Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-12-31
TOwnahend.
THE FIRE ON TUESDAY EVENING.


The building known as the shafter
,,o.o and occupied by Dea. Chas. Willard,
~. burned Tuesday evening. Most Of the
',otents were saved. Considering the sur
..,,rdipqs it must be considered most fort
.r,ie circumstance that the fire was confined
:, tbe house alone, as it was connected with
,Ss barn by a shed, and was also in close
.-oYimity to other houses which, were only
ayed by the most persistent and untring eff
brs of the citizens and the fact that the
,oofs we're covered with snow and that there
ass no wind at the time. Had the circum-
dances been less favorable there must have
been serious confagration, as the means
for controlling a fire in this place are the
most meagre imaginable.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The citizens of Townshend were sudden
u aroused from their usual quiet just before
o'clock Tuesday evening by an alarm of
FIRE. 1t was soon discovered that the house
known as the Shafter place, occupied by @.
H. Willard, was so far under the influence of
the flames as to render all efforts to save the
main building of no avail. Most of the peo-
pie Of the village were soon on hand with
pals of water. Ladders were Immediately
thrown upon the ell part connecting the
house with the barn, the roof of the ell being
already in a blaze. Immediately the roof
was mounted by a number of daring men,
who soon had the roof thrown from the
building aud had control of the fire in that
part of the building, keeping the flames con-
fined to the main building. Fortunately
there was little breeze at the time and the
roofs of the adjoining buildings were covered
with snow. Most of the furniture belonging
Mr ri NI.r !, /, .
belonging to Mrs. Frenyear, which was stored
there during her absence from town. There
was an insurance of $500 on the building in
the Vermont Mutual, but no insurance on
furniture II is hoped that this fire will lead
every family in the village to make thor
ough examination of all their tunnels and
chimneys, and see at once that they are in a
safe condition.
Both religious societies had Christmas
trees on Christmas Eve which were loaded
with 1000 presents, many of them quite ex-
pensive. Mr.. Ooombs, our worthy landlord,
received two beautiful hanging lamps for his
also silver castor from friends
in the Baptist society. With feelings OF
gratitude he will long remember the donors.
Rev. @. J. Switzer's son of West Towns.
bend, who is attending school at the academy,
had his hand badly cut on q circular saw at
the steam mill, by which he had one finger
cut entirely off, and two others badly cut, one
of them through the bone. DR.. Heard
dressed the wound.
The most interesting musical entertain.
ment of the season is in prospect for New Years
evening at Academy hall. The programme
includes college songs and great variety OF
other music.
Principal Boynton intends to visit, dur.
ing the second week in January, the villages
of West Dummerston, Fayetteville, West
Townshend Jamaica and South Londonderry
with Miss Brown, his teacher in elocution, to
hold educational meetings. The exercises
will consist of brief address by himself and
q variety of selections by Miss B.