull cut quite away. William Bhackleton, another, was so crushed that his face had 1 st all human appearance, and be could be recognised only by his clothing. Some others, with blackened faoe9,--had been suffocated. All bere evidences of the terrible nature iof their last moments. The recovery of the living and dedd was watched with breathless interest. ; AAy6 y times silsnee !was called, and at once operations were suspended while the workers listened for pome sound to . mdicate'life^in the ruins, tin one catf9a : toy./ was brought out looking yery grimy . and very 1 much alarmed , fe^t evidehtly not much' worse. In another the crowd' qaeered" as an overlooker, named . frying V^ri'srht, weakened though he. was .•bj'ioss'.pf bloo'^l 'from' 1 a c scalp iiyound, . laide an attempt to walk, supported pa each side, frdiai the deWis into the street. The : ;wo l £k/'bf dteiring was'oont,iniied r,by !Vu se^erar'Hundi'ed .men l 'du_rino; the i i wimble' dajr| find the > work was continued. j thrdtig^ b iUe iijgh't by means of ! the elec - itric K^tit,' A"I^ r g?ni l^er. of medical 'men were SbftH 5 .on the spot, actively engaged m rendering all the aid m their power. "The Mayor (Alderman Priest ;mon) and many, influential inhabitants visited the'scenb' of the accident during !the day. " .\.