The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1867-10-29

state, or borough, is hardship and an
injustice, whenever laid for the benefit of
individuals. lf the state is under obi
cations 10 an individual that il altogether
II dffrent thing Those obligations
,hould be discharged But if the GEN
erd assembly wishes to encourage any
laudable enterprise, is should do 20 Nv
methods within its legitimate control AMI
not by the infection of fragrant injustice
upon the people. We hope this subject
will b. fully ventilated, and that we
shall have NJ mJre ESP ii ii Ses ion l,s
lsidtion or -nh,rts If ~ mach inrprt incr
10 our ciiizcrs
THE IloosAC Tunnel DISASTER -
From letter in the Springfi Id RcpabEcaa
we gather the following particulars Of the
terrible explosion at the Honsac Tunnel
on Saturday afternoon, oct 10:
A blast had been fred by the foreman
and an assistant. and few moments after
l o'clock on Saturday afternoon, n glrr
of thirteen m"n went down to load the
debris on the buckets, and proceed with
the work. The first bucket had reached
the upper platform. when, from some un
eXulainnhle reason the grsulinl in the
ga>omcirr took fire. and the hAmps spread
with lightning ripidity AMI completely
enveloped the buillin-. which hai been
erected over the month nf The shaft. The
engineer ard others in the blilding we're
coup.l-d To hsr from the fl unrs before
the bucket cnull even he unluaded, and
in less than half an hour the entire struc
tnre fell with II crash. and the LIST hope
oi safety for the unhappy men. five hun.
dred feet in the earth beneath, WAS gone
Half ton of drills and car, an the one
bucket loaded with 'rnken rock standing
on the platform, with burning beams and
timhefs, were thus hurled down the
abvss The majority, it not all, of the
men at the bottom must have been
crushed 10 death. The names Of the vie
tins are Patrick Connolly, who leaves a
wife and six children. James Bennett,
James Fitzgerald. brother of the foreman
Thomas Mnlcare. John Hardness, Thom,s
and Patrick Collins. broth rs. Michael
Whtlen. James C,rvpnouyh, who leaves
II wife and two chllr"n, James Nicer
m'ck and joseph M"ssier, Frenchman
,E b.t
% and 80 years Of age, the Oldest, Pat
rlck Connolly, beipg net much above 40,
and they were generally steady and indus
trious
Since the beginning of the present CON
tractors administration. il seems the
gasoline or naptha gas has nev'r been
used, 'lthnngh it was formerly usrd bv
| the State AM all he ,rks were furnished
with pipe sntahe for It. Lately, light
has been furnished bv kerosene. The
dav before he accident. how yer. n qunn-
ti,y of naptha or gasoline which had been
ordered bv the STATE Commissioners for
the contrac 'ors, sud which had lam in
the depot at Nhrth Adams for several
rs, was carried TO the mountain. AMI
o. Saturday WAS placed in the tanks.
which stood about seventy fre feet from
the bull ling, and was let into the motrr.
~ had been the usual cu,tom. t. gener
gas TOR the EVENING. imma liat"lv before
'hr IRE broke ont, f. Poet, the clerk.
VIII, LAS been AT the shaft for three years
formerly in the employ of the State an !
lafterlv retained by The contractors anil
who is thoroughly aonvrrsant with the
gas and its wurlinI, went with snotha-
man, to examine the meter. "n''ncn ,ba
door of the easing ":,s opened. the uas
'"'h" 'nr me unknown re son fl he'd
..''n an explosion. AMI the two mrn barely
had time 10 r-capr, the head and face nf
nne being somewhat burned rs it was
Whit the cause ~ the rnmhnsiinn. fnr i,
was rather that than IN explosion, was
no one can saw. II miIht have been
caused by leak rge, or nv the acclnul,
ton Of dnmpnes>, in the long dlSuSel
meter, combine with either circumstances.
but II Is plain, however. that II" ppssibk.
wisdom could have f,rescrn or fnrestsllcd
the accidr t. 1t was no new thing that
WAS being tried, M expn-im M, for the
same material had been used there before
for years AMI it was NJ in KID rrienreI
man thai hal the IN maze mt Of I. tor
he had become peri city familiar with its
characteristics by long use in that very
place.