Year: 1867




From tRe Prescott &C. W. Telegraph.


One of the most awful calamities that ever
happened In this section of Canada occurred on
the 10Th of July, in the township of Augusta,
whereby the vile of an old pensiouer named
Lavery and four little children were burned
literally to ashes. The Lavery family, consist
ing OF the father, who is an old man of seventy
years, his wife and five children, occupied a log
house sixteen feet square, built against bank,
John, the eldest OF the children, about seven
teen years OF age, had been for some time past
working for his uncle some distance away, but
on that fatal night had returned home. As soon
as he arrived at rather late hour his mother
lighted fire, and prepared him some food. The
cook-stove stood in a kind OF porch or stoop in
front of the house, and he observed before
going to bed, which he did after eating his
supper, about ten O'Clock, that brisk fire was
still burning in the stove. His mother retired
about the same time as himself and his father
and the children some tune previous, The room
on the ground floor contained two beds, one of
which was occupied by this boy John, and the
other by his mother and three children, viz,
Mary, aged seven years; James, three years,
and Alice, an infant, about six months old.
The room above was occupied by the father
and Cecilia, girl about nine years old. In his
evidence before the coroners jury, John Lavery
states that he awoke about midnight and dis
covered that the porch where the cooK-stove
stood was on fire. He Immediately got up and
opened the door, when the flames burst into
the room. He tried to open the outer door,
but il being latched and hooked, the fire drove
him away before he could succeed. His
mother was awakened by the noise he made
in trying to open the door and get out OF bed.
He next attempted to break out the window,
but he broke the glass only, the sash refusing to
give way. He then ran up stairs and called his
mother to follow him. But mothers love pre-
vailed over the motive OF fself-preservation, and
instead of seeking her own safety she went
towards the bed where her children were lying,
to try and rescue them. But her efforts were
vain, and she perished with them In the flames.
When the boy went up stairs he found his father
had got out of bed, and he called TO him to
Jump out of the window, which was open. The
upper room was then full of SMOKE and the
floor and the roof were both on fire. The boy
jumped from the window himself, and then
looked for ladder to assist his father, but the
latter had mean while jumped from the window,
his feet being burned by the tre coming through
the floor. The boy then ran to alarm the
nearest negh Dor, and on his return found nothing
but heap of burning logs, the root and upper
floor having fallen in, and buried the poor
woman and her four helpless children in the
blazing mass. So speedily did the devourng
element do its dreadful work. that not a scream
or a groan was heard from the poor children or
their devoted mother, and soon their scarce
distinguishable remains were mingled with the
smouldering smbers which were all that were
left of the humble home In which but an hour
before they quietly reposed, all unconscious oi
the terrible fate that was impending over them.
The boy was nearly naked, and his father per
fectly SO, when they escaped from the house,
and they are said to have shown remarkable
degree of indifference regarding the terrible
calamity that had suddenly swept away all the
family but themselves.


The remains of the little girl who sleHt in the
upper room with her father alone bore any re-
semblsnce to human being. The legs and arms
were burned off, the eyes burned out, and the
body reduced TO black, shapeless OBJECT, pre-
senting horrifying spectacle. The remains d
the mother and the rest OF the children were q
sickening mass of charred bones, which it was
not easy 10 distinguish from the pieces of black
| ened wood and cinders with which they were
| mingled, They were all gathered together, after
much difficulty and kept Tor the inspection o.
the Coroner's jury. They were subsequently,
placed in one small coffin, and buried in the
ground adjoining the old Augusta Chapel.