The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-19
The burning OF the vermont Rc-
forr, school

The Montpelier Freeman and journal
come 10 us with fuller particulars of the
destruction of the Vermont reform school
at Waterbury, and with some vivid descrp-
lions of narrow escapes, etc. We have en-
deavored to lay before the readers of The
GLOBE the latest and fullest information
upon this sad disaster. We compile some
additional items from the Montpelier press,
even at the risk Of, in measure, repeating
some incidents heretofore published. After
rccitlng the origin of the fire, which has
been substantially given by us before, 1t is
said
Watcrbury's crack engine, the Seth
Warner" fully manned, was quickly upon
the ground, but the supply of water was
quickly exhausted, and 1t became apparent
that the entire building must be consumed
The principal difficulty in saving prop
eity from the institution was occasioned by
the terrible smoke which filed the entire
building. Before the fire had reached be-
You'd the basement, dense, black cloud of 7
smoke could be seen pouring out of every |
window in the attic, and it is wonderful !
that all the inmates escaped with their |
| lives The stock of coal for the winter had |
|
all consumed. There was also large !
stock Of provisions which had been laid in
for winter store, aud q large quantity Of
clothing for the boys. all of which was
consumed. Nearly every officer and teacher
connected with the school, lost heavily,
| Mr. Buss the overseer, with his wife aud
child, were driven out of the house by the
flames in their night clothes, and had to 90
some distance, to a neighbours before they
could find shelter and additional clothing.
Mrs. $ A. Healey, wife of the assistant
Superintendent, was taken out helpless
from suflocalion. Miss Ellen Morse over
seer of the boys dining room, in the smoke
and darkness CROPPED her way into the hos
pital, on the second floor above the boiler
room, and was about giving up all hopes of
escaping, when she accidentally placed her
hand on sick boys head which rcassur-
ed her, and they managed to get out to-
ge,her. Two Of Mr.. Fairbanks el4As1rn
were also taken ont nearly dead with suffo-
cation.
Mr. and Mrs. Healey lost everything. and
among the articles belonging TO them, which
were destroyed, was very valuable watch
and chain, present to him.
Mr. and Mrs Fairbank lose heavily, in
: Guiding piano, sewing machine and other
!, furniture, and. indeed, all the teachers and
superintendent lose nearly everything
The most exciting escape, perhaps, was
4 that of the boy from Burlington, named
Daniels. 1t was in one of the ''retecting
= rooms" SO called-roOms for solitary con-
=, iinement--wherc he had been put, to cure
him of the habit of running away. On
: being awakened by the gaseous smoke
i which came up through the ventiators, he
took a Stat from his bed, pried out the bars
!, of the door, went into the outer room,
broke the window in the northwestern cor
q ner of the building and went down the pro-
s icctng bricks forming buttress on the
corner. reaching the ground before Tic
~. other boys were fairly in the back yard,
=, and thus being almost the first person out
:. of the building. The incident is described
as follows ny correspondent If the Free
Il man
l., II was run for life. Some we're fortunate
. enough to get hold OF a few articles Of clothing
y but none had time TO dress themselves. q
g course there were no lights. The gas having
~ broke away from It's keepers, was let loose in
= to every part of the building. And the officers
/ cropping In the darkness, barely escaped IL
q their night clothes Watches, jewelry, money
and clothing were left behind. In fact most o
the officers had laid aside their rings, hair, ant
some had taken out their tceth all of which
had to be left behind. They could take ncithe
scrip nor purse. not even one coat apiece, bu
1T hau to rush Into the winter air almost in stat
~ OF nature, at O'Clock Il. In. All this Will
IL young Daniels, the boy at the house top. 4
l. screaming nclp. De Is Ill inc JOurln SIOf'
- from the basement. and in the tumult no on
le hears him. All the doors shut with sprinl
- lock, and only officers have Keys. There IS m
L window opening ON the outside. the awful SUI
,r locating gas is worse than nightmare, am
- his case y ms desperate. The superllt ndon
and his wife are In Boston the assistant ma
III iron, Mrs Ilealey, hearing the alarm, attempt
:" TO find her keys. She cannot lind them In III
n. darkness and her door is locked like the other
and she prisoner, almost sunOcatcd with tn
u gas Her husband was near the boys sleeping
>, hall at the time OF the alarm, ana on hin wa
/ the responsibility OF getting one hundred AM
o. fifty boys out OF the burning building. Ill
wife finds her keys at last, an1,morc dead thai
alive, PUSHES from her room along the cOrrdO
o. towards tie main stairway and falls hclples
~ with scream that was heard b. the ma
re from Burlington, who was liking the gas work
Mt the time 1t exploded, and he carried her 1
his arms to place OF safety. But no one think
IL. OF the boy at The topo the house. All are sur
"- posed to be saved. His cries cannot be hear
d. door of plank, and the choking gas VIII 500
on make escape impossible. In The agony OF dc
" spair he breaks his bedStead in pieces, an
! q; with one of the rails he smnshcS through tn
It. door into the main halt. But IL is now too lat
r. TO go down The stairway, 50 he breaks through
fl, The window where he gets fresh air, and look
u. ~ down upon the frozen ground about nifty fee
v. below. There are no ladders That VIII spa
Sic that height. lie is directly over the plac
IL where the fire commenced. There is no time
NC be lost. 10 leap would be almost certain deaf
IT. But he Is equal to ne situation. Ihe wndo
n inches, and the corner Of the building Is ais
~ finished with similar work, and clngng
iC' lllOSe nc tOuItS uoNl llht S'lull4ti' WIN il
w. clothing except shirt, ana the skin OF HI
or knees worn through and bleeding.
We Here are these officers, mostly ladies', VIII
have lost all their earthly goods and have NJ
m. even wearing apparel. one lady went to III
TX hospital and carried out a sick boy, instead
'" taking her money, all she had IN the world
and In fact this was the case with most
I'd, them. The first care was to get out the boy
M. and they have lost everything. Here is gran
m opportunity for those who would make Chris
So mas presents. G. W. KENNEDY.
tn Waterbury, Dec. nth.