Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-12-28
LIFE STORY OF A BELL
From Lake Champlain Steamer to
Illinois Church Steeple.
Among the Oldest In the Country ani
Second Only In Interest to the
Liberty ReII, Declares a Dam
vile Paper.

| The Free Press on December Il printed
an article about the bell of the steamer
! Phoenix. which was burned on Lake
thampldn on" night almost century
ago. It was stated thai the bell was ir
Danville, H., and the Commentaries
Of that city, under date Of December o.
tells how the bell happens TO be there,
in the following interesting story:
! Stored away IN a second floor back
hall. like chap roomer, covered with
dust: it's tongue silenccd. there reposes
in the First Presbyterian Church of this
city a bell. which, If not among the old
est in the country Is second only in
interest 20 the Liberty Bell.
For years the bell. in various church
stecples in this city has pealed forth
its call TO the multitude and while many
know something Of it's history; that it
was the first church bell In the city,
that Il swung in the steeple of Danville'.
frs house OF worship. few know that It's
echoes with each peal told the story Of
! Il dire catastrophe of early navigation
The hell was in the small salvage of a
steamer burned on Lake Champlain
nearly century ago.
( ON September T. oicar. moonlight
night in 1919, the steamer Phoenix. Cap
-t'' wv manu- W 'il'l llll III tOIIlIIldll'I
left Burlington. Vt, for the north The
steamer was but four years old was
the second on the lake and was built
under the personal supervision Of Roh-
ert Fulton, the inventor of the steam
boat. whose rude craft moved down the
Hudson in 1907. the first steamboat in
the world. Col Fulton assisted in the
building of The Vermont. the first
steamer on Lake Champaign She was
finished and launched in 1909 and
foundered In 1875. The Phoenix took her
place. The comparatively now boat left
burlington early IN the evening with a
large number of passengers ana $500
for Montreal bank. Colchester reef
was safely passed. All on board had
retired with the exception Of the watch
Just on the stroke of midnight a
tongue Of flame shot through a pantry
window. Fire, Fire, Fire cried tho
wa tch. The clear tones of the fire bell
rang out across the water. sounding an
alarm. The steamer Phoenix was burn
ing in Lake Chdmpain. The Flames
spread rapidly and the thoroughly ter.
rified passengers fled hither and thither
about the burning vessel. while dozens
threw themselves into ;he water in an
effort to escape the lurid sky told those
| In Burlington the tale of disaster Six
! persons were drowned. the remainder
being rescued and the captain was slight
! ly injured in being taken from his boat
| The captain was Richard W. Sherman,
grandfather OF Vice President James s
Sherman. Captain Richard Sherman had
been in charge of the boat for soma
weeks Captain Jehazel Sherman great
grandfather of the vice-president heinz.
i'll. The prov of the Inflated steamer Is,
now in possession of the ice-president a
his home in Utica, y. Y. Until recently
the vice-presdent knew not what be-
came of the bell which sounded the
warning nearly a century ago. He learn
cd through a resident of this city. Davis
c. Moore 31o North Walnut street. a
member OF the Presbyterian Church and
who was asked, if possible to ascertain
the history Of the bell, # being known
that it was among the oldest in the
country
NJ. Moore was possessed of the idea
that the bell was the same one which
sounded the fire alarm on the Phoenix.
He was graduated at the University of
Vermont. Burlington. aud had often
heard the story OF the Inflated vessel.
Mr.. Moore recalled tnat an old mate
! ~
close friend Of the Danvlle man up c
his graduation in lSS. and also while
he was principal Of the Rutland high
school for seven years following stlu
resides in BURLINGTON lie wrote Mr..
Allen and Saturday received a reply Ths
answer verified he information Mr.
Moore had secured in various ways ard
the history of the hell is now complete.
In the salvage Of the Phoenix was !
bell. a casting of the famous Monoelv
He'll Foundry OF Troy. y. Y. Il was
taken to Burlington, alons with the proe
of the vessel The Prov passed into The
possession Of the sherman familv hut
the hell by various transfers fell into the
possession of The New England Con-
grega tiona Home Missionary associat ion.
This in the early POS, perhaps
about 1921. Whatever the exact date
matters little II was shortly before
Father" KinEsbury, a missionary. was
sent into the West to open missions.
Among others he located the DanYilie
mission about 1A42, as nearly as can he
determined. This church alterward be-
came known as the First Presbyterian
Church. II was am old frame structure
and is still standing on South Walnut
street just in the rear of the King block
ne mouse or worship was hOlldcd gratis,
the members of the compensation. and
They were few. donating their ser,i -.
While few of the members were car
penters, the building is perhaps As
stauuch at the present time as any
ordinary wooden building in the city.
The oak sleepers and other timbers are
stll in good shape, though the outside
has been repaired MANY times and buc
few of the weather strips originally
placed there still remain. one of tho
windows, from which the Nass has been
broken these many years. sun stands
forth prominently al the front of the
building. while there is another in tho
rear The steople was long ago torn
away and the building converted into A
dwellinS though now it is used only for
storage.
When the second structure was erect
ed, the bell was moved and when the
present stone church, with clock in the
steeple, was bulk. the bell with its
heavy frame work, was removed 10 Il
chapel which was opened in Stony Creek
bottoms. The chapel was called ''Kings-
bury in honor of the missionary who
founded the first church here Kings
bury avenue, the road which led past the
chapel was named when IL became
necessary 10 find a name for il. The
bell was returned TO the First Church
and mas since been stored in the second
floor back hall