EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENT.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 127, 15 December 1876, Page 6

EXTRAORDINARY ACCIDENT.

♦ Shortly before seven o'clock on Tuesday evening a very remarkable accident occurred at Mr Pritchard's forge and private residence in Rattray-street, near the steps leading to Canongate. The recent rains had loosened a considerable quantity of earth at the rear of Mr Pritchard's premises, and this, with a rumbling sound like that of an earthquake, fell against the house, thereby causing that portion of the upper storey facing Rattray-street to bulge out and descend heavily to the footpath. Tbe family had just finished takirig their tea, and one ofthe men was shoeing a horse at the time on the ground floor. An exciting and painful scene followed. Mrs Pritchard appeared at the upper storey window with a child in her arms, and the falling debris pretty well covered them. Her right arm received a fearful gash. Three of the children had been put to bed, and considerable difficulty was experienced in extricating them. One little fellow — Wm. Pritchard — had his head severely cut by falling bricks, and Mr Pritchard sprained his arm in endeavouring to rescue his wife and children, who were extricated from the rear of the premises. Two or three of the neighbours, including Mr Peter Anderson, rendered valuable assistance, and placed themselves in no little danger to release the inmates from their exceedingly perilous position. Upon hearing the screams for assistance, Mrs Pritchard's mother, who lives hard by, fainted several times. The building, which has been greatly shaken, threatens to fall into Rattray-street at any moment, and a barricade has been erected to protect pedestrians. The news of the novel accident was speedily circulated, and a large crowd of persons assembled to inspect the building. The locality near the Rattray-street steps should be officially inspected in order that another landslip " may he guarded against. The accident above referred to has caused quite a commotion in the neighbourhood, — Daily Times.