M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-09-04
5listelantous 5rtitlts.
From the Hartford (COnn. )Timss.l
Fall of the "OId Charter Oak

The famous old Charter Oak OF this city,
so noted in song aud history. fell with
tremendous crash during the great storm at
quarter before one O'Clock this morning, Aug
gust 81. -a.t .f.-
This noble old tree stood upon the beau
tilul grounds Of Hon. Isaac w. Stuart, late
The Wylys' estate, in the southern part o.
The city. About three years ago some boys
built fire in the hollow OF this tree, which
burr out the punk, and though it was feared
that this would kill il such was not the fact.
Fresh sprouts sprung out the next spring,
and MIR. Stuart took great pains TO preserve
this valued relic Of the original forests OF
New England, but more especially interest.
ing as The tree in which the old British Char
ter Of Connecticut was secIeIed aud preser'
we'd. At this time the hollow in the trunk
OF the old oak was so large that fire com.
pany Of twenty. seven iulI'grOwn men stood
up in il together. .go--s.rs5 ia. t..r.- -,
Mr.. Stuart had q stout door made 10 shut
up the entrance, aud he also placed tin caps
upon the stumps Of broken limbs, and for
the past three or four years fresh sprouts have
grown upon most Of its limbs, though other
limbs were decsying, At the time Of its
fall, young and fresh acorns were growing
on every part Of il. Thousands Of people
are visiting the tree, aud bringing away such
springs and parts Of limbs as Mr.. Stuart
permits. .. .-... OIL. ..-.-. ....... -
Watchman Butler says he stood at the
head of the street at the time Oi the crash.
The wind had been blowing freshly from the
northwest for an hour m more. he first
heard a lcud crack, and saw the Old Oak
swayng in the breeze cracking noise
followed, then the craSh-all within tile space
of halt a minute--and tile famous monarch
Of the loIest, whose history is 50 intimately
intwined in that Of Connecticut, was pros
tu,e urur the earlh! One thousand years
ago, wien il was in the prime ol llle--when
lis years were half numbered-its far reach
ing branches had sported III fierCsr storms
and more swilt!winged wlnds. But now,
since iul, two thousand years have smiled
and waned upon its youth, its prime and its
d.cline il had become gray and decTepit,
but still was tenacious vi lie Hs.ih ciuhe
TO the lovely spot which gave 1t birth, by It's
(ar.reaching rUoto, running long way up
inn the beautiful hillside and downward
TO the sharp cut below. Firmly. ay, proudly
the Oak stock, seemingly cOnclOus that ma
ture had marked out tor its own accOulmoda'
tiou one # the most enchanting retreats II
the State. and destiny had accorded TO it
lnu'uble and eyerylasting his'o'y IN the sior.
oil Cunnecticut--one Of the patriotic AM
original thirteen States of the Union
Proudly it had stood, and when totterinl
with aye and reduced to,a mere shell OF !
few inches, BY the steady inroads Of Tim
itself, it still Clung with iondness to tn
loved spot on which it.lad witnessed tn
decay and downfall Of many OF its as
sociates--the path and the bloody wars o
the red man and the red mans decay the bitul
and death Of Of generations oi the white
man, whose ak had cut away It's towerlnl
comrades OF the olden lime. But whil'
preserving a ioir exterior, il was inwardl
washing away, and WIS Obliged TO yield a
thousands that had preceded 1t.
Before Governor Wyllys came to Amerlc'
he sent his steward forward 10 prepare
place for his residence. AS he was cutting
away The trees upon the hillside Of the beau
lilul"WyIlys' Place."a deputatlon OF In
dlans came to him and requested that b
would spare this old hollow Oak. The!
declared that it had '5een the guide Of lhei
ancestors for centuries" 1t was spared, L
fall this day, having finally yielded to tn
process Of natural decay.
Tne tree measured thi;ty-thTee in clrcum
ference at the bottom, and it has broken Ol
so as to leave eight feet OF stump IN one sid
aud six feet on The other-the stump measurn
twenty one feet in circumference at IL
top.