Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-02-06
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meeting IN our ONCE, WHICH we TOOK
the liberty to suggest for the purpose
OF securing safety to our little prop
erty and that of our neighbors. We
supposed that the simple announce
ment of a meeting for that purpose
would have awakened general inter
est and filed our saRctum but, like
our hopes of money from whence its
due, only one single individual put
in an appearance. We felt sad,
grieyed, chagrined, neglected, and a
sense Of disgust for that curious fea-
ture of human nature which moves
men to spend the majority Of their
savings to build comfortable homes,
and to work years, in most instances,
10 acquire neat little habitations, and
then, through gross carelessness, neg
iect to give 8 single thought or care
to their protection from the deVour-
ing element. When we suggested
the formation of fire company,
nearly two miles Of large iron pipe
had been laid with branches reticu-
lating through nearly the whole Will
age, furnished with splendid by
drants at the principal and available
points in the village, all Of which were
supplied hy copioals and powerful
stream of water so that nothing re-
manned but to make provisions for a
hose which could be connected with
the aqueduct at the doors of any one
living in the principal parts of the
village. And yet, with all this op-
portuAity presented, only one single
mans attention could be directed to
making that available for the pro-
lection Of our buildings. But an oc-
casion soon occurred on which a
rousing meeting was got up, to which
tae whole village turned out and in
which they took the intenSest inter
est. But there were serious draw
backs to the proceedings Of the
meeting. A nice little cottage house
was on fire. Its inmates were wild.
~ running to and fro, scarcely say
ing the lives of their children, and
rescuing some of their damaged fur.
niture. All that could be done, was
done quickly, and then great crowd
stood by unable to do anything, but
to look on and see the remaining
portion Of Mr.. Whites buildings
burn down. An old, useless hose
as attached to 6 hydrant, and i'm
r,ediately rent was discovered and
the water poured useless upon the
ground. Fortunately just then the
wind veered round and blew the fire
from the nearest dwellings, until a
determined man broke into a build
ing and procured another piece of
hose, which, when attached to part
of the old one was quite effective,
and was brought TO bear just as the
sparks began to fall in showers upon
two or three other houses, which
nothing but the interposition of Pro-
violence had saved up to that time.
The chance of saving the main part
of Mr. Whites dwelling, with good
hose and an effective organization,
was said by men Of experience to
have been good. It is almost unac,
countable that in any village like
ours, men will be so indifferent in
respect to preparation for fires, and
especially so in this instance when it
was so important that the effective
ness Of our aqueduct ought to have
been illustrated on the first occasion
presented. Insurance agents had
begun to talk favorahly of reducing
or high rates of insurance in view
of this means Of controlling fires, and
notwithstanding this, the first splen
did opportunity we had to test The
efficiency of the aqueduct, was suffer
edeto present most shameful condi
ton Of neglect and carclessness. We
hope this occasion will inspire oul
people to now do what ought to have
been done before, and which when
done will render insurance in most
parts Of our village almost unneces.
sary, or at least greatly reduce our
rates of insurance. We certainly do
not want to be officious in the mat.
ter, especially after the rebuke with
which our call was met, but we SIM
oerely hopo movement will be made
in the right direction Immediately.
The enormous rates paid for insur-
arce demand it. Our duty to pre-.
serve our property requires it. Com
mon prudence and decent regard
for our interests call for it. The