The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-07-16
ANNALS On BELFAST FOR MALr A CENTURY.
BY AN OLD S ETH i IL
CHAPTER XA. (lS2G-1.)

at the Unitarian Meeting on the 10Th
OF February. An address was delivered
by Hiram .. Alden, Esq, five hundred
copies Of which were printed for distribu-
ton among the Fraternity The officers
were Samuel Tyler, w. NJ. Benz.
Kelley, S. W., Oshea Page, G. W.. Robert
Emery. Treasurer, Simeon Foss, Sec,
Samuel Haynes, s d., j. Z. Quimby, j. d..
Luther Gannett, S. S., Joseph Bray, J. 5.
William Holt, Tyler, Manasseh Sleeper,
Marshal The orator on the occasion is
the sole survivor of the parties most i'm
mediately connected with it.
The first fire Of the year occurred on the
first day OF the same month; at o'clock
in the morning the mercury was at twenty
four degrees below zero Mr. Luther Gan
nett, living on the east side of the river,
during the night preceding became the
happy proprietor Of a large litter of pigs.
10 protect them from the extreme cold a
number OF bricks were heated and placed
in the stye; the straw in it took fire, the
fire was communicated to the barn. the
barn and horse and COW in it We're burn
ed, and there was a way perceptible odor
OF roast pig about the premises.
On the 2lst of June the last number of
the Hancock Gazette and Penobscot Pa
triot issued, it being the completion OF its
sixth volume, and on the 28th it reappear-
ed as the Belfast Gazette.
The anniversary of John the Baptist, the
oath, was celebrated by the Masonic Fra
ternity. Delegations from the several
Lodges in the county were present and
an Address was delivered by Rev. William
A Drew, now of Augusta, who was ut
that time pastor Of the l'nvrrsalist society
in this place
Fourth of july was ushered in with
the usual bell-rnging accompanied by tin
horns and lndla-crackers, and a party, not
large but hilarious, dined at the Eagle
Hotel the other services of the day were
OF rather unique character. At eight
o'clock in the morning q sermon was
preached ut the Methodist Chapel by
| Bishop George of the Methodist Episcopal
Connection. At 10 an Grafton was deliv-
| cred at the Unitarian Westinghouse by
| Mr.. Wales of the Bangor Theological
| Seminary at the conclusion of which q
| contribution was taken in aid of the Amer
| lean Colonization Society. In the after
| noon a sermon was preached at the Con-
| terenco-room.
| There wasa public celebration at Sears
mont which was numerously attended BY
people from this and neighboring towns
| The Declaration of Independence was reat
by Hon. John Wilson, and an Grafton de
livered by Hon. Alfred Johnson, Jr. There
was public dinner and LATTER the clotl
| was removed" the usual exercises followed
There was celebration also at Brooks
| in which many OF our toWnsmen partlclpa
| ted. The Declaration was read by Phinea;
| Ashmun Esq, Grafton by Rev. Jesse Briggs
| There was a dinner, followed by the
regular 49,; the only sentiment volun
| teered possessed the rare merit of origin
ality and savored strongly of the shop
''Enemies to Liberty may they be latherec
with aqua-fortis and shaved with a hand
| saw" Palermo and Montville celebrated
| the afternoon with hail storm which
swept over territory about two miles IL
length and one in width, scattering hail
| stones the size of bullets, and demolishine
most of the window glass within its path
Taking the exercises of the day in thi
section as q whole, there certainly was NJ
| lack of variety.
Immediately following the Fourth came
Cook Kmball from Iiallowell'' and estab
| lshed the first book bindery we ever hat
| here. He was good workman, but there
was little work for him to do; specimens
of his workmanship may be met with oc
| casionally in some OF our old libraries
half bound in sheep with leather corner
was the prevailing style.
During portion Of this year the Steam
er Patent, Captain Cram, was plying be
tween Bath and PASSPORT, touching at thi
| l. @,., ha oct IA
early in June, her last to the West abou
the middle Of November. She came very
near making her last trip for all time on
that day from PASSPORT and left for the
west about eight o'clock in the evening
| with fifty passengers. She had reached :
| point near the Bluff when she came in col
| lision with the steam-brig New York
Capt Harrod, bound hither. One of hen
wheels was smashed, her main mast broE
| en- into three pieces, two OF which fell on
deck, and she was in other points severely
| injured. A number of the passengers We're
on deck at the time of the collision but nc
one seriously injured; some OF them were
knocked overheard, but We're rescued with
out suffering any great detriment from
their involuntary saltwater bath. She was
towed back to her wharf by the New York
which left the next morning for PASSPORT.
A more serious calamity was in store for
her. Early in the evening OF the same day
when about four miles from Petit Menan
Island, she was found to be on fire. All
efforts to extinguish the fire for two hours
were unavailing. 1t continued to make
rapid Roadway and at the expiration of
that time the passengers and crew, be-
tween thirty and forty in all, took to the
boats and made for the island, abandon
ing her to her fate She burned to the
waters edge and sunk in forty tathoms
water She was q staunch boat, had been
recently repaired and refitted, and was on
her first trip for the season.
Funeral obsequies in honor OF EX-rresi-
dents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson,
who died on the fourth of July preceding,
took place here on the 10th OF August. A
procession formed in the vicinity OF the
Conference-room was escorted by the Bel
fast Light Infantry to the Unitarian Meet
ing-house; during its progress minute
The stores and all places Of business were
closed and the flags on the shipping in
the harbor were at half-mast; the interior
Of the church was draped with black. The
exercises consisted of dirge, prayer by
Rev Mr.. rockingham, an original Ode
written for the occasion, and q Eulogv
pronounced by Hon. Alfred johnson Jr.
The brig Monticello OF about 200 tons
burthen, owned by Joel Hills and Co., was
launched on the sth of October; her first
voyage was to the Sabine river. The
schooner Experiment, owned by John II.
Conner and Annis Campbell both residing
here, went ashore at Monhegan on the
18th of November She was stripped and
abandoned by the crew, but after they left
she was got off and lowed into port by the
islanders
At the annual Spring meeting Bohan 7.
Field, Robert Patterson I'd and John Pal
mer We're chosen Selectmen, Nathaniel II.
Bradbury, Clerk, and Thomas Marshall,
Treasurer. At q meeting held the week
following for the election of q Register of
Deeds for Hancock county the whole num-
Der of votes thrown was 253 no choice
was effected At the annual Fall meeting
another trial was had and the number Of
votes thrown was 03O. IN tho ,on rrac