The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-03-08
AN ATLANTIS OF THE NORTH
Story of Disaster That Overlook the
Town of Benninaton

] The modern world has its catasro-
phies no less tragic than those of
earlier days. The traveller rests his
weary frame upon mass of stone at
Pompeii and muses. upon the ruin set
before him, shudders perhaps as he
thinks of that mass of lava, fire and
ashes which swept down upon that
ancient C ty and buried everything be-
meath them, buried them TO remain hid
den and unseen for many years uneil
the energy of modern science should
disclose this old t-agedy to wonder
ing world.
Or perhaps the traveller wanders
among the ruins of Carthage or
watches the excavations at Babylon or
contemplates the ruined Roman for
ums and ampitheatres of the continent
and England. The powers of destruc-
tion of those other days enthrall him,
he thinks OF Atlantis, lost beneath the
waves fo.ever. OF the bur cd cities of
Yucatan, of the dead cities of the
Asetcs and the Incas, Of towns des-
troyed by flood, earthquake and fire;
and then for consolation he thinks
upon the well-ordered days of his own
time, of the conveniences and accom-
modations, of miracles of present day
science and invention, of the trains
and the theatres, the tunnels and sub
ways, the comfortable houses. and he
,congratuiates himself and his cont
emporaries that the rigors of Nature
have been owe come.
But alas he dece,yes himself, for in
spite of science, invention and organ.
ization, Nature changes not; her sway
is still supreme. The tranquil thoughts
of the traveller would be disturbed did
he but recall amid those scenes of
other days. the pitiful story of the
town of Bennington, which so long
touched the heart OF sympathetic
world
ln the the summer of 1919 this pros.
lperous little town had no more pre-.
monition of its fate than lost Attain
tis or buried Pompeii. It's people went
TO and from their daily tasks with the
| light optimism of the ayerange Ameri-
can of those days. The sun shone,
the birds sang, the factory wheels
made mistakes, the BARRIERS talked,
spun. the gossips buzzed, the Banner
the lawyers lied, everything was nor
al. II the unrelenting future has as
signed this town to its fate, no shad-
ow f.om it fell across the streets. No
intimation was given H. no opportuni-
ty to avoid the impending stroke.
Sodom and Gomorrha had their
chance and could have escaped des-
truction had they been able to pro-
duce required number of virtuous
citizens, but no such mercy was shown
to little Bennington, always famous
for its many virtuous men. 1t went
on without warning, innocent and un.
Isuspecting.
In the autumn of 1919 there was
| still no thought of impending evil;
like Pompeii and Atlantis, and Lisbon
before the earthquake, all was serene.
The autumn passed and early winter
came; still no hint of imminent des-
truction, but soon the snow began to
fall and even then the people of this
unfortunate town looked on with eyes
that saw not with minds to which the
thought of danger could not penetrate.
And then more snow came, and more
and more, until at last a few began to
realize the situation; and gradually
through the winding streets there
came somb-e whisper-it grew and
grew, as the cloud of smoke above
Aetna grew ages agone. I'VE must
get away before it is too late." That
was the whisper that grew to a shout
and then to tumult
Then came the wild dash for safe
/ ty, but it was too late; they had wait
ed too long and too long had passed
unheeded the portens from the skies,
even as the citizens of Herculaneum
had watched unmoved the p liar of fire
above them. Then those in the doom
ed town sank into despair, but occas
ionally stark panic seized upon one
of them or a group of them and
there followed mad dash against the
walls of snow that surrounded them
mad effo.t from which they fell back
exhausted, as Morrowbie Juke fell
back into the crater of the Dead thai
did not die. Efforts at rescue were
made but without avail A specia
sess on of the Vermont Assembly was
agitated that relief might be supplied
but the Governor refused to call {