Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-12-16
The Reform School Burned.

ton from the legislature. 1t was sub
stantial brick structure. having an entire
front of 125 feet. The middle portion,
four stories high, was 40 feet 'front.' with u
depth of % feet; and the wings ::were 40
feet front, each, and Is feet deep. Two
=" Is ran back so or 90 feet from the
wings, and in them were the work shops.
The cost Of the building was $47 $780, and
within two wears, repairs and some things
added, have brought it up to about $50, 900.
There was an insurance of $4,000, dis
tributed as follows: Vermont Mutual,
$500; -Etna, $1,000; Royal (English),
$1,000; Westminster. $500; Millville,
$500; North America. 300, and Wind
sor County Mutual, 81, 800.
Friday. Superintendent w. G.. Fairbank
and Mrs. Fairbank were temporarily alb
sent in Massachusetts. There had been
some leakage in the gas works Of the
school, which were located in :. corner
basement room, where the gas was made
from crude petroleum, and held i'll Il gas
omcter. Mr. Farhank had therefore en-
ploycd a competent gas man from Bur
lington to come and stop the leak. The
workman came, and laborcl Friday night
with two of the boys to help him. To re-
pair the leak, it WAS necessary to raise the
9asomctcr to full height, and thus there
was 4 large quantity of gas in it. The gas
omctcrS weight was also purity balanced
by large weights attached to wired ropes
winch run over pulley>. \ little before
three o'clock Saturday morning, the leak
was stopped and the workman was through
with his job, rs he supposed, except dis
charging Il portion of the gas used to raise
the glsometer. The pipe by which the
easometer was filled, and by which it WAS
to be di>charged,w open, we understand,
ready to attach the discharging pipe,
Just ri this time 4 wired rope. to which
WAS attached u 100 pound weight, broke
and the . Isometcr of course 1T once pressed
down upon the gas with sufficient force to
drive it olt of the pipe.
It caught fire at the furnaces, and the
a brief attempt t. put out the flames, he
discovered that safety required him to put
himself ont instead and he and the two
BOYS of course left The Gas was pressed
ont and found its way to all the rooms
with speed.
The boys, numbering aboHt 80, We're
asleep in their dormitory, i'll the second
story At the alarm, they arose, dressed.
and were marched by the officers in charge
down to the gymnasium. This was soon
uninh,,bitablc, and they We're taken to the
back yard. Arriving here, their teacher
ana the assistant superintendent, Mr.. NJ.
G. IIcalrv. told them he should expect
them to act like men, and not 10 run away
that lie must put them on their honor, foI
he must 20 back into the building. The
bows said. Well stick to vou. Mr.. llca-
ley. and they kept to their word. He
soon found il useless to attempt entering
the building. ana then formed the bows on
parade and mlrchcd them thrrc-qulrter>
of Il mile to the Waterbury Hotel Not
one Of tn. boys attempted II run away.
The engines We're soon on the ground, bat
could get no water ut first. This. however.
dill not change the result a from the pc
cular nature Of the accident. a good sup
ply of water would have done little good.
There WAS Il large crowd of spectators soon
on the ground. bat they could do nothin =
bIt look on. A CRY was raised that there
WAS Il boy in the third story. but it was
soon known that he had escaped. \ cor
respondent elsewhere gives an account Of
the experience of this boy Daniels. who
wa, sent to the school from Burlington,
and certainly exhibited Il pluck that If
rightly lirectc, by him will enable him to
make his way in the world successfully.
The fire began about three o'clock, \
NJ, and it WAS ABOUT five when the walls
fell in together with a crash. The heat
current of air from all sides, and the
fumes went straight up. thus continuing
themselves to the building.
The officers of the building escaped with
their lives and night-clothe> Nothing
was saved except human life and Il few
garments. Mrs. IIeaIey was almost sut1o-
Gated and finding She coull not escape,
screamed before falling to the floor. Her
screams were heard. bat one or two men
trying to reach her We're driven back by
the gas At length some one reached her
and carried her out Several of the Off
GERS must have lost heavily by the fire.
Governor Peck and Trustees Dillingham;
and Atwood were on the ground Saturday
! in consultation rs to what is to be done
One thing is sure. Vermont for her OWL
good must ut once rebuild this school
Good morals and humanity require it
Great numbers of boys are saved to them
selves from living criminal lives bv re
formatory measures. The pockets of The
people require it, for, however great the
INN ediate cost may be, it is not only true
that Ian ounce of prevention is worth :
pound of cure but that it costs very mucl
less. Because of the good Of heading of
boys from u criminal life, and startine
them in a better course, both rs regards
the morals and finances ofthe community
are we glad that the present legislature has
seen, rs it did last fall. the efficiency of thu
Waterbury School. The COOL work whcl
Mr.. Fairbank has Pit in there, sets the
brake against any retrograde moyemen
of the state in Il matter second in impor
lance only to the education of the multi
tudc of our children in the common
schools.
MI Fairbank, on returning, presented
plan for the temporary accommodation Q
the boys in the work shop which is -