Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-08-15

.upied
Goro', was
: and almost
CIfs in and around
BIN damaged state
5yed, including the east
Zig halls, third department,
FOOL rooms, and the wardrobe
tted with, the school rooms, the
Eehapel, all the shoe shops, sewing
the entire centre building, with the
s kitchen, and the central office, the libra
Y 7, dining and bathing rooms, the chaplain
suite of rooms, and the private rooms OF the
assistant superintendent, teachers, and over
seers. The extent of the conf1agration may
| be conceived, from the fact that the main
| building was 1926 feet in length, and had three
wings extending back, each 200 feet, forming
two hollow squares, the whole covering an
acre and half of ground. The part left
standing between the towers is about 100 by
40 feet
The fire was first discovered at about halt
past five o'clock, A. NJ, in the attic over the
east sleeping hall, where some three hundred
boys slept. 1t was traced by the intense heat
to the dormitory of Daniel Credan of Salem,
lad of sixteen years, who has been at the in
stitution about one year for larceny. 1t Is
supposed that he pushed the straw of his mat
trass, with other combustible materials, through
the ventilator, and set them on fire. This
ventilator connected at the top of the house
with wooden air box, that passed entirely
around the building. The draft of air through
the box was such as to cause the flames to
spread rapidly, accounting for its speedy
appearance at the top of the house. Credan
failed to escape from his room, was i'm
mediately arrested, and placed in irons.
The alarm was first given by one of the boys
who were all up and dressed, and many of
them out of doors. The yigilant officers Of
the institution were Immediately upon the
ground, the engine and force pump belonging
to the institution were put in requisition, and
every hand that could be relied upon was
busy in removing articles of value to places of
safety. The fire, aided by northeast wind
which blew it in both directions, spread with
great rapidity, and the smoke was driven so
fast and far as to prevent near approach to
the flames.
The alarm given by the steam whistle
| on the building was heard and repeated
in Westboro village, about two and half
miles distant, and also in the adjoining towns
of Northboro, Southboro, Marlboro Hopkin-
ton, and in New England Village, in all of
which places the firemen manned their en-
gines, fastened with all possible despatch
to the fire, and worked with great energy to
check its disastrous progress The fire en-
CINE of the Institution, manned by forty of the
boys, did most effectual and noble work, and
all hands gave them the chief credit of saving
that part of the old building which was not
destroyed. Within an hour of the time when
the alarm was given one wing was destroyed,
and the second in flames, when, with the hope
of saving the rest, messenger was despatch
ed to the centre of the .own for powder to blow
up portion of the building not then destroyed
1t became apparent, however, that no means
at hand could save the main building from de-
| strucfion and measures wore odonted IN re
move the boys, five hundred and sixty in mum.
Der, to the barn connected with the State farm,
where they remained till afternoon, under the
care of the Superintendent of the institution,
Mr.. William E. Starr, and his assistants. The
furniture, clothing, stores, and library, were
saved in badly damaged condition. The fire
was wholly suppressed before noon, having, in
that short period, destroyed the finest portion
of the buildings of this most useful and thirty
ing institution.
The buildings were located on an eminence
in the township, on the borders of a beautiful
sheet of water called Chauncey Pond, two
miles west of the village. The buildings were
all connected and so constructed as to enclose
an area for the play ground 1l8 feet long by "a
in width. The external walls of the building
which were of brick, were 160 feet in frontand
in the rear, and 200 feet on each side The
wings were two stories in hight, the centre
building three stories, and two towers five sto
ries high. In the centre building were apart
ments for the Superintendent and family, the
chapel and office, and other rooms, besides
seven solitary dormitories for discipline of re-
fractory inmates.
The evidence against Credan is of the most
convincing character. In addition to the cir
cumstances which first led to his arrest, there
is current report of a conspiracy to burn the
building, which evinces a startling degree of
hardihood and depravity on the part of the
youthful incendiary. 1t is stated that it
was contrary to the rules of the institu-
ton for the boys to have matches, and
that SO strict watch was kept that it was
scarcely possible to procure them that as an
ingenious alternative, the boy Credan, having
determined to fire the building, formed the
plan of filling the ventilator with ccmbustbles,
and Of rubbing sticks upon the floor of his
room till fire was produced by the friction /;
! that several of his associates were admitted to
his confidence, but how far they share in his
guilt cannot now be told that his plan was
carried out according to his original purpose,
and with a degree of success to which the ru-