The Pemberton Mill Collapse

Lawrence Massachusetts

January 10, 1860

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The Pemberton Mill was an industrial factory that employed anywhere between 800 and 1000 workers at a time. The collapse of this mill was the most devastating industrial disaster in Massachusetts, and resulted in the deaths of of an estimated 145 workers. Approximately 166 were injured in the accident, most of whom were women and children. The New York Times reported that nearby, “citizens were alarmed by the cry of fire, which proceeded from the Pemberton Mills, about four-fifths of which had fallen a shapeless mass, without the slightest warning to the near eight hundred human beings who were then at work.” An accidental fire from a broken lantern of one of the rescuers caused a reported 14 additional deaths.(1)

The Pemberton Mill was known to be an unstable building since iron plates had to be put in to maintain its structure while the machinery stood inside. With time, the mill could no longer holds its weight and it collapsed inward.(2) The mill was originally built by Captain Charles Bigelow, an experienced engineer, in partnership with the Essex Company. During the panic of 1857, however, the company sold the mill to George Howe and David Nevins, who immediately increased the number of looms and heavy machinery in the building to maximize profits, which they did successfully until the fated collapse.(3) 

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The Reaction

Newspapers outlined the shock felt by witnesses, survivors, and the general public with headlines such as "Horrible Mutilation of the Sufferers" and "Shocking Suffering of the Unfortunate People Burning Beneath the Ruins." The New York Herald described the scene of the accident as occupied by, "some two or three thousand persons who are working as if for their own lives, to rescue the unfortunate persons, many of whom are still crying and begging to be released from their tortures." The workers in The Pemberton Mill are repeatedly called unfortunate, which correctly assumes that the workers are the victims in this situation. In another section of the article, the journalist describes the sentiment of the public. "The whole city seems in mourning," he writes, "many are running through the streets, and with frantic cries searching the ruins...Many stand by the wreck frigid with despair." The newspaper also mentions the temporary hospitals erected to aid the injured and expands on the selfless toils of the rescuers.(4) Eventually Charles Bigelow was blamed for designing insufficient support and was found guilty, but not punished.(5) Despite the outrage and shock following the collapse, the legal system did not yet recognize the need for worker's protections as public support was not widespread enough and large businesses still held great power. Despite many disasters like this one, it wasn't until the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire that employers begin to seriously considering workplace safety reforms. Additionally, at the time, there was no required workers compensation so many families of victims lost a primary source of financial support. The collapse of the Pemberton Mill alarmed citizens and the press, and served as a warning for manufacturers and architects of the potential destruction that can result from mistakes in the construction of a manufacturing plant and overconfidence in its production capacity.  

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Sources:

(1) "The Pemberton Mill Disaster," New England Historical Society, Last modified

    2016, Accessed April 10, 2018, http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/

    pemberton-mill-disaster/.

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(2) New York Times (NY), "Horrible Calamity," January 11, 1860, 1.

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(3) "The Pemberton Mill Disaster," New England Historical Society.

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(4) The New York herald (New York [N.Y.]), "Horrible Catastrophe," Jan. 11, 1860, Chronicling America:
     Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
     <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1860-01-11/ed-1/seq-1/>

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(5) "The Pemberton Mill Disaster," New England Historical Society.

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