The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-03-13
THE BOSTON DISASTER.
The Sad Death of Rev. w. A. Start.

Inc Sau Deatn OF REV. w. "A. start.
The papers of Friday, March 5, coz
tanned particulars of disaster in Bos-
ton on the previous day. caused by an
explosion of gas, at the intersection of
fremont and Boylston streets, one of
busiest corners in the city. resulting in
the death of six persons, and nearly
threescore more or less seriously NAMED.
1t is altogether one Of the most serious
disasters that has occurred in the city
for many years. The accident occurred
about II As in the fore noon of Thursday
March 4th. Gas escaping from six
inch main, lying on the top of the sub.
way, now in process of construction in
that quarter of the city, became ignited
in some mysterious manner, possibly by
a spark from an electric car, and the re-
suit was the disaster in which loss of
life and destruction of property were
so serious.
Among the victims of the explosion,
was REV. WILLIAM A. START, bursar Of
Tufts College. and widely known
clergyman of our church. The force of
the explosion met Mr.. Start as he was
passing on the sidewalk opposite the
scene of the disaster, and he was found
dead few minutes afterward, the body
not disfgured, death resulting un-
doubtedly from the conclusion.
1t is stated that Mr.. Start, as bursar
Of the college. was in the habit of going
to the medical school of Tufts College
in Copley Square, every Tuesday and
Thursday, and he was probably re-
turning from that school to take the
train to his home in Medford when the
fatal accident occurred.
This is one OF the saddest bereave.
ments which our church has been called
to suffer in recent years. 1t reminds us
once again most forcibly that "in the
midst of life we are in DEATH 1t takes
from our fraternity in terribly sudden
and tragic manner, one whom was highly
esteemed and honored. 1t is very sad
event that this brother minister and
faithful worker in our church, should
pass from earth under these distressing
circumstances. The shock to his fam
lily and friends was terrible in it's sud
denness, and the accident has cast a
gloom over the circles in which Bro.
Start was so well known. The sympa-
thy of hundreds of friends will go out
t the family bereaved in this terrible
m inner.
We transfer to our columns the fol-
lowing dispatch from Mr.. Starts home,
10 which his honorable career in our
in our church is outlined:
MEDFoRD, March 4.-Tbe news of the
death of Rev. William A. Start, of Tufts
college, came with overwhelming force to
his family and friends at College Hill this
afternoon, and it was impossible at first
to realize that terrible accident had
taken from the midst of college affairs
one who in his capacity of bursar was a ia
miliar figure about the hill.
William Augustus Start was native of
Maine, born in Camden, March /, 1887
He received his early education in his ma
tive town and having prepared for college
entered Tufts in the fall of 1858 and was
graduated four years later in the class of
62, receiving the degree of bachelor of
arts. In 1865 Tufts conferred upon him the
degree of master of arts.
During his college course he was an ac-
tive and loyal member of the Theta Delta
Chi fraternity. When the civil war
broke out, young Start fresh from college,
enlisted and afterward became chaplain of
a Massachusetts regiment.
Mr.. Start studied for the Universalist
ministry, and at the close of the war took
up his profession and occupied the pulpits
of the Universalist churches in North
Cambridge, New Haven, Marlboro and
Melrose. Recently he has been preaching
at Mansfield, Mass, where he has been
having much success in building the small
parish. This work has been done besides
his rather arduous duties as bursar of
Tufts.
In 1876 he was elected Secretary of the
Massachusetts Universalist Convention,
and held that Office until 1894, a long period
of IS years, during which time he formed
a large circle of friends throughout New
England, and he had always been one of
the most prominent men connected with
the Universalist denomination.
In 1894 Mr.. Start resigned from the office
of Secretary and accepted the position of
bursar of Tufts College, which was offered
to him by the trustees, and was doubtless
engaged in the duties of that office when
he met his death. He had recently taken
a great deal of interest in the United
States life saving service, and had pre-
pairing an illustrated lecture on the meth
DDS by which that system is carried on.
He had visited many of the life saving
stations, and had personally collected
most of the material for his lecture. He
had given this lecture with good success
in several of the neighboring cities.
In the year 1862 Mr.. Start married Miss