Pemberton Mill Disaster: Greed and Tragedy

Imagine being trapped alive in the rubble of a collapsed building, only for a rescuer's lantern to break

and set the whole thing on fire. That’s the horrifying reality of the Pemberton Mill disaster of

1860. On a winter evening in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the massive five-story

textile mill just… collapsed. Workers heard a strange rattle, then a deafening

crash. The walls bulged, exploded, and the entire building came down in seconds,

trapping 800 people inside. The scene was chaos. A 50-foot pyramid of twisted iron,

bricks, and splintered wood. Rescuers worked by bonfire light, pulling survivors

from the wreckage while hearing the moans of those still trapped. Then,