The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-24
INCIDENTS IN THE HISTORY OF WAL
LINGFORD
NO. /.
BY J. Z. Hit,


lingford, which resulted in the death of c.
III. Bissell and his son, and which has given
Wallngford notoriety throughout the
country, has prompted the writer to re-
the same place nearly forty years ago, and
which resulted in the death of three bright
young men, and cast a deep gloom over the
neighborhood, and caused three households
each to mourn the loss of beloved son.
The two calamties are somewhat alike
in their character. They both resulted in
the death of human beings by ire, yet they
were very different in many respects, and
speak Of different eras in our history. In
the one we have the olden time Lighthouse,
with its homely surrounding, in the other
we have the elegant "Wagner car" with
its splendid adornments and trimmings.
In the first We have the scorching and
roasting of flesh, leaving the after time of
suffering and death. In the other we see
only the swift cremation" No bystander
heard even groan or saw one sign- The
friends of the one can remember only their
life and heroic death. The others add to
this the after hours of agony. The cold
fashioned death" was present in both cases
On a cold night the twentieth Of Jan
uary eighteen hundred and thirty-nine
three young men, namely, Abram Cole
aged seventeen, David Remington aged
sixteen and Marcus NJ. Aldrich aged four
teen were attending coal-pt about forty
rods east Of the residence of Seth Aldrich
esq, when they met with the terrible mis-
hap that resulted in their death as we will
proceed to relate.
This coalpit was upon "a rich alluvisl
meadow well adapted to shovelling, where
coal had been burned for long time. This
meadow belonged to Mr.. Aldrich and he
had erected rude Lighthouse about three
rods from the pit. This house was built OF
saw-logs notched and laid up like cob
house, and covered with loose boards for
roof. 1t was twelve feet long by eight
| feet wide, and had a rude stone Fireplace
and chimney in one corner. This log house
was about six rods from the upper barn of
| Mr.. Aldrichs' which is still standing. The
coal-pit was company affair, belonging h.
Seth Aldrich and to Mr.. Onley Cole, who
lived in house which stood fifty rods or
- - ----' 60 .ha presen, residence
of John Ames.
The night Of January twentieth WAS -
day and the cons of the owners of the coal
pit were attending the fires, and David
Remington O tall lad the son of Rufus
Remington, had come over to keep them
company. The home Of this lad was in
house that is still standing in clearing
close under the Green mountains and near
| ly half-mile east of the residence Of Mr..
| Cole. His parental grandfather was JON
athan Remington (unce Jock as he was
called and his maternal grandfather was
Jerathmael Doty, both revolutionary pa
triots. During the day on Sunday young
Cole had carried some twenty or more bum
dies of rye straw and caulked up the sides
of this log house, leaving a plentiful sup
ply spread over the ground that made the
floor OF the cabin. Mr.. Aldrich had at
tended meeting that day at the south vii
lage to hear the Rev. c. L. Hewes preach,
who was then stationed at North Claren-
don; returning with a severe headache,
he allowed his son Marcelus to take his
place at the pit, charging him to be careful
of fire. He had always told him to be
careful and brush all the strsws near the
fire into, and not from the fire.
At midnight young Aldrich came to the
house. and got some apples and some po-
tatoes, telling his father thst David was
with them aud had not been to supper
The potatoes were found in the ashes after
the cabin burned.
At one o'clock (enly one short hour hsv-
ing elapsed the door was burst open by
young Aldrich who cried, 80 father we
are all burned to death" That father
bounded up to witness a scene of horror
that he will never forget, and now though
age and affiiction has bent his form, whit
ened his locks, and dimmed his eyes, yet
| me- eccb luls eiBit as fiNiu 40 hhSh SUI"
it, and although paralysis has crippled his
tongue yet he recouhts the story with won
derful accuracy.
} The boys we're all there, their clothes all
on fire or burned of, their faces blackened
and charred so that their own mother would
not have recognized them.
1t seems that after putting their potatoes
roasting in the ashes. they had all faller
asleep. They had spent the forepart OF
, the night in reading american Bio
J graphpy" book which was then beipl
sold by subscription. and which Mr.. Aid
rich had just bought. They had placed I
bundle of straw, standing against thu
: door, which was not very tight aud which
was at the south end of the cabin as also III,
fire place. ] he windhad blown in enough 4
tip the bundle over and it fell near enough
to the fire 10 ignite, and probably in
very short time the whole inside was in
' blaze. The boys suddenly awakened
: found themselves developed in flame
= Young Remington reached up and re
= moved some pOalus, anu cliuoeu OUT
!. Young Aldrich followed him but fell back
n and was helped out by Remington VIII
: reached down into the fire and drew hir
u forth. The two then ran around to tn
; door to look for Cole who was just craw
c ing out over the fire at the door. They a
q then started for their homes. Remingto
= and Cole started directly north toward
their homes and Aldrich westerly towar
d his. Cole and Remington were so burr
! as to be blinded and finding they could nc
i. see to get home, after going nearly fort
h rods north, they turned towards Aidrch
'e house, guided in their blindness by Ii
ID outcres that young Aldrich made as l
10 wendell his way home in histerrible agon,