Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 September 1889 — UNDER A LANDSLIDE. [ARTICLE]

UNDER A LANDSLIDE.

TERRIBLE CATASTROPHE IN THE CITY OF QUEBEC. Scores of People Crushed in Their Homes by Tons of Rock from an Overhanging Cliff—Recent Heavy Rains the Cause ol the Disaster —Scenes of Woe. A Quebec dispatch says: Thursday evening people living in the neighborhood of the Citadel were startled on hearing a low, rumbling sound, accompanied by a perceptible quiver of the earth. Houses were shaken, dishes rattled, and even in some cases people had difficulty in maintaining their footing. Every one rushed into the street and it was learned that a large portion of Cape Diamond, just below the Citidel, had become detatched, and, sliding down the declivity to Champlain street, had buried several residences and their inmates under from fifteen to twenty-five feet of rock, dirt and wreckage. At the foot of the cliff is a narrow street, Avhich occupies all the space between the cape and the river, and this was filled with the debris which had crushed out the lives of at least twentyfive people. The exact number is not yet known, as the enormous mass of earth and stone has shown but little diminution, notwithstanding that a large force of men was at work clearing it away in less than a half an hour after the horrible disaster took place. It is believed, however, that not less than 25 have perished. About half a score of bodies have already been taken out of the ruins, and a number of people terribly crushed, but still alive, have also been rescued. Champlain street, on which the terrible visitation fell, presents a scene of unmitigated sorrow and desolation. The heads ot families are rushing about frantically seeking their offspring, while children are quite distracted searching for their parents. The portion of the cliff overhanging this street which started from its place demolished about eight houses, occupied by twenty or thirty families. The cause of the disaster is said to be the recent heavy rains. The amount of fallen rock is immense, and completely blocks the road. The story given by a survivor is that he was standing in his door when the land slide occured, and that as soon as he saw the huge bowlders and masses of rock bounding down the steep incline he rushed up the street only in time to escape being crushed to death. The houses struck were all three or four stories high, and gave way before the avalanche like pasteboard. Some of them caught fire. This added to the terror and general confusion, and for awhile it appeared that those who had escaped death by the weight of stone and timbers would be cremated. The timely arrival of the fire brigade soon dispelled this fear, and the Avay was clear for the eager by-standers to begin their work of rescuing those imbedded in the ruins. Those who witnessed the fall of the rock say they heard a long, loud noise, as of several cannon, and on looking up toward the terrace and citadel were horrified by the sight of a large mass of stones, rock, and earth breaking loose and rushing down the 300 feet of declivtty upon the doomed houses below. Immediately the air was filled with dust, so that no one could see ten feet in front of him and breathing was made difficult. This was followed by the sound of timbers crushing and yielding to the immense power of the avalanche, and the shouting and screaming of men, women, and children in all the agony of despair. The avalanche was caused by the hot weather of the past few weeks cracking the earth and rock, which were loosened and driven down by the heavy rain of the last few days. The men of the water police, whose station is near the scene of the accident, set to work at once to rescue the imprisoned persons, while the general alarm was sounded, which called out the fire brigade and police. The flames were soon extinguished, and the men from the battery began the work of extricating the unfortunates from the ruins, assisted by many of the citizens. A detachment of Battery D Canadian Artillery, under Major Wilson, soon started at a double quick for the scene of destruction. The water police and the men of the civic police force also worked bravely, every one present working his life for his fellow creature in distress. The soldiers especially distinguished themselves by their braveay. After the first few bodies had been extracted the work proceeded more rapidly till at last an almost continuous string of dead, dying and wounded kept pouring into the marine department, where almost ail the doctors of the city were assembled. The spacious rooms of this building were soon filled with a crowd of sorrowing relatives. It is estimated that between twenty and thirty persons are dead and over twenty wounded. Two men of the tire brigade were also injured, but not seriously. Some families have not yet been re-coA-ered, and it is feared that their members have breathed their last The recovered dead are: Thomas Farrell, two Farrell children, two Burke children, an unknown child, Mrs. Berrigan, five unidentified bodies.

Besides these it is believed. almost to a certainty that Richard Maybury, laborer, and wife; Henry Black, grocer and proprietor of a large loundry, and his whole family; Maggie and lillen Walsh, Mrs. Stevens. Mrs. Allan, Mrs. Henry, Richard Kemp and family, and the Lawson family can never be reached alive. The relatives, neighbors and workers are afraid to guess at the actual number of the dead, ! Among the injured so far recovered are: Thomas Graves, leg broken; Stephen Burke, injured internally; W. Power, badly crushed; Mrs. O’Neal, badly hurt; Pat Fitzgerald, leg broken and badly hurt otherwise; M. Reddy, injured internally; Nellie Deehy, leg broken. It will take hours to get down to the Black family and others, wno are believed to be beyond all assistance. The occupants of the destroyed houses were the following, with their families: Charles Allan, Thomas Berrigan, Tim Berrigan, Black’s grocery, Henry Black, Mrs. W. Bracken, James Bradley, Stephen Burke, Michael Dehoy, Thomas Farrell, Patrick Fitzgorald, Henry Lawson, Robert Lawson, Richard Leahy, Frank Carlson, James Hayden, Joseph Kemp, Luke Kirwin, Henry Mullins, Richard Maybury, Widow John O’Dowd, John O’Neil, TiVilliam Stephen, Thomas Power, John Read and John Henry.