Litchfield enquirer., 1862-02-27
sCpfaI an6 Ganatv agelps.
LITcHFIELDs

zA s Ne have to record chapter of casualties this week, occurring in this village On Monday morning, about H o'clock, bolt of lightnina struck the spire of the Congregational Church, melted of the star above the weather-cock, and descended the lightning rod to within about ten feet of the ground, when the rod broke and the bolt entered the Church upon the south east cor. ner of the building just beneath the east gallery The bolt broke out every pane of glass in the large window upon the corner, upset the stove, | seemed to pass around the stove-pipe, upsettins the stove in the north east corner, thence to the main chimney on the north side, cracking that up through the middle, thence around on the west side of the church, upsetting the other stoves upon that side, shivsring pipe, wood work, beams and things generally, and then out of the house in four places. The organ was un- injured, and the clock licked sn as if nothing wonderful had happened, but the house was fill ed with dense sulphureous smoke, as if his sa- I tanic majesty had paid visit to the Sanctuary and left most unmistakeable tokens of his pre- l sence.
 The most mysterious part of the affair was that the edifce was not set on fire by the bolt, and had it been, from the severe storm that was { raging at the time, its loss would probably have been total, together with possibly some oi the dwelling houses with which it is closely sur rounded: As it is, the loss by damage is per haps from $500 to $500, whether insured, against lightning, or not, we are not informed. Had the disaster occurred at the same hour the day be- fore, Sunday we should have undoubtedly had terrible loss of life to chronicle. We are in- formed the edifce will be ready for re occups- tion on the next Sunday.
 -0n Tuesday morning. about the same hour (114 oclock) a cry of fire was raised, ,.and citi- zens seized their pails and rushed down to the scene of the prospective confagration. The fire was found to be in the house of the Misses Scott on South St., and was first discovered by gen. tleman passing, who observed smoke issuing from the roof of the wing in the rear, and immediate ly gave the alarm. The fire caught from an air. tight stove setting on fire the wood work between the ceiling of second story chamber and the floor of the garret. For full hour the fire was confined to this part of the house, when it seem ed that a few pails of water and well directed efforts could have subdued it but no convenient ces seemed to be at hand, no ladders, no axes, butfew buckets, and TO man scho 6y cool and steady command could have been heard and obeyed. !. The flames gained therefore slowly but surely upon the main building, notwithstanding liberal ap- plication of water, when too late land the gallant exertions of our village people, until the house, with the exception of the wood-house attached to the rear, was totally consumed. All the fur niture was saved, and mostly in a good condi- tion, and was kindly stored by friendly neigh I bors. The loss is estimated at from $l, 200 to | $l, ,500 insured for $1 ,OOO in the Litchfeld Mu tual Ins. Co. The house was one of handsome appearance and substantial character; though between sixty and seventy years old, and was known to old Litch6eld residents as the "Parson Jones house," and was formerly occupied as a young ladies school. It was the second dwelling house only which has been burned in this village within the memory of any man now living-the last one being the "John Adams house" on North St which was burnt, in almost precisely similar circumstances about nineteen years ago l - The want of any proper organization and equipment to guard against fires was painfully evident at the burning of Misses Scott's house on Tuesday. Had there been single hook and lad der company, together with a small supply of fire-buckets in town, that day, the house could have been saved without doubt, and with but very little damage. We trust the people of this borough will now be aroused to a sense of their need, and guard against (so far as they can by timely precsution) similar calamity of thi. kind. truck with ladders, hooks and bucket, could be procured for between $200. and $500, and company formed that would do eficien, and effective work at a fire, without the scene of every body commanding, and no one rendering any real service in the saving of furniture, which we witnessed on Tuesday. We arc glad to call attention to notice for meeting of the citizens ofthe village, in another column, to take these facts into consideration, and we trust there will be large and full meeting on the subject. We cannot afford to wait till the nezs fire. It is well
 to take the lesson from this one.
 l The body of Payne s. Tyrren of this town . private in Co. I, 18th Reg't. c. V. was brough, home by deputation of his comrades on Mon. day of this week, and was buried on Tuesday, He died in New Haven on Saturday, of the typ hold fever-aged about IS. He was bright manly fellow, and his early death is greatly re gretted. .s..-
 = Washington's Birthday was celebrated in this village on Saturday last, by the ringing o the church bells for on hour between l2 NJ. and P. M., and by a large assemblage of citizens o the town of both sexes, which packed the Couri Room in the afternoon. to listen to the reading of Washington's Farewell Address. Dr. H. W Buell. was chosen to preside over themeeting.- The Rev. Mir. Southgate opened the exercises with an appropriate prayer; the address was read by Dr: J. c. Beckwith, and patriotic speech es were made by Rev. MT. Richards, Judge Sev mour, Hon. s. P. Beers, Jas. Richards, Esq, H B. Graves, Esq, E. w. Seymour, Esq, and oth CTS. The Litchfeld Brass Band added also tc the enjoyment of the occasion, as also, did the patriotic troupe of Capt. H. A. Hull (not Hall.) The thunder storm on Monday played many queer pranks in the telegraph office in town