Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-03-13

REVIEW OF THE WINTER - INCIDENTS OF
THE WEEK.
Boston. March Z. 1873.

Boston, March z, 1878.
Editor Rutland Herald:
And the spring comes slowly up
this way" One is scarcely able to APP
preciate this fact since winter has left
so many traces of his awful reign before
our eyes, while in our ears ''the dirge-
like sounds" he loves so we'll still reyer-
berate. AS yet the advent of the season
of promise presages no favors. The
snow lies many inches in depth upon the
fields and woods, while in the city the
roofs are laden with a similar freight,
and the streets are covered with a dis
astrous coating of ice. The days are
yet gray and cold and the horrors and
"reminiscences of the past season are
close about us.
Since autumn departed and the sum-
mer sun last smiled upon the earth, a
chapter in the worlds history has been
enacted and recorded in our very circle,
which, taking the civilization and en-
lightenment of the age into considera-
ton, would cause the reign of horror and
decay under the Romans, Nero and
Caligula, to pale and fade into the sec
ond rank of misery and crime. To
glance back to the first month of winter
we meet the semi-destruction of our city
by fire, and, in its train, all the crimes
calculated to increase the terrors of such
a calamity; next, the respective plaques
that have fallen upon man and beast
and the various exposes that have proved
that something is rotten in the state, "
and in that state, too, whose officials
should be types and examples of probity
and honor to all the citizens of the re-
public. One of the prominent features
of this list OF calamities, is that of the
inpumerable murders and bare-faced
crimes that have been almost daily, and
so current that the ears of humanity
have become callous while their hearts
are only stirred by the increase in the
painful details of the last outrage over
the preceding. The very elements, too,
seemed to have INDUCED in unwonted
severity, and even the supernatural agen-
cies have been at work Matching up
ghosts or. al all events, very creditable
reports of such irregularities in the course
of nature to scare men into the fear of
their own shadows.
But the dark season has passed and
has left its lessons deeply engraved up
on all hearts. In the first place, the re-
cent confagration in Boston has afford
ed startling exhibition of the futility
and weakness of man in quelling the
ravages of the great element, fire, when
once it has the reins of government in
its own hands; and this very fact has
awakened scientific minds and practical,
as well, to invent and execute the means
of concentrating promptness and unity
Of cxertion in all branches of the fire
department.
Next, the terrible epidemics suffered
by man and his most faithful help-mate
have shown by their lamentable and
certainly unnecessary spread, the faulty
management in executive departments.
However, the remedies are now applied
and pledges given of future vigilance.
The least that can be said of the irregu-
larities in government circles, and of
the individual crimes in private, is, that
almost all are still hanging by the eye
lids and wearying one and all by the laxi-
ty of their management. But lengthy
repinings avail nothing, and each one
must satisfy himself with the vulgarism
that accidents will happen" and too in
numbers commensurate to the magnitude
of the family.
The investigation concerning the
Hanover street fire has reached its third
day. So loud were the reproaches of
the oor popuH upon the architects of the
building destroyed, that the progress of
the inquest is followed with great inter
est. The fearful loss of life by this ca
tastrophe was entirely due to the insta-
bility of the walls, and should such
death-traps exist in other parts of the
city, it is the duty of the officials to de-
stroy them or compel their owners to
take proper means of strengthening
their construction.
The measure is difficult and severe,
but the cause of humanity demands it.
Recent examinations show that Bos
ton possesses 1913 miles of sewers, of
which 10 are constructed of brick and
13 of pipe.
The modern sewers are being built tC
carry off an inch of rainfall in an hour,
which is the maximum fall in this di-
rection The largest outlet in the city
measures eight feet in width by five in
height. The most romantic stories have
been founded by French novelists upon
sights and scenes in the sewers of Paris,
but as vet the cI0acR of Boston have been
extremely dull in incident, and their ut
most exertions yield but health and a
perfect system of drainage for the
citizens.
During the past week most novel de-
scription of masquerade took place at
one of the extensive riding schools of
this city, and consisted of masked ball
upon horseback. The scene was brill
liant and unique, although it was not IN
dulged in by the elite of society.
Novelty is most decidedly the rule or
the day, and the Boston theatre man
agement has done its utmost to place
production answering this description up
on its stage.
The play of the ''Scouts of the Prai-
RE" is about closing its first week.
The drama is from the pen of Ned
Bunting of dime literature renown, and
is performed by the author and two be-
| inps of western creation.
There is no plot, the dialogue is de-
void of any interest or merit and bad
grammar, with heart-rending. lntona-
tons, are INDUCED in, while the drums
of the spectators ears are necessarily
outraged by shlieks, war-whoops and
discharges of blank-cartridges. Words
fail to express the disgust that this dra-