Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-11-17
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

LOCAL u II n NJlJ.
LECTURES FOR THE SEAsoN.-We nre happy to
learn that arrangements have been made for securing
to the people of Brattleboro and its vicinity
of six lectures from of the first lecturers of the
country. They arc to commence soon
SERIOUS ACCIDENTAL part of large freight train
which was moved by two locomotives, one in front and
one behind, was thrown off the track Charles
town, n. IT,, ut about o'clock A. NJ. Sunday morn
ing last and the conductor, Mr.. Ball, was killed.
Fourteen cars heavily laden were more or less brok
en-, and their lading was ruined. Among them
several filed with grain destined for this place. The
cause of the accident is supposed to be due to the
breaking of wheel.
Run AWAY. Mr.. RICHARDSON Of Gulford was
run away with by his horse while riding in carriage
near the bridge in this village Tuesday last, and
was considerably hurt. Cause-slippng Of the thill
through the thill-strap.
On the same day the horse of Mr.. DARsrow took
fright ut a roller the roadside, ran away with the
wagon to which he was attached threw the body from
the wheels and come into the village where he was
caught. Not much damage done except to the wagon.
a Mr.. RICHMOND also met with a similar accident
the same day; and was thrown from his wagon.
| HrIr THE NEEDY We have upon our table an
APPEAL ron HELP for the DESTITUTE IN KANSAS
1t comes from a committee of six persons of Kansas,
and is endorsed by twenty-seven gentlemen Of the
first standing in Boston, Massachusetts among whom
are governor Banks, lion. Amos A. Lawrence, Arson
Burlngame, Henry Wilson and fourteen members of
the clergy. DR.. Thomas II. Webb, No. Winter
street, Boston, is the person to whom they request
I Al.
will do. The appeal from Kansas is one of the most
urgent that has been made from starving COM
muny The accumulation of evils that has come
upon the territory all Mt once, from political and nan
cal difficulties well as from the fimnc, is over
whelmng and appalling. The concluding paragraph
of the appeal runs follows;
ave, therefore, in behalf Of our starving country
men, appeal TO the benevolent throughout the nation.
Christian friends, ask you to initiate the example
of apostolic times, and help your needy biethrcn-
Brother man, we reach out to you in this extremity
and implorc relief
a NOVEMBER THUNDER SroHM.-We heard but
two clnps Of thunder ON the 9th of November; and
at one Of these the pine tree was struck near Mr.
LUTHER YIELDS which mentioned in the last
Phoear The tree some seventy or eighty feet in
height and about two feet in diameter; and it stood
among glimpse Of other similar trees on the right
bank Of and some fifty yards from, West River.
Northward from the tree, and ut the distance Of n
quarter of mile, steep hill covered with pines
The tree was in fact in deep valley, the country
rising away above it either side and presenting
more elevated objects than Itself to the anger of the
clouds.
The clouds came from the Southwest although
they cleared up after the thunder cnps occurred
from the northwest
The top of the tree twenty to thirty feet in length.
was broken square off by the shock, and the Trunk
below torn into hundreds of fragments. rs if it
had been burst asuudcr from mn internal explosion.
These fragments varied in size from small sp,crs IN
to pieces ten, twenty and thirty feet in length; and
they generally lay pointing outward, and strcwing the
ground in every direction, covering circular space
whose diameter from fifty to sixty yarl,. The
top Of the tree when severed from the trunk fell YER
ticaly downwarls and remained in an upright position
leaning against the spntcrel stump. Its leaves
seemed to stare upwards, though thi, appearance
might not be unnatural. The fragments of the trunk
retained their bark and of the large one, their
branches.
The lightning, on reaching the ground. followed off
two roots in opposite directions one leading to the cas-.
and the other to the west SCATTERING them into threads
them.
Two other large, tall pine trees IN noni,.re,t
direction from the tree struck, about eight and
the other sixteen PAGES from it, appeared to have been
struck at the same time. The fluid entered the bark
of the nearer one at point about fifty feet above the
ground, descended along the trunk three or four feet
then passed to small hemlock close by it. and ran
down its exterior to the ground, leaving traces Of its
nrOorpss uuOn the bark Tho ,r,s s,-,ct
Mt point about forty feet above the ground, nj large
dry limb and the fluid laid open groove in the bark
following the half spiral twist Of the grain of the tree
to the ground This groove was some two or three
inches wide in the outer bark, and ihrcd quarters Of
an inch wide in the inner bark. isma line or stripe
Of this inner bark through the middle Of the small
err groove all the wnv r the could trace the
trunk on both sides Of being laid perfectly bare No
other in the neiehborhood appeared have been
scatled marked, except by the flying fragments of
the tree struck although there were several pretty
tall oncs-maple, chesnut and Notwithstanding close
by. \ grander, or more sudden violent and impress
sivc display of power it has been our fortune
to witness.
a MANA democrat-who was coming to the viii
age to vote and who saw the tree soon after it was
thus shivered, declared with much emphasize en-
thusinsm that it omen OF Lincolns election
"Well," said he, "it is all up with us now Old Abe
will get it, for he is round here splitting rails" Sure
it is that timber is not split in this way at every pres
dential election of the United States.
LYCEUMs-TheIe is no intellectual entertainment
Of higher order than that which is furnished at our
town Iyceums during the long winter evenings. tis
somewhat remarkable that Brattcboro is deficient in
this respect; though the deficiency is perhaps made
up by lectures.
At the Lyceum Of Vernon several interesting pa
per' have been recently read, among which was an
able address by Mr. SAMUEL L. PARSONS of that town,
the concluding part Of which think of sufficient
genernl interest to be renrodnceA in the cnllls Of