1860 жылғы Массачусетс штатындағы Pemberton фабрикасының құлауы

Factory in Massachusetts, United States, which collapsed in 1860

The Pemberton Mill was a large textiles factory in Lawrence, Massachusetts, originally built in 1853. On January 10, 1860, at around 4:30 PM, a section of the building suddenly collapsed, trapping several hundred workers underneath the rubble, in what has been called "the worst industrial accident in Massachusetts history" and "one of the worst industrial calamities in American history." Of the hundreds crushed under the wreckage, an estimated 88 to 145 of them were killed instantly, and 166 were removed, albeit critically injured. Following the incident, as search and rescue efforts continued in an effort to locate survivors or bodies, a volunteer's handheld oil lamp was accidentally knocked, spilling its burning oil onto the wreckage; a massive fire soon enveloped the site, preventing the rescue of many potential survivors. The blaze spread quickly, due to the mill containing a large amount of lumber, as well as chemical laden machinery and the large amounts of cotton, denim, flannel, and other flammable materials produced therein. Investigators attributed the disaster to substandard construction that was then drastically overloaded with second floor equipment, all evident and preventable. The event was cited in improvements to industrial construction and workplace safety. The mill was soon rebuilt in place.

The Pemberton Mill was built in 1853 as a five story building long and wide. During a financial panic in 1857, Lowell and Putnam sold the mill to George Howe and David Nevins, Sr. at a $350,000 loss. The new owners jammed more machinery into their factory attempting to boost its profits. The mill ran with great success, earning per year, and had 2,700 spindles and 700 looms in operation at the time of the disaster.

Shortly before 5:00 p. m. on a Tuesday afternoon in 1860, workers in nearby factories watched with horror as the Pemberton Mill buckled and then collapsed with a mighty crash. As the fire grew, rescuers, physicians, families of the trapped victims, and spectators were all driven back by the conflagration. The tragedy became a rallying point to improve safety standards in industrial workplaces. David Nevins, Sr. bought out his partner and rebuilt the mill. After his death it passed to his sons, David Nevins, Jr. and Henry Cotton Nevins. In 1922, the rebuilt mill was one of the Lawrence mills temporarily shut down during the New England Textile Strike, which was sparked by an attempted wage cut.