Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-04-25
Widdlebury.


/ Middlebury, holden at the Town Room,
/ on the evening of the 10Th inst, James
| M. Slade. Sr. was called to the chair,
and L. E. Knapp was appointed Secreta-
ry. The object of the meeting being to
appoint delegates to the State Conven-
ton, to be holden at Bellows Falls, May
| LIST, at which delegates to the Republi-
can National Convention for the nomi-
nation of President and Vice President,
are to be chosen to represent the State
of Vermont, the same was accomplished
! in the appointment of the following
delegates, viz Col. A. s. Tracy, Col.
L. E. Knapp, and Isaac NJ. Trip, with
the following alternates: Justus Cobb,
James M. Slade, Jr., and L. G. Barrows.
I hope every town in our county and
State may be represented in the State
| Convention 80 that Vermont may speak
forth her preference for President and
Vice-P President in the selection of the
best men in the country to WELD the
executive power of the nation for the
next four years with honor to the Office
| and the nation.
| The annual exhibition of the Junior
Glass in Middlebury College takes place
this week, on the evening of the 23rd, at
/ JnG OClOOl I1OuSC 1Idll' II ClONdCd
house is expected, and we hope will be
realized.
The body of the lady who was
drowned last winter in Otter Creek, near
the ''reef bridge" so called, and which
found on the Goth inst. on the land of
Mr.. Sprague, in Waltham.
THE FIRE.
Our village has not yet recovered its
usual quiet, being broken up by the dis
astrous fire on the night of the 18th
April, and which was so well described
| by your correspondent in your Daily of
the 18th. There is a feeling peculiarly
! indescribable that takes possession of
| the soul at the cry of fire. The loss of
! property, loss of business, and perhaps
| of life, all rush into the mind, and for
! the instant bewilders the brain ; but the
reaction soon is developed in the most
| desperate and heroic efforts to stay the
devouring flames. These desperate states
| of mind and actions were clearly deVel-
| oped and herOically carried out in our
| late disastrous and terrible cOnfagratiOn.
/ The fire broke out OccasiOned by the
| bursting of a kerosene lamp in the room
| where fuel was kept to feed the fire I'M
| der the steam boiler, at Z p. m, the hour
when the labOring men were returning
! to their homes to rest after the labOrs OF
the day. The hOmeward steps were
speedily changed, and the weary men
/ Forgetting their WEAKNESS, rushed to the
scene of conflagration, and for hours
forgot all things else, except how the
/ fiery clement should be stayed in its
work of destruction. The blowing of
the whistle, ringing of bells, and the cry
of fire fire. sounding through our viii
lage soon aroused our entire population,
who rushed to the point of interest
some to gaze upon the leaping flames,
and others, more able, to grapple with
the monster who was cOntending so
fearfully and with great power for the
mastery, and stop its onward march in
destruction.
Our engine company, composed of
men bold and true, and fearless of dan
ger, were speedily upon the ground, and
as soon as possible had their machine in
motion, pouring two streams upon the
fire and surrounding buildings. 1t was
soon seen, however, that the paper mill
must burn, and then the great effort was
to save buildings closely contagious, viz
the block of stores, five in number, sep
arated from the raging fire on the east
by only about fifteen feet; the store
house of the Middlebury Wooden Com
pany, about twenty feet distant on the
south, and the door factory of Sweeney
& Burrows, on the north, about thirty
feet 1t was Judged at the time impos-
sible to save the block of stores, and the
crowd proceeded to clear those stores of
their contents. In this work the ladies
(hcavcn bless them) threw their whole
souls and efforts, and soon the stores
were cleared of their contents, which
were removed to places of safety. BY
the time this was done, it became appar-
ent that at this point the flames would
90 no further. Lines were formed to
the creek, and men, women and chill
drcn passed the water keeping the tops
of the stores wet, while the engine play
eel ON the sides Now a new cry arose
the door factory, filled with shaving,
and dry pine lumber, had become :"
thoroughly heated by the flames from
the paper mill, that all at once the south
front was i'm a sheet of flames. 1t seem
ed impossible to save it. But the engine
company, which had previously been
PLAYING one stream of water on a pile
of lumber in the yard which was on
stores and threw the whole force of the
machine on the stream near the door
factory. causing it to shoot with force
sufficient to strike the front of the build
ing and Quenching the flames at once.
Meanwhile, men were on the top and in
side of the factory with pals of water,
prepared to stay the monster in its fur
Their ravages. This being accomplished,
the fire struck brick building, the dry
house west of the paper mill about forty
feet, which was filled with lumber and
doors This was soon in flames, and the
heat. which was most intense, placed
the Star Grist Mills of TicknOr & Good
rich. on the south about forty feet, in
imminent danger But this fearful
emergency was most nobly met by the
citizens. and with the most persistent
fighting you ever saw, it was saved. The
div house, with its entire contents, was
consumed.
In the heat of the contest, news was
given the excited and working crowd.
that the Rutland boys with an engine
were on the way to our relief. You may
well imagine this Chcered our people,
for we knew in them we should find.
full well, men who were used to fighting
the enemy who was seeking our ruin.
The danger was, however, mostly over
before they arrived, but they gave us
the best of evidence of their power and
efficiency in labor, and kindness and
true regard for us in our extremity and
hour of need. Our people will never
forget the Rutland firemen in their
labors and sacrifices for us, this perilous
night of disaster aud flame. "GOd bless
the firemen of Rutland, is the universal
expression of our people, and should
your town be so unfortunate as to re-
quire the services of our engine com
pany, draw your draft at sight and it
shall be hOnored.
Citizens from surrounding towns
came in and extended helping hand in
r,,nrlrinr with our citizens ON orr nnrinn