Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-19
City anb County gntclltgtnre.
The Burning of the State Reform School.
RESULT OF THE FIRE INQUEST.

/
Benjamin Boynton, Esq, Trial Justice of
Westboro' on complaint of ]. H. Temple of
birmingham, one of the Trustees of the State
Reform School, yesterday summoned jury,
to hold fire inquest, on the burning of build
ings of the State Reform School, in accordance
with the statute of 1854. The law provides
that "when property is destroyed by fire, and
a complaint within ten days thereafter is SUBJ
scribed and sworn to by some person interest
ed in the property, before the Police Court, or
before Justice of the Peace, where no such
court exists, alleging reasonable grounds for
believing that such fire was caused by design,
such magistrate shall summon jury to inquire
when and by what means the fire originated"
The jury consisted of-John W. Slocomb of
Grafton, foreman; Thomas w. Ward of
Shrewsbury, George c. Davis of Northboro',
Peter Fay of Southboro', t. A. Smith Of West
boro', and G. c. Sanborn of Westboro. They
met at the school building yesterday morning
at nine o'clock, when the examination was
commenced. OF the Board of Trustees, Lieu
tenant Governor Cushman Thomas A. Greene,
Josiah II. Temple Judson S. Brown, Farley
Hammond, and Theodore Lyman (being
all but one-LieutenantG Governor BROWN were
present AT their request and that of the Su-
pertinent, Mr.. Starr, and the magistrate, Mr..
Boynton, the investigation was conducted by
P. Emory Aldrich, Esq, District Attorney.
The witnesses first examined were those ac-
quainted with the construction of the building,
and their testimony, with that of the officers
of the institution, is given below;
c. 0. Longley, sworn.-Resde in Westboro'
Centre ; was often there while the building
was being constructed; the roof was continu-
Gus, there being no fire wall no break the
length of the roof was $50 feet from front to
rear; the whole of the roof was between 400
and 500 feet; all wood and slate the ventila-
tor was made of boards passing in front of
dormitory, lying on the floor of the attic; size
l foot by 2 feet from each dormitory wood
en- pipe led to the ventiator, about inches
wide; were nearly 200 dormitories in each
hall. There was on each side of the center
building in the new part, a brick wall, extend
ing to the roof boards. A fire in any of the
dormitory yentators would extend by main
ventiators all over new part; heard some dis
cussion while the building was being erected
as to the insecurity of building. The con-
tracing foreman said there should be division
walls in roof the ventilators were of pine,
spruce or hemlock; built in 1923; Capt.
Edward Lamb of Worcester was superintend-
ent of the building three wooden doors open
ed from main building to east wing l was at
the fire 80 minutes after the alarm at the vii
lage; the fire had then reached nearly to the
south east corner
Bowers G. Hathaway, sworn-Reside near
V.,-A, N,,%.x e.
carpenter in it; worked on it when erected
new part is of brick, two stories high, except
main part, which was three stories; whole
length of roof of new part six hundred and
fifty feet. Five brick walls run through to
roof and two of them run through the roof
Where the school room connects with the chap
ell, there is door way in attic, but no door,
From the point where the fire originated, to
where it was arrested, is 1856 feet, where
there is no continuous brick wall. When first
heard the alarm, | saw smoke and fire coming
out OF the ventilating chimney, and one place
in the roof; this was O'Clock A. NJ. the boys
had manned the engine The upper tier of
dormitories communicate with the main ven
tlator at two feet distance. In the centre of
ventating chimney was an iron smoke pipe
from the furnace. The main ventator was
under close. There was large water cistern
Is feet in diameter and Is feet in depth in the
yard of the front part, and large cistern i'll
the attic of the new part, which was filled from
the tower in the old part which latter is filled
by torce-pumps from the pond. Two small
cisterns in front of the main building, supplied
with rain from roof; there was a full supply
of necessary ladders on roof and premises.
tifeif been supply of water in front of the
building. A steam pump worked all the
time, firing water to towers on roof of new
part 1t was four hours from commencement
of the fire, before it spread over the whole
building; there was no Place to connect en-
CINE hose to water pipes. The pipe from en-
CINE hose to the Institute was Il inches in
diameter. The boys Institution engine stay
ed the lire at the northwest corner of the
building.
Henry A. Cobb, sworn-Am an overseer
of the domestic department and 3D. depart.
ment which is where bad boys are punished;
have charge of part of the building where the
fire originated; went into that part at $40
A. NJ. and discovered nothing wrong doors
are unlocked soon after bell rings the boys
had left their room before the alarm of fire
was given, which was at 81; little boy uamed
Newcomb told me there was fire in one of the
dormitories in the upper corridor; went to my
room for a pail of water, and Immediately re-
turned to the room and found the straw bed
had been pushed into the ventilator and set on
fire; the ventilator was covered with a cast
iron screen, which was broken off; the OPEN
ing OF the ventilator was inches from the
floor, and or feet from the main yentiator:
there was very little fire or smoke in the dor
mtories; when drew the bedding from the
ventilator, could hear the fire roaring above;
saw nothing combustible but straw this was
about ten minutes after the rooms were I'M
locked; the boy Credan occupied the room;
nypiI,l 10 70 ~. Il
the attic on account of the smoke it was
about 200 feet from the place | attempted to
enter to the place where the fire commenced
went to the yard and had Engine Co. called
the boys company responded with alacrity
dld not sec Credan when he passed out he
was nearly the last to pass out only six could
pass after him think the boy who passed
after him did not enter his room; considered
Credan bad boy he threw a brick at one of
the officers three weeks ago, and badly injured
him in the hand no boy is allowed to have
any matches; think there were no matches
there they could obtain; think Credan was
punished for the act alluded to above; have
never heard from him any threats to fire the
building; have been here 4 years a bed was
nred In that hall year ago, which is the only
| nre recollect; ii the ventilator had not con-
nected with the main building or if it had
been metallic, the building might not have
burned no water is brought to private rooms
in pipes; think there was another very small
lire in old part which was Immediately extn-
guished; Credan escaped from the institution
this summer with some 20 others; he was put
under some restraint for this his general
character is bad; he is not trustworthy.
| Marcus Greenwood, who has charge of the
chair shop, testified that he had seen no match
es about the shop, or known of any being used
| by bows. He had nnrrind atnhna IL, hin nnnt