Thursday, December 29, 2022

Vital Records, Chenango County, NY, May 1873 (continued)

 Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, May 8, 1873

Deaths

MORRISON:  At the residence of his son-in-law, Rev. J.D. Pope, in this village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY], May 6th, Mr. John Morrison, aged 77 years.

BLOOM:  In New York City, April 25th, Miss Rosalia C. Bloom, daughter of the late Benjamin Bloom, of King Settlement [Chenango Co. NY], aged 36 years.

BARBER:  In Smyrna [Chenango Co. NY], April 30th, Mr. Joshua Barber, aged 92 years.

Smyrna:  Uncle Joshua Barber, one of the original settlers of this town, over 50 years ago, and the oldest citizen at the time of his decease, died on Wednesday last at his son's residence, aged 92 years.  He was an old-line Whig and staunch Republican, and always attended Elections and Town Meetings.  Among the pioneers now living in this vicinity, who came from the same County in Rhode Island, are Henry Knowles, aged 87; Champlain Wilcox, aged 87, and Paris G. Holley, aged 82 years. The latter has recently paid a visit to his old home, "down east."

YORK:  In Oxford [Chenango Co. NY], April 24th, Deacon Jeremiah York, aged 79 years.

STILES:  In Smithville [Chenango Co. NY] April 30th, Mr. David Stiles, aged 66 years.

STODDARD:  In Otselic [Chenango Co. NY], May 2d, Mr. Harmon Stoddard, aged 76 years.

BOWEN:  In Willmothville, Missouri, April 4th, Dr. James H. Bowen, formerly of Pitcher N.Y. [Chenango Co. NY].

CLARK:  In LeClaire, Scott Co., Iowa, April 21st, Maribeth Estelle [Clark], only daughter of Cyrus I. and Adelia S. Clark, aged 9 months and 19 days.

Oh! she is gone, she is gone. / Away from her father's fond love; / Gone, in her infant beauty, / Gone where Jesus dwells.

Gone, in her lovely innocence, / From a mother's fond caress, / To the land of pure delight. / Where saints and angels dwell.

So like the early morning dew, / Ere youth its bloom discloses, / From her brother's fond embraces, / Gone where youth forever blooms.

Sherburne News, Sherburne, NY, May 10, 1873

Marriage

BUTTS - NEWCOMB:  In Smyrna [Chenango Co. NY], May 7th, 1873, by Rev. A. F. Brown, Mr. Daniel G. Butts and Miss Susie Newcomb, all of Smyrna.

Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, May 1, 1873

Destructive Fire

The Planing Mill of D. Wait & Co. in Ruins

About 11 o'clock on Friday evening last, the extensive planing mill of D. Wait & Co., builders, situated on the canal south of Mitchell Street, was discovered to be on fire.  The alarm was promptly given, and those first at the shop found the fire about the center of the east side, on the second floor.

Here was felt the want of an adequate supply of water.  The canal, the main dependence of our village in cases of fire, was nearly empty.  But the "boys in red," as well as the "boys in blue," were promptly on the ground, with steamer, hand engine, hose carts and truck, and made most of the facilities offered.  "Deluge" which years gone by had contested with the devouring element upon the same grounds, was stationed at the bottom of the canal, south of the bridge, where a reservoir was hastily extemporized, amidst an abundance of mud and a scant supply of water, and soon succeeded in sending a beautiful stream upon the burning building.  The steamer was stationed at the lock near the hammer factory, and threw two fine streams upon the shop, and the storehouse of Goodrich & Horton, immediately south, which was several times on fire, but finally saved.

The main building of the establishment was destroyed, with a large portion of the machinery and tools, together with a quantity of lumber in the works for houses commenced and nearly finished.  The engine and boiler being in separate and fireproof apartments were uninjured.  The safe, with books and papers, were taken out unharmed, and some of the lumber saved.

