2-913-796 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Accident at the Castle Mills, Sheffield, 1854. Building collapse in Yorkshire. '...a portion of the Castle Mills, situate in Blonk-street, belonging to Messrs. Wm. Parker and Co., gave way and fell to the ground with a tremendous crash...Those working in that part of the building were buried beneath the fallen roof. Shovels, pickaxes, and crowbars having been procured, men set to work amongst the debris, and in the course of an hour eight persons were got out, more or less injured...Different opinions exist as to the cause of the accident. Some believe that the foundations near the boiler gave way, whilst others conjecture that the superincumbent weight of machinery, throwing too great stress upon the iron girders which supported the brick arches, had brought the whole to the ground...A dray-horse was killed by the falling building'. From "Illustrated London News", 1854.