Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-02-24
THE NEWS IN BRIEF.
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION OF FIREWORKS AT
CHESTER, PA.


A terrible FIRE, followed by an explosion
of fireworks, took place at Chester, Pa, last
Friday morning The fire originated in the
old stone building known as the Porter man
sion, having been at one time occupied by
Commodore Porter's ancestors. Part of the
mansion has been used by Professor Jackson,
the pyrotechnist, for some years AS a place for
manufacturing his fireworks The fire de-
partment, although the members were ex-
hausted after spending the entire night in
subduing fire at the Pennsylvania Military
Academy, responded quickly to the alarm,
which sounded about 1870 o'clock. Lines OF
hose were run to the burning building and
the firemen began throwing water on the
flames. large crowd of citizens had gath
cred near the scene to watch the progress of
the fire. Some of the firemen in order to get
u better range on the spreading flames got
upon a small frame shed in the rear. After
about bali an hour Of constant playing on
the building a terrific explosion resulted
Bodies of men were thrown several feet high
The air was filled with rubbish, the ground
thcreabouts being covered with victims. some
killed, some seriously injured. and others
badly hurt The shock was felt throughout
the city Dead bodies Of men lay coled on
the ground, Others labored in the agonies of
d=ath. Many lay insensible of their surround.
ings, and others, scratched and bruised with
their eyes filled with dust and smoke, CROPPED
their way from the scene OF the terrible acct
Mt. People prayed in the open streets. and
the shrieks of the dying were appalling. The
fire was abandoned, aud every body in con-
dition to do 30 turned their attention to allie
waiting the distress. Messengers were sent
for all the physicians in the city and upon
their arrival the houses in the vicinity of the
explosion were converted into hospitals. and
the wounded removed thereto. The dead
number IL up to this time.
The Kings county insane asylum at Flat
bush, l. l.. was damaged $50. 600 BY fire
Tuesday. A man named Scovllle persisted in
the flames and an old paralytic was either
sutfocated by the smoke or died from fright.
-Alocomotiye exploded on Monday in the
round house of the Toledo. Peoria aud Wa
bash Railway at Lafayette, Ind, wrecking
the building and burying fifteen locomotives
in the ruins.
In the Supreme Court at Kingston, r. l.,
on Monday, the long pending divorce case of
Katharine Chase Sprague against William
Sprague, formerly u $. Senator, was settled
by allowing decree of divorce to be issued
giving Mrs Sprague the custody of her three
daughters, the son to remain with the father
Mrs. s. was a daughter of the late Chief Jus.
tice Chase of the U. S Supreme Court
One of the most cold .blooded, atrocious
murders of recent date is that which has lust
come to light at Charlton, Mass. A Young
man named Richardson carried a gun about
for two days awaiting favorable opportuni-
ty to assassinate his father, and while riding
on a sled week ago shot his father in the
back. 1t was at first reported case of acct
dental shooting, but the murderer has con-
fessed. Richardson is an only son and with
his wife and children liv9d with the murdered
man, doing business as a painter in Oxford.