The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-01-02
For the RE6IsTEn
The Great Firc-Their Effect Educa.
tionaiIy.

The great fires Of last Fall ia their ef-
tects on educational interests are noticed
by the National Commissioner of Educa.
tion, Gen. John Eaton In his annual
report he gives summary of the damage
and losses sustained, of which tho follow
ing is the substance in brief.
The sympathy of the whole country
and OF the world has been aroused by the
terrible calamities, caused by the great
lire in Chicago and by the extensive con.
tlagatlons which sweeping over vast
stretches of territory devastated large
p.rtlons of Michigan aud Wisconsin.
Viewed in any aspect this calamity is
appalling, but to the heart Of the educator
it has meaning beyond the destruction
OF shelter, food dclothing and the accumu-
latlons Of wealth. To him the burning
OF the school houses and the libraries and
museums Of art and science, mean the
deprivation of opportunities and inspira.
tlons to the young. lie sees that as the
consequence OF this wholesale destruction
OF the appliances Of education thousands
oi children will be deprived OF the oppor-
tuhities necessary to fit them for the
future responsibilities OF life. In the
losses connected with the destruction o.!
the Chicago Libraries aud collections of
Natural History many volumes and
specimens nave undoubtedly been lost
which it will be difficult if not impossible
to replace. Four OF the twenty-five dis.
trlcts into which Chicago is divided for
school purposes were so completely burn.
ed over that but one house remains stand
ing upon the whole territory Three
other districts have each lost more than
half their dwellings. Indeed the territory
OF what may be equivalent to six dis.
trlct. Is complete waste with not a
school child living upon it. there we're
fourteen school buildings in all, consum.
cd with apparatus furniture and books
amounting to total loss to the city OF
S204 500. Four Of these buildings were
rented and hence their value is not includ.
cd in the estimated loss. With one ex.
ceptlon the buildings were not of the
largest or most valuable, being for the
most part of an old and unapproved style.
More than 1000, children according to
the estimate Of the superintendent, Hon.
Mr.. Pickard, who were in daily fattend-
anre at the schools have been deprived
OF school privileges and if those we're in.
cluded who would nave attended the
schools for a longer or shorter time dur.
ing the year the number would reach at
least 10000.
From Wisconsin the commissioner
learns that in Ocouto County nine school
houses were burned, eight Of which were
at Pesh,igo in which place there were
6l9 scholars Of whom l20 were burned
to death and the rest are now scattered
throughou the state. At Sturgeon Bay
seven school houses were burned and
800 children were deprived of school
privileges. In Michigan 81 school.houses
were destroyed according to the best in
formation to be obtained. The aggregate
loss is estimated at $4,000. besides that
of the building at East Saginaw valued
at s. 800. Thousands of children will
be deprived of school instruction for a
long time to come. This loss will be
lar more apparent at a future day than
1t Is at present. When these children
have become men aud women their efforts
will be crippled perhaps by ignorance.
And this ignorance may in certain sense
be attributed to the losses caused BY the
great fire. 1t should awaken the atten.
ton of all interested to the means of pro.
lection from a similar calamity.