The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-05-19 00:00:00

BLANDFORD.

Mt. J. C. TURWIII.: is; r,ieri.g °Meer of the Milton
Abbas 'district, with him wife have been appointed to
the vacant odhe of Mailer and Keeton of the Bisatiford
Union.

EMOURPAINE.

-
CONOZWY —The inhabitants of this and adjthent
vinare .STO on Tuesday evening last favoured, through
the kindness of the Rot. B. B. Watts, with a mosieal
treat of no ordinary kind. With the view of
lag the church choir, and also to provide sufileisisnit=
to enable them to attend the choral festival at Wisp
borne, on the 27th inst., • isoneert of sacred and secular
mad th e took place at e new school-room, to which •
large party of ladies and gentleman were invited. The
room was densely crowded, and every one present, mad
especially three unaccustomed to such singing, were
highly gratified. The first part consisted of choruses
, from the Creation" and "Elijah," and the second of
I pert songs, glees, dm Mrs. Edwards presided at the
I pianoforte, and Mr. Spinney was the conductor. Mr.
Frank Spinney favoured the company with a violin
solo, and was deservedly applauded, and we are rare
we express the feelings of the villagers by acknowledg-
ing the kindneu of those ladies and gentlemen who
took part in the choruses, and also to Mr. Watts, who
spared neither time nor trouble so that the Dastard
might be successful.
Fige.--OnThursiey morning last, about five o'clock,
a Ate broke out on the premises belonging to Mr.
Jackson, Stourpaine Academy, which resulted in the
destruction of a large barn and the whole contents,
consisting of about 1,500 feet of boarding sod • large
quantity of timber, the partial destruction of an
I adjoining building used as a wtrehouse, and the roof
of • stable and hayloft. The fire was first discovered
by some labouren in the employ of Mr. Warren, who
pererived • dense volume of smoke issuing from the
loser r part of the village *here the property is situated.
They Immediately proceeded to the spot, but before
their arrival the fins buret through the roof of the barn
(composed ci strong brisk walls and tiled roof) ha an
body of flume. By this time Yr. Jackson was
aroused by his serves% man, who appears to bay, been
the first on the premites who saw the firs, and the
alarm being raised, the greater part of the male popula-
tion of the village and also several from Ash, consisting
of about 100 strong labourers, under the direction of
Mr. J•ekson, set resolutely to work to check the
Progress of the flames. In very dangerous proximity
to the burning roof of the barn, at a point where it
joined the roof of the washbouse, wits an old thatched
building, and the efforts of the men were first direeted
to ward off danger in that direction, aa had the dames
reached it in all probability a great number of thatched
houses in the immediate vicinity would have fallen
• prey to the lira —But not only did the men of I
the village work well, but women and children vied with
each other in
though
water to those engaged in the
work,and for a considerable time anxious fears
were entertain that despite every esertiou the roofs
of other houses and buildings would ignite, so energetis
and weld-directed were their labours, that at list the
fire was °opined to the building when it first broke out.
Kr. Jaekson, whose coolness and presence of mind wee
remarkable, fortunately succeeded, at great risk to his
personal safety, to eat off the communisation between
the coach-house and his school-room, and wee thus
enabled to stay the progress of the flames in that
direction. Soon sifter the fire was discovered, Mr.
Barrett, farmer, rode into Blaodford for the assieitansm
of the fire-brigade and engine, and in as short a spasm of
time as 'poeeible, and very much to the credit of the
men, they were on their way to the place, It fortunately
happening that most of the brigade were preparing to go
to work when the me.senger came. By the time the
engine arrived, however, the immediate danger Was
over, and the efforts of the brigade were amend to
subduing the power of the burning mass in the barn.
The orgin of the fire ma mystery, as it burst forth at
the end of the barn where the wood was stored, and
there was neither shavinp nor draw nor any other light
inflammable material near, nor had any fire been lighted
in the adjoining wathhouse for several weeks previous.
We understand that the buildings are insured, but the
whole of the contents of the bare, raped at £lOO, wee
usinsurvi. There are strong suipos that the fire
was the work of an incendiary, and if so it Is hoped that
the guilty party or parties will emu be besought to
justice.