Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1844-02-29

i
porate company at a cost Of $75a,Ooo and is capa-
BILE Of storing 1000 bales Of cotton which amount,
we understand, was yesterday morning under its
roof. It has been for some years leased to Messrs
Freeland and Behan, at the rate of 900 per an
mum. One Of the engines and two of the screws are
uninjured, and can be Immediately put into active
operation. '-'t~ -~
INQUIRER OFFICE, NANrUcKEr,l
Wednesday, Feb. 2ist--4 o'clock P. M.
Heart-Tending Occ,Urence-The AsykttpG for
the Poor bsu,sed to The ground ~ Of the in
sNates consumed iss the flames lit is our pain.
full duty to record one Of the most distressing &C.
that ever took place on the island Of Nam
tucket, and we sincerely pray that we may never
be called upon again to note one attended with
like consequences.
About 2o'clock this morning FIRE broke out in
the Asylum for the Poor, some three miles from
town. and in the course OF hours the building was
burnt to the ground. So rapidly did the fire spread
that those in the house unable to save any Of
their efEects-and awful to relate. ten Of the i'm
mates were burned to death. One Of those burnt
Lydia Bowen,) had carried her child to place Of
safety, and returned to save something, but did
not herself again escape the devouring flames
There were ify-nine persons in the house, besides
the family Of Capt. Timothy Bunker, the Keeper.
Capt B. lost all his effects and $40 in money
There were - Of the paupers bed-ridden-one Of
them we were told had not walked for about 20
years. ..
The names Of those burned are Paul Jenkins,
aged &c; Jonathan Cathcart 10; VIM. Holmes,
ST; Thomas Hull, ca; VIZ. Hutchirs; Sophia
Beebe, 81; Phebe Jones, SO; Lydia Bowen, SO !;
Wealthy Davis, 53-5 men and women.
This forenoon we visited the scene Of des ruction,
ami it was scene that would have moved heart
ofstone.
Tn, fire is supposed to lave originated in the
Co K Room, and was not dis covered until the in
mates were nearly suilocate1.
From the New Haven Courier.
Destruction Of D,celIing hO,sse--auful death of
father and esr0 children.
Mr.. Arw1LL The following particulars con-
nected with the shocking death Of Dr. Lucien Spen.
Ger, Of Bethany, and two of his children, the
facts Of which melancholy occurrence learned
to-day on the spot, will be read with painful in
terest. ..
A few minutes after midnight last night, some
OF the family discovered the house to be fire
At this time the kitchen was nearly consumed, and
DR.. Spencer and his wife had barely time to escape
not being even able to save particle Of clothing
except such as was on them. Mrs. s. seized the
two youngest children and brought them from the
burning house. The Doctor, h, wever, appeaIed
to lose all presence of mind from the very moment
when he discovered the FIRE, and even rushed so
near the flames and stood there, that the little clo-
thing which he had on actually to.k fire. His
wife drew him away, and endeavorcd to recall him
to q sense of their situation, when he commenced
throwing snow upon the FIRE. About this time, a
girl who lived in the family land who expected
that all the members of the family out Of the
house) heard the children screaming "Oh, dear!"
she exclaimed "the children will be burnt to
DEATH" whereupon Mrs. s. (who had been so much
concerned at the frantic and excited condition Of
her husband that she appeared to have forgotten
every thing else,) rushed into the house to save
her other two children But the attempt was
availing as the house was then all wrapt in flames
She returned and told her husband that they were
doubtless dead before that time, (which was un.
questionably the fact,) but before she Of
it he had escaped from her sight. At first she
started of down the street in his frenzy, and even
for some minutes she was not informed to the con-
trary. But he had been seen TO rush into the house
by young man who was near. In fifteen min.
utes after he entered the roof fell in, and was en-.
tirely consumed. Nothing was saved. as some
time occurred before the neighbors rallied and
ter was obtained with difficulty.
A portion of the remains Of DR.. S. and one Of the
children have been dug out Of the burning ruins
The author of this article saw these remains this
afternoon. There is nothing Of each except the
trunk, the head and limbs being wholly consumed
No vestige Of the other child had then been dscov-
cred. The children which persisted in the flames
were Of the age Of 10 and years respectively
the two that were saved were younger"
Dr.. Spencer was a native Of Naugatuck, at which
place he has resided since he graduated at Yale
college, until within two years. He was in COM
Portable circumstances, aged about 40 years and
for some years has been celebrated 10 one Of the
most skiiful physicians Of New Haven County.
Wednesday, Feb. 2lst.
THE children burnt were sleeping in the room
IN the second story, with young man named Ste
vens, who saved himself from leaping from the
window. The FIRE is supposed to have originated
from hot ashes. Mrs. s. is in state bordering on
distraction.
BANKRUPT CAsEs.-It IL stated in the N. York
Express that the number Of applications in the dis
trict for the benefit Of the Bankrupt Act, 1850
ON which 2020 discharges have been decreed, and
fhe remainder are yet pending. The assets Of all
the bankrupt estates amount to over 800 600 ,000
careful and capable individual in the Office of the
Clerk Of the u. 8 Court, Is now engaged in ascer-
tanning the exact amount He has not yet got
throagh the letter c, and the SUM IL already up
wards Of $4,000 600. The letter b, however,
cOntains vast number more names than any other,
90 that about one-fth Ofthe whole number Of petit
tions have been gone through with. The money
realized from all the estates. thus far. IL 500 600
The largest dividend made d thar on the estate d
Messrs. z P. & II. Heyer, hardware merchants,
which amounted to $29,O0O-the other dividends
rum from $1,000 to 5000, and in two OF three In
stances, something more than the last amount
The assets Of the Messrs Joseph are about ~ 500,
0OO-but not dollar has been realized from them.
a Great Body Of Saos0.-The ground IL now
buFdsasa By about three feet Of Snow upon q level
end vel packed by gentle rains and warm suns
On the hills west Il Il well " cooked up" for the