GAZETT“
0
\
Thunded in 1800.]
VOL. XCVL—No 16
11111ch91111111.
Administration Wants Peace
Restored and Maintained
in Cuba
interesting Washington News and Chat. '
GAZETTE’S BUREAU. )
709 EAST CAPITOL STREET ,»
WASHINGTON, APRIL 16. J
It is understood that both the Presi-
dent and Secretary Olney are tery aux.
ions that peace should be restored and
maintained-in Cuba, and they will leave
nothing undone upon their part to bring
about an early settlement of the diffi—
culties. -
is o . o o -
Senator Burrows, frOm the Commit-
tee on Post-ofices and Post-roads, yes-
terday favorably reported his bill for the
re-classification of railway postal clerks.
The bill proposes to divide the service
into ten classes at salaries ranging from
$800 to $18,000.
0 o o
The consolidation of the fourteen
post-offices within the city limits of
Brooklyn, N. Y., with the Brooklyn
post-office, and the establishment, in
lieu of these, of six carrier stations and
eleven sub-stations, was ordered by the
Postmaster General yesterday to take
effect May 1.
‘ o o 0
Mr. Morrill was recognized soon af-
ter the Senate opened to-day for a
speech. Although just past his eighty-
sixth birthday, the Senator spoke with
firm voice‘and vigorous style.
0 p 0
Patent Commissioner Seymour hav-
ing returned from his trip down the
river, much improved, Mrs. LeGrand
Betts left for Norwalk to-day, her
daughter remaining here.
0 o 0
Victor Selleck expects to be home in
season to assume his duties as Treasurer
ofthe Fairfield County Savings Society
.on Monday morning.
fl...
TO SAVE' THE BEACH.
Injunction Against a Séwer Entering the
Sound at Beachside, Greens Farms.
An injunction was served on Mrs.
Mary H. Phipps of Greens Farms yes-
tei day by Sherifl' Stagg, restraining her
from completing a proposed sewer from
her premises into the Sound, which out-
let would be adjoining the bathing
beach. The action was brought by
Nelson Alvord, through his attorneys,
Canfield S: Judson. The injunction
was signed by‘Judge Curtis.
The action, however, is backed by all
the summer residents of the town who
are greatly worked up over the sewer.
They claim it would ruin the finest
bathing beach on the Sound, and per-
manently injure the town as a summer
resort. 4
Aged Physician Killed.
Dr. Amos L. Williams, of Brookfield,
aged 88 years, the oldest. practising
physician in Foirfield county, was in-
stantly killed at 11:40 o’clock yesterday
morning by a north-bound train on the
Berkshire division. He was driving
across the tracks at the time the acci-
dent happened. The body was hurled
fully 100 feet, but was only slightly
mangled. In 1882 Dr. Williams was
elected to the Legislature. from Brook‘-
field, being one of the only three Re-
publican representatives ever elected
from that town. He was struck once
before by a railroad train, but escaped
with a broken leg.
A Rose With a Thorn—for Saunders.
Justice Reuben M. Rose went to Wil-
ton yesterday, and listened‘to the evi-
dence in the case of the State vs.
Thomas Saunders who was charged
with abusing his wife. The evidence
ofiered convinced the Justice of the
prisoner’s guilt and he fined ‘him 87
and costs, the total amounting to about
$75. Saunders was unable to settle and
Was taken to jail.
Athletic Entertainment.
The athletic entertainment under the
auspices of the South Norwalk Athletic
club, takes place this evening in the
club rooms on Washington street, South
. Norwalk. The program is the best ever
1 presented by any club in the state, the
double wmd-np between Monahan and
- Lane and Webster and Lynch alone
" being worth the pricexof admission. In
addition to {these well known boxers
. the" Sirett—Woods bout will be worth
' seeing.‘ A large number of tickets have
been sold and the rooms promise to be
crowded.
\
.yeflr.
A n Entertaining and Instructive Home Journal, Especially Devoted to Local JV ews and Interests.
NORWALK, CONN. FRIDAY, APRIL 17,, 1896—12 PAGES. ‘
THE GREAT FRESHET
That Visited Norwalk Forty-
two Years Ago, April
27th'.
'-'—T—"
An Exciting Scene Recalled.
' 0n Thurday night, April 27th, 1854,
Norwalk was the scene of as great an
excitement as when Tryou’s British
red-coats pillaged and burned our town.
