Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-08-09
The Lightning'S Work.
The Stamford Dfsa OF Brow
Excitement at a Funeral.

The Stamford Dfsaster-Death OF Brown
Excitement at Funeral.
William Brown, who was badly burned |
while attempting to rescue property out of |
the burning Presbyterian church at Stamford |
Monday, died yesterday morning at 5 o'clock.
A funeral procession left Greenwich Mon
day morning for Armonk, N. Y, a distance
of twelve miles. In the afternoon the fu-
neral services were held in the Presbyterian
church. The services were just completed
when heavy thunder storm came up from
the northwest. Suddenly there was blaze
of light and a terrific peal of thunder. The
storm was upon them before they were aware
of its approach. The congregation we're
startled to such an extent that there was
great connection in the church ladies faint
ed, and all were greatly excited. and rush
was made for the door of the church. Out
side the rain was pouring down almost in
streams. The horses that were hitched about
seemed frightened, for they reared and trem-
bled with fear. The lightning had struck a
barn belonging to Mr. Hopkins, near by,
and at the time Frank Moshier, Edward Van
Glider and William Sniffen of this place
were Harvesting the horses which had drawn
| the funeral carriages here. Mr.. Moshier
stood between two horses, and was
knocked senseless, and one of the horses was
| killed. When he recovered he found Van
Glider and Sniffen senseless, and Immediate
| ly pulled them out. Van Glider was appar-
| emily dead, but he recovered afterward. The
barn was on fire at the time, but all the
| horses and carriages were saved. Two young
| men named Alderman and Briggs, who had
| taken shelter in the cellar of the barn, were
| killed.
| The Colored Man Brown the Victim of
| the Stamford Fire-Hts Strength and
Prowess.
| While the church spire at Stamford was
burning the books of the PASTORS library
were removed safely to the east gallery and
| when it became apparent that the church
must go men passed the books down from
the gallery to others below and part of
them were passed to the lecture room. At
this moment the bell crushed down, and this
| was shortly followed by the fall of section
of the main ceiling about five feet square in
the southwest corner. The two men on the
east gallery climbed down on the pillars. One
of them was helped down by William Brown,
the colored man who was fatally injured
afterwards Some twenty or thirty volumes
were left in the gallery, but a large number
of those carried out appear to have been dam.
aged and scattered
| About a dozen persons continued their ex-
ertIons to save the movable property in the
body of the church. All or nearly all of the
cushions were brought out and saved, and
nearly all the books, etc from the seats
Even. the carpets in the west aisle were taker
| up and brought out and was while endeavor
ing to pull up the carpet in the east side that {
section of the burning ceiling fell upor
William Brown.
He was knocked down and partly covered
by the burning debris. Brown, at every
| conscious moment before he died, continued
to assert that there was somebody else in thu
church and under the ruins. Up to yester
Brown was attended by two physicians. Hi
back and legs were burned so that the fesl
would come off with a touch. Hair wa
burned off, and his ears turned to crisp
His hands also were SO badly burnes
that the skin and even the nails cam
, of like glove The terrible natur
of his injuries seems to have rendered hin
incapable of physical suffering, and he lin
gered along in an unconscious or semi con
scious condition until after midnight, whel
he breathed his last. He was thirty. six year
of age man of great physical strength
built like an athlete, and on many occasion
has been known to perform deeds of daring
, Once he stopped runaway team of horse
3 | in full career, by the strength of his singl
arm, and thereby probably saved the lives o
some ladies who were in the carriage. FL
had many good qualities, and has often bee
called the 'whitest" colored man among a.
= his usual associates. He was generally en-
ployed as hickman, and leaves a family i
poor circumstances Bailiff Daskam yestel
day collected some money for Browns moth
/ | er, who is in destitute circumstances.