American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1856-09-13
FALL OF TEE "oLD CHARTER OAK. )"

FALL OF TEE GOLD CHARTER OAK"
The famous "Old Chatter Oak" at
Hartford Conn, and which was so no.
ted in song and history, fell with ire
mcndons crash during storm, about
nQe o'clodk on Thursday morning, the
2lst. The Hartford Times of Thurs
day says:
The noble old tree stood upon the
beautiful grounds of Hon. Isaac w. Stu.
art. late the WyIiys' estate, in the south
ern part ofthe city. About three years
ago some boys built fire in the hol.
low of this tree, which burnt out the
punk, and though it was feared that this
would kill it, such was not the fact
Fresh sprouts sprang out tho next
spring, and Mr.. Stua,t took great pains
to preserve this valuable relic Of the o.
riginal forests Of New England, but
more especially interesting as the tree
in which the old British Charter Of Con.
nec'icut was secretcd and preserved -
AT this time the trunk of the old Oak
was so large that fire company, of27
full grown men stood up in it together
Mr.. Stuart had stout door made to
shut up tho entrance, and he also pla.
ced lin caps upon the stumps Of broken
limbs, and Tor the past two or three
years. fresh sprouts have grown upon
must OF its limbs, though other limbs
were decaying. At the time Of its fall,
young and old acorns were growing on
every part of it. Thousands are yisi.
ting the.tree, and bringing away sach
sprigs and purto of its limbs as MIR. Stu.
art permits.
Watchman Butler says he stood a, the
head of the street at time of the crash
The wind had been blowing freshly
from the north west for an hour or more.
lie first heard loud crack, and saw
the old oak swaying tn the breeze; a
cracking noise followed, and then The
crash-all within the space of hall a
minuie--and the famous monarch of
the forest, whose history is so Intimately
entwined in that Of Connecticut, was
prostralo upon the earth One thou
sand years ago. when it was in the prime
OF life when its years had been half
numbered, its far reaching branches
had sported in tiercer storms and more
swiit-winged winds. But now since full
two thousand years have smiled and
waned upon its youth, its prime and its
decline, it had become gray and decrep.
1t, but was still tenacious of life; it still
clung to the lovely spot which gave il
birth, by its far reaching roots, running
long way up into the beautiful hill
side, and downward into the sharp cut
below; aye, proudly, tho Oak stood,
seemingly conscious that nature had
marked out for its own accommotion
one OF the most enchanting retreats in
the State, and that destiny had accord.
ed to it a notable and everlasting histor.
ic page in the story Of Conuecticut-on ono
OF Tho patriotic and original thrtoen
States of the Union.
Proudly it had stood, aud when tot.
tering with ago and reduced to a mere
shell of few inches, by the steady in
roads of time itself, it still clung with
fondness to the loYed spo, on which il
had witnessed the decay and downfall
OF many of its associates--the path aud
the bloody wars of the red man, and the
red mans decay--the birth and death
OF generations Of tho white man, whose
axe had cot away its towering comrades
OF the olden time. But whilst proserv.
Jog fair exterior it was inwardly was.
ting away, and was obliged to yield aud
fall in storm far less severe than ma
ny thousands that had preceded it. r..
Before Governor WHY'S came TO A.
merica, he sont his steward forward to
prepare a place for his residence. AZ
he was cutting away the trees upon the
hillside Of the beautiful" WHY'S place"
a deputhtion of Indians came to him.
and requested that he would spare this
old hollow oak. They declared that
II had been the guide Of their ancestors
for centuries. 1t was spared to fall this
day, having finally yielded to the pro.
cess of natural decay. .... D. ..I...
Tho tree measured SO feet in circum.
leraDco at tho bottom; and it has bro.
ken OF so as to leave 8 feet Of stump on,
ono eide and feet on the other-.-the
stump measuring 81 feet 10 circumfo.
renee at its top.
The charter Of Bing Charles II. for
the Colony Of Connecticut, arrived in
Harford, in 1862, probably in the month
September, though the precise time is
not yet known. On tho 9th Of October
IL was publicly read to tho assembled