On turning to the GAZETTE files of that
date we learn that on Thursday night a
tornado of wind and rain set in, the
rain continuing to pout dowa "without
cessation all Frill... .1111 Salmday in
torrents. No bpeClul alarm was felt,
the GAZETTE narrative goes on to say,
until eleven o’clock Saturday night,
when the Union Mfg. Company’s bell
rang out an alarm. On hurrying there
it was found the water had risen so high
as to surround the mill and flood the
lower stories and Was fast cutting out
the underpining on the south or land
side of the factory.
At the Bridge the Firemen were
scarring about with torches and c.t1-.
zsns, struggliog to get out the people
and save property in the stores on Main
street, which was running a river down
past Gruman’s store into the harbor.
Women and children came rushing, out
of the imperilled block in their night
clothes and every sort of garb.
Then cime down with an awful crash
all the rear of Hubbell’s Mill! In an-
other instant the front of the mill came
down with a still louder crash. This
struck and carried aWAy the east end
of the Bridge.
The scene was now trully appalling.
It was feared Gruman’s store, M1tchell
&. Camp’s market, the Fred St. John
store and GAZETTE office building,
would be swept from their foundations
into the harbor.
A torrent of water was pouring down
across Wall street to the harbor from
the old drift way (now the GAZETTE en-
trance) leaving‘ all the buildings this
side Mrs. Faucett’s store on an island.
Agreat river four to five feet deep
tore down through the railroad tunnel
and emptied itself into the harbor at
the end of James’ lumber yard.
The sweeping away of the mill and
these other outlets seemed to reduce
the raging torrent, for in a short time
the river fell three feet. What saved
the old Merrill building was a wonder.
The railroad baidge was swept away,
Glover’s shop, Austin’s foundry cleaned
out, Dr. Gregory’s and Allen & Meek-
er’s barns torn out and gutted. The
Union Co.’s loss was $7,000, Captain
Hubbell's $3,000, Lounsbury & Bissell
Co.’s $1,000, Noah Selleck’s $2,000, Asa
E. Smith,s $3,000, Wm. Glover’s $1,500,
Alexander Austin’s $2.000.
Despite all the terrors of the flood
and great loss of property, it was a
cause of devout thankfulness that not a
single life was lost or serious injury to
anyone sustained.
Meeting or the D. A. R.
The Norwalk Chapter of the Daugh-
ters of the American Revolution met
yesterday afternoon with Mrs. C. O. C.
Betts on the Green. In the absence of
the Secretary Miss Helen Curtis read
the minutes of the previous meeting.
The committee appointed to locate the
graves of Revolution soldiers in the
cemeteries of Norwalk. of which Miss
Frances Lockwook is chairman, report-
ed that they had found seventy Six of
these graves; and the Regent, Mrs.
Noble, appointed a meeting with the
committee with the Board of Manage-
ment and a committee of the Sons of
the American RSVqution to make ar-
rangements for decorating the graves
on Memorial Day.
After Miss Scott’s paper on Miss J uli-
ette Bette; her lineage and personal
reminiscences, which Will be found in
full in another column, the Regent read
two accounts of the part which Con-
necticut chapters of the D. A. R. have
taken in the work of the society for the
The statements were highly
gratifying, showmg a gain of 600 mem-
bers and the accomplishment of much
historical work. The chapter accepted'
Mrs. M. H. Parson’s invitatson to meet
on MayI21st at her home at Brookside.
Miss Helen Curtis was appointed com-
mittee for Norwalk. and Mrs. J. H.
Ferris for South Norwalk. to secure
conveyances for the members who will
attend this meeting. Those who expect
to go are requested to notify the com-
mittee before the day of the meeting.
New Drums.
The Quartermaster-general has de-
cided to issue new snare drums . to the
National Guard and has already or-
dered 76.‘ About 24 more will be re-
quired. The price agreed upon is $7. 50
each and the drums are claimed to be
superior to any before issued.
ANCIENT NORWALK.
Miss Angeline Scott’s Interest-
ing Interview With Miss
Juliette Betts.
Read Before the Norwalk Chapter, D. A. R.
The following interesting paper was
read by Miss Angeline Scott before
yesterday ’5 melting of the Norwalk
Chapter of the D. A. R:
The Norwalk Chapier of the Daugh-
ters of the American Revolution is very
proud to have among its members the
daughter of a Revlllutionary soldier,
Miss Juliette Betts, who is also entitled
to special honor because of her ancient
Norwalk lineage.
It is a notable'line of descent which
includes the names of Betts, Hanford.
