The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-12
GOSSIP OF A DAY.
Why the Big Dexter ASy-
luIn Wall Was Built.
The Donor Particular as to
Size and Construction.
Brave Providence Sea Captains
Heroic Work of Rescue.

wall which surrounds the entire farm
which contains about forty acres, and
some very curious coniectures are indulg-
ed in as to the reason for the construction
of such a Incorporation from surround
ing streets and property. One gentleman
remarked after gazing at the wall yes
terday afternoon that 1t was probably
built TO keep the inmates within the
asylum boundaries. although II was not
high enough to accomplish that except in
the case of the old or feeble or the very
young. As a matter Of fact, the wall was
constructed in accordance with specllc
provisions OF the will Of the late Ebenezer
knight Dexter, and his purpose seems TO
have been TO provide a home for the poor
of Providence, where they would be Sc
cure from outside espionage, rather than
TO keep them from wandering beyond the
asylum limits.
The thought which the donor OF this
magnificent charitable institution gave to
this matter of a wall is strikingly shown
in his will. The seventeenth clause of that
instrument makes the bequest OF the
Neck Farm, now the asylum farm, TO the
town of Providence on two cond itions,
the first of which is that within five years
after the death OF the testator the town
should erect a building or buildings for
the accommo dation OF the poor and
the second that within 20 years after
Mr.. Dexter's decease IL should erect all
round the exterior lines Of the farm,
leaving suitable passage Why's, a good,
permanent stone wall. Nor did Mr.. Dex-
ter end with that requirement. lie went
further and specified the kind OF wall TO
be erected ana its size. This specification
calls for a wall at least three feet thick
at the bottom and not less than eight feet
high. This was to be placed upon a
foundation made OF small stones and
as thick as the bottom of the wall. More
over, 1t was expressly stated that this
foundation should be sunk two feet be-
low the surface OF the ground.
The freemen OF Providence gladly I'M
dertook to carry out all the conditions
prescribed by the generous public bene-
factor, and a substantial asylum building
was completed and occupied within the
time called for by the will. The building
OF the wall was not entered upon u4til
1881, and il was completed eight years
later. in December, 1889, about 10 years
after Mr.. Dexter's death. Its total length
is 6220Ie feet and in its construction 1910
cords OF stone were used. The cost OF
this improvement, which was paid out
of the city treasury, was S12, 689. 81. That
is the history OF the asylum wall and had
Mr.. Dexter made 10 reference TO 1t in his
will IL is pretty certain that no such sub
~stantial boundaries would now surround
that institution on all sides.
Yesterday the Democratic State Central
Committee appointed a subcommittee TO
tnd out the reason why the authorities at
Washington had sat upon both the Ma
tional and State committees in the mat
ter of the appointment of a United States
marshall; in other words, why Mr.. Drinan
was left in an attitude similar to that
made historic by the Hon. ID. s.. Baker
when he announced himself as relegated
to a permanent position on the State
House steps. Now, about the time the
committee was ''resoluting" the United
States Senate was confirming the eppoint-
ment of Mr.. McCabe as marshal, a fact
which, IL known in time, would prob
ably lead 10 the extension OF the powers
OF the subcommittee 50 as to include an
inquiry as to What the senate meant by
confirming an appointment distasteful TO
those eminent statesmen, Franklin Pierce
Owen, Tom Dorney and Johnnie Conley.
The Gossiper was shown this morning
q letter from a man who was once one of
the prominent sailing masters hailing
from this port, and who only a few years
ago was a member of the local police force,
after having sailed the seas for years and
encountered many dangers. The letter was
written from the Sailors Snug Harbor
Home on staten Island, and the writer was
Capt. w. DeForest Bowers, a native of this
town and, in the days when Providence
had a foreign commerce, a very noted
figure in shipping circles. The Captain
has settled down in this cosy retreat for
veterans of the deep and proposes to spend
bis remaining years there. Very few men
have had a more stirring career than Cap
tain Bowers. A scion of a seafaring and
enterprising house, he took to the ocean
as il by nature. His first voyage was out
of Providence in the bark Arctic, when
he went on a cruise to the Baltic. Later
on he was in that noted clipper ship, the
Comet, under command OF Captain
Gardner, which piled between New York
and San Francisco, while seven years of
his sea service were spent in English and
French ships.
He early developed an aptitude for navi-
cation, and his steadiness in times of
danger soon won recognition and promo
tion. AS TO his bravery, a magnificent
silver spy-glass. presented to him by the
British government in recognition OF his
gallant services in rescuing the crew OF
n sinking brig under peculiarly irving
and discouraging conditions. is a silent
though eloquent reminder. This rescue
at the time attracted great attention both
at home and abroad because of its pecu-
liar features and the sad fate which later
befel some OF the rescuers as well as the
rescued. In 1853 Captain Bowers sailed
from New YORK in the ship Bostonian as
chief mate under Captain Brookman. The
destination OF the ship was London, Eng,
and the greater part of the voyage was
quiet and uneventful. AS the British
coast was approached, however, the
weather became stormy and when the
Rostonian entered the English channel
her officers had not been able 10 take an
observation for several days. The storm
increased i'm fury and mstters began TO
look very dubious especially as no one on
board knew the exact position of the
vessel.
While thus storm-tossed on an unknown
sea signals of distress were heard from n
vessel near az hand which had not been
noticed up to this time. This proved to
be the British brig Ayre of Ooole end
she was on The point OF laundering. Now
although the situation of toe Bostonian
was precarious and uncertain In the ex-
trcme, she was still water tight and