Among the heaviest of the losses was the planer, which cost about $1,500.  From the fact that it weighed upwards of 4,000 pounds, it was at first thought useless to attempt to move it.  Soon, however, help was volunteered to assist in its removal, and those engaged succeeded in getting it to the front door, a distance of some fifteen feet, when it was found that the door was not wide enough to admit of its egress.  While men were engaged in cutting away the sides of the door, the shop was filled with a volume of dense, heated smoke, enveloping those within the building.  In an instant the smoke was turned to one whirling sheet of flame.  Retreat by way of the boiler room was cut off, and with a dozen men it then became a question of life or death. The only exit was through the flames or over the planer.  Several took the former alternative and were burned more or less about the head and hands.  Others climbed for dear life, over the planer, which blocked the doorway.  The last to be taken out was Daniel Wait, the leading partner in the firm, who had twice fallen back, overcome by the flames.  So badly was he burned, that on Sunday he was not recognizable, and fears were entertained as to the result, but on Wednesday he was much better, and it is thought he will recover.

Henry Hall, of the firm of Sternberg, Hall & co., builders, was badly burned, Frank Dimmick, a lad, besides being severely burned, was badly cut; Orville Sherman, George W. Rice, Mr. Wells, and Lyman Bishop were also more or less injured.

To the above parties, besides many others who worked faithfully to save the planer and other property, Messrs. Wait & Co. desire us to express their heartfelt thanks, also to the Fire Department, for their untiring efforts, under the most discouraging circumstances; to Doctors Avery, Beecher, Smith and Andrews, for their valuable services, kindly volunteered; and to Daniel Cook and others, for facing the smoke and flames until all were rescued.

The loss is estimated at $10,000, including shop, machinery, lumber, &c.  In addition to this there were some ten chests of tools lost, valued at from $50 to $125 each, which belonged to the workmen employed.  Upon the shop and contents there was an insurance of $6,000: $1,750 in the Lycoming, of Pa., $1,000 in the Franklin, Phila.; $1,000 in Niagara, N.Y.; $1,000 in the Amazon, O.; $875 in the Hibernia, O., $375 in the Narragansett, R.I.

Some fifteen years since, a shop was burned on the same site, and one year ago a store house a few feet north was destroyed, the shop barely escaping at the time, the canal being as now, destitute of water, but very muddy.

The origin of the fire is a mystery, many believing it to be the work of an incendiary.  It should serve as a lesson to our citizens, showing the helpless condition we are in, when the State ditch is dry.  With an abundant supply of water, the flames could probably in this instance have been checked, and much valuable property saved.  The only wonder with us is that the firemen were able to accomplish so much as they did, under the circumstances.  "Give us water and we conquer" is the motto adopted by the laddies upwards of twenty years ago, and "that's what's the matter" with their successors at the present time.

Chenango Union, Norwich, NY, May 8, 1873

WAIT:  In this village [Norwich, Chenango Co. NY], May 6th, from injuries received at a fire, Mr. Daniel Wait, aged 52 years.

We are pained to announce the death of Daniel Wait, of this village, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon last, from the effects of the fearful burns received by him, while attempting to remove a planer from his burning factory, on the evening of the 25th ult., an account of which we published last week.  Although his injuries were very severe, his hair and whiskers being entirely burned off, and his face and head literally crisped, it was hoped that he had not received any serious internal injury.  At times since the accident, unfavorable symptoms had exhibited themselves, but his friends were encouraged to believe that he would finally recover, until Monday last, when he began to sink, and death relieved him from his sufferings on the following day.  It is believed by his physician that the immediate cause of his decease was ulceration o the intestines, caused by the terrible burns he had received.

In the death of Mr. Wait, this village loses an estimable citizen, and an enterprising businessman.  For many years he has been a prominent builder, and the head of the firm of D. Wait & Co., whose extensive factory was burned at the time he received his fatal injuries.  His decease has caused a shock throughout the community, with a feeling of sadness at his tragic death.  His age was 52 years, and he was unmarried.

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