Benedict and Marvin; names written
on every page of Norwalk’s early his-
tory. Thomas Bette 1st, came to N01-
walk in icsogrom Guilford with his
wife Mary—their son l‘homas Betts42nd.
married Sarah M‘tT'VID, daughter of
Matthew Marvin; Thomas Belts 3rd
married Elizib‘eth Benedict, daughter
of Thomas Benedict and their son litm-
kiab, father of Miss Betts, married
Grace Hanford, daughter of H:.z:kiah
Hanford, a lineal descendant of the
Rev. Thomas Hanford, the tint minis-
ter of Norwalk and a notable figure for
forty years in the town’s history.
lI:Zekiah Betts was enrolled 111 the
Connecticut militia in Oct. 1776 when
only sixteen years old, under Captain
Jabsz Gregory,
White Plains, when the Assembly ot-
dered a number of companies to be in
readmess to re-enfolce Gen. Wooster’s
army at Westchester. This company
was discharged three months later,
Jan. 1777, without being ordered to the
war.
Just a year after the burning of Nor-
walk, July 11th 1780, Hezekiah .‘betcs
enlisted as Sergeant in the 2nd Regi-
ment of the Connecticut Line and
served three years till theend of the
war and was present at the surrender
of Cornwallis at Yorktown.
Reminiscences of Mr. 'Betts’ char-
acter and ,personality and the tradition
of his military experience are so much
more interesting as told by his daughter
I will make no attempt to give these in
my own words; but instead, will give‘
the substance of two interviews with
Miss Bette in regard to her father and
old Norwalk, together with the Secre-
tary’s report of a talk which Miss Betts'
gave at a Chapter meeting, Oct. 2.
1893.— '
I have combined these in one paper
using '_as far as possible Miss Betts’ own
words. The house in which she lives is
on the same site as that of Thomas
Betts I2nd which was burned in the
Revolutionary days. The property has
been continuously in the possession of
the Betts family since the settlement of
Norwalk.
0n the morning of July 10th 1895, I
first met Miss Betts at her home on
France street, where she‘has lived all
her life of 91 years, while Norwalk has
changed from a quiet country village to
a large town and then to become a
thriving city. For forty years she sang
in the choir of the old First Congrega-
tional church, and her niece Miss Har-
riet Scott, who lives with Miss Betts,
showed me the Bible which the church
gave her in 1855 when she left the choir.
For years her father, Hezekiah Betts,
sang with his daughter. He had a pow-
erful voice which sounded like a drum,
she said. Miss Julia A. Lockwood an-
other member of the Norwalk D. A. R.,
stood beside Miss Betts in the same
choir for twenty years. Miss Bette re-
members the meetinghouse' on theGreen
which was built just after the Revo-
lution and was used until 1848 when the
present church was built. The bass
viol and flute and later what was a vio-
lin for church and for dancing a fiddle,
were the only musical instruments dsed
in the old meeting house. There were
sometimes 60 men in the choir and they
did not always keep good time. The
pews were square box pews so that some
offihe occupants sat with their backs to
the preacher. .
Foot-stoves furnished the only heat at
meeting and the men used to stamp
their feet to keep them warm; She de-
scribed the sounding board and' pulpit
w1th narrow winding stairs. ' , one
preacher was so stout he could scarcely '
get into the pulpit, and' if there was a
visiting minister he had to . sit outside.
The clergyman always preached from
manuscript, and one she recollected al-
ways closed With "Fifthly, lastly, final-
I y and to conclude.” The prayer meet-
ing room had only benches without
backs for seats, and there was one man
who used to pray for an hour until, his
voice failed from exhaustion.
The boys were very mischievogsan‘d
after the Battle of,
tithing-men had long poles with which
to correct them. One of the boys
drove a flock of geese into church one
day during service, and the tithing- man
caught the old gander by the neck and
carried him out.
In speaking of her descent from
Thomas Bet-ts 1st and the Rev. Thomas
Hanford Miss Bette related a family an- _
ecdote abouts. visit made to the old
Hanford homestead on East avenue by
Miss Belts and her brother, Robert
Waters Betts', of Ohiofivho had return-
ed to Norwalk after an absence of fifty
years,-—-with his daughter, grand
daughter and great-granddaughter;
and how they all drank water out of the
old well which was sunk by the Rev.
l‘homas Hanford in Norwalk’s early
days. This ‘occured justvbefore the Civ-
il War and the owner of the