Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-08-28
General Intelligence.
From the Vermont Chronicle.
EXPLOSION AND FIRE.

70 the Editor Of the Vermnpt Chroni.
Gle:
Sir-On Wednesday the 9TH inst, the
.ore Of G. s. r. Ainsworth, ofEast VIII.
%mslown, was destroyed by fire. The
arts are these There was ia the store
Ss,ween the counter and the door, a hogs.
head about half full of what is called
High Wines" Two individuals were
sanding by this hogshead, one by the
head, The Nher leaning against the side.
While in this position they heard from
me bocshead a violent Kissing noise like
hal from the burning of wet powder
Vbile the individual standing by the head
noticed blue fame upon its surface. In
,mOment after, the hogshead burst and
covered the whole floor with liquid fire.
an who were in the store, except two
children, instantly rushed TO the door
There was only time TO rush in again and
rescue the two children. This was done
bv Mr.. R. Answorth and his clerk. Mr.
Josiah Fan, who, in passing through the
FIRE, we're considerably burned. l. was
no, possible 10 enter the lower part OF the
slore again The whole building was
soon enrelOped in flames. All was burn.
ed-books, notes, and bank bills. The
loss 10 the store and goods is at least sir
thousand dollars, besides the insurance.
which is three thousand and four hun
dred. The loss on the debts, Of which
there now remains little evidence, must,
i is feared, inevitably be much greater
Than this. No cause which seems salts
factory is yet assigned for the explosion Of
ibis hOgshead. Ii is quite certain that no.
fire was near it at the time, and that none
bad been in the room for some hours
NOliquOr had been drawn from il for
more than "a hours Can any one give
Hany light on this subjec,2 Do high
Rnes" ever ignite spontaneously?
This particular account is deemed ne.
cssary, since it is known that erroneous
statements concerning this event have
gone abroad IN the community.
Respectfully yours,
A. ROYCE.
East Wllliahstown, August l3, 1889.
From the National Gazette.
MI. Adams, in his letter 10 the Secreta-
y oil State, on the subject of the invest
nent Of the Smithsonian Legacy, very
'hrewtly remarks that the act of Con-
gress giving discretionary power to the
secretary TO invest the fund ia state stocks
at i've per cent, when the government it.
SIl was borrowing money a: six, does not
appear 10 be an appropriation of the fund
10 the Increase and diffusion of knowledge
among men, since the only effect of the
scheme IS to deduct one per cent. a year
rom Ihp free gift of the noble minded for
agner, lora most exalted purpose.
Mr. Adams, in lieu of this plan of f.
laace proposes that for the preservation
%ne lund entire, it should be invested as
~ and Tor the annuity to the Seneca In
Ians Us, VIZ; 70 pass the whole legacy to
ns Credit ofthe United States, and the an
lOa payments to be made by the Secreta-
u Tue fund to be redeemabIe at the pleas
%eOi the Uaited States, and otherwise in
'''ed tor the objects OF the institution
W. Adams strongly obi cts to its being
'1'rusted to any bank, or loaned on any
pedge of state stock.
The fund, originally 100000 dollars,
fooably now increased by interest, is cal.
Hated to yield 10000 dollars. Mr. Adj
'ns contends that no part should be an
l0prlated TO the education of youth, for
ne expense Of which it would be unwor-
" me United States TO accept an eleem-
0ynary donation. In his opinion it was
wv NE teslator's intention, since the edu-
. .s Of youth is not directly the increase
y knowledge among men, but the instruc-
wv Oh Children in THAI which is already
SoWn. He also expresses the opinion
~e among the first objects of the apuro-
p.aaOn o. the revenues ofthe fund, should
MN %as erection at Washington of an astro-
"n''al observatory.
From The NeU Hapen Herald.
,,; o,aOoTiNG STARS. The meteoric
o luke expected about the 9th and 10Th
,,O ~s present month, has duly made its
o ppl : % For severalseyenings previ-
i Wy, .ne 9Th, when the sky was clear,
no S~' noticed that shooting stars were
b, ' :. Hs9uent and splendid than usual,
Ve,a : s1'ended observations upon them
anS made until the night of Friday, the
hour. lug that night, in the space of FIVE
VIA ending at 2, minutes af:er 2 o'clock
en- -. morning Of the 10th, four observ-
tG6s, nw 70 all, six hundred and ninety one
iig6'I~s ,meteors. At this time they were
'Iservy.,; Increasing 10 frequency. and had
pors,Su 'Oa been continued until day light,
% hs"" n thousand meteors would doubt
Ar,,1 I've been seen. OF the number OBJ
hpSI,so ABOUT one third part exceeded ia
nd t.,s stars of the first magnitude,
lbou, NV %ere more splendid than Venus.