Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-10-23
A Curious. Story from Maine About
tho Fall River Fire.

lecturer, living on the Bank street, who
IS confined to his bed quite feeble, but
still able to converse briefly with the
friends who called. AT this interview
he related TO US remarkable expert
euee-for so we will call it--through
which be passed ON Saturday mos ming,
the 18th ult,, the day upon which the
fire occurred at Fall River, Mass. Mrs.
Fitzgerald had arranged her husband
Tor his morning nap, and left to enter
the stable--in rear of the house and at.
tached thereto. Almost as soon as she
had passed into the building she heard
the cry of " Fire in tones so startling
that she rushed back to the house in the
greatest alarm to hear her husband re-
peat the cry in tones as loud as the frs.
call-all the more startling to her as for
several days he had not spoken above a
whisper, He was evidently greatly ex-
cited, catching at the bed clothes and
attempting to get out of ing he
must have bis clothing. Mrs. Fitzger-
aid asked her husband, What does this
mean
Wife" said Mr.. Fitzgerald, "there
is fire in the factory in Fall River,
Mass, in the upper story, the mule room
| see the sparks flying from the machin-
cry as sparks fly from grind stone when
men are grinding their tools, and the
factory is full of women and children.
| see it all"
Mr.. Fitzgerald remarked that his wife
must tell us the rest, which she did SUBJ
stantially as follows-but in as brief
form as possible, as our only object is to
make plain recital of what we heard
in the course of conversation. Mrs.
Fitzgerald then went on to remark that
her husband all the time was endeavor-
ing to get up from his bed to escape the
hre, saying that it was near to him and
that he must assist tae poor people
close that door into the entry or the wo-
men and children will be burned to
death; an old sailor he could rig bet
ter ladder than that; splice this, splice
that; don't jump from the windows
(this expression often repeated), for it is
only choice of death between fire and
being crushed upon the pavement to
the tiremen, why do you do this and
why do you do that2-see those poor
women and little children filling the
room, and yet the laws of Massachusetts
forbid the employment of children under
certain age. Mrs. Fitzgerald was alone
with her husband, and exerted her ut
most strength to keep him in bed. 1t
seemed to her almost an age, but she
took no note of time. All at once Mr..
Fitzgerald fell back upon the sofa and
said 1t is all over the root is fallen
ID, and those poor people are bcrned."
After that he was completely prostrated,
and Mrs. Fitzgerald for some time feared
that he would not recover from the
shock.
Mr.. Fitzgerald said that he never
thought of looking at his watch but that
he saw the tre in the morning somewh here
from seven to nine o'clock. 1t was not
until Monday that Mrs. Fitzgerald heard
of the fire, and not until Tuesday, 22d,
she got paper conts ining an account
of it. This sh read to her husband
he several times stopped her and told
her what was to come in the newspaper
account, as he had seen it all. Subse-
quently Mr.. Fitzgerald repeated some-
what, and said I" L saw the fire but
could not tell the building, and it must
be factory put up since | was acquaint-
ed with Fall River" He has often lec-
tured there.
Above are the statements as given to
us, and all we YOU ch is a correct tender
ing of them. We offer no explanation,
but it is due to Mr.. Fitzgerald to say
that he disavows all belief in spiritual
istic Manifestation, and finds it marvel
ously strange that such an experience
should befall him. Mrs. Fitzgerald is
equally decided in her belief, and re-
marked to US that the scene in that bed
room had reality enough for her without
thought of seeking an explanation of
its strange features. Mrs. Fitzgerald,
like her husband, lectures upon temper
ance, and both told Us the story free from
excitement, with an evident determina-
ton to avoid every expression thas could
impart to it supernatural air. 1t was
a plain recital of the events of the
morning. To those VI no do not know the
parties we have only to add that they are
entitled to belief as speaking at least
what they hold to be the truth.
Total ECLIPSE OF THE MooS.-In
the night of October 24tb the moon will
be totally eclipsed throughoutthe United
Ia