Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-01-04
DEATH OF SAMUEL POWERS.

DEATH OF SAMl Ell POW ERS.
Samuel Powers died Thursday evening,
December 26, at his humble home in this
village, aged n years and 9 months.
Mere mention has been made that he was
terribly burned and not expected to live.
His person, his character, his life and his
terrible death, make his case one Of pecul-
lar interest. In person he was dwarfed in
stature, deformed, and lacking regular
palate, so it was difficult to understand his
conversation, he became morose, suspicious
Of his friends, and exceedingly sensitive.
He was almost hermit, having lived
entirely alone in his harnessmaker's shop
for a great many years. He was fairly
well educated and read quite extensively
till his sight failed. He possessed excel
lent good sense, strict integrity and self
reliance. Under his rough exterior he car
ried good honest heart, fund of quick
wit, and apt expression Of approval or dis
approval. Some years ago he drank to
eXCcSS, WHICH,, Will IIc lLlIHHuleS VI aye,
had wrecked him physically and mentally.
He would get SO bewildered as to become
entirely lost in his own door-yard or even
in his room where he had lived so many
years. If he got out of doors he would
often wander till he found some house and
would wake the inmates up i'll the night to
ask who lived there, where he was, and
the way home. 1t was with extreme diff
Guilty that he could hobble about.s Still he
wouldn't have any help. He was nearly
blind at times so he could not work, and
he was worried because he could not earn
anything but was continually spending his
earnings he had saved up. His food was
improperly cooked and not well chosen;
his clothing was sometimes poor and filthy.
No one could speak an i'll word of him
except about his drinking, which he had
very seldom done lately. A week ago last
Wednesday evening the neighbors heard
Mr.. Powers screaming Fire Fire "
Looking towards his house he was seen in
his front entry, his clothing all on fire, his
white hair standing out straight, his face
glaring with horror, wildly swinging his
arms about his head, shrieking in mortal
agony, and the whole entry seething
oven of flame. He was literally burning
alive. A human realistic picture of the
Internal regions Miss Gertie Davis, liv-
ing opposite, was the first to reach the
burning man and attempted to drag him
out of the fire to roll him in the snow As
she was not strong enough she ran back
to alarm Hermon Webster, and returning
she again tried to drag him out and began
spatting and rubbing the blazing clothing
until she nearly extinguished the blaze
She dared not attempt to enter the build
ing for fear of setting her.clothing on fire.
There was no loose snow to be had and
her hands were already burned to dozen
big blisters. Webster, thinking the build
ing was all on fire, stopped to pump pail
of water, and rushing over dashed it over
Mr.. Powers, extinguishing his still smoul-
dering clothing and the remnant of burn
ing oil on the floor. The building did not
take fire. We only know that really moth
ing burned but Mr.. Powers arm and body
and clothing, that a kerosene lamp was
broken and was kicked out of doors, that
the entry seemed full of flame and that one
stove door was off and lay on the floor and
two griddles were tipped over back on tor
of the stove and the shop was filled with
smoke; and we understand that Sam says
he took the griddles off to fix the fire anG
that he fell with the lamp. There are sew
eral mysteries that can meyer be explained
Why did he take off the stove door and
tip the griddles over bottom side up? How
did his clothes take fire, from the stove
from the lamp tipping, or from burning
loil? And how could he get oil on his arm
and back only? And how could so mucl
oil burn off the floor and not burn the
floor? Many such questions cannot be
answered. The skin came off his arm
with his clothing, but on his back it burned
down hard and so deep that it did moi
seem to be sensitive. Everything possible
was done for the poor man and he seemed
to suffer but little. and at the last failed
rapidly His funeral was held in the Con
gregational church. Mr.. Stewart spok,
some very well chosen words. Mr.. Pow
ers was buried here. He leaves one age,
and infirm sister, living in Vermont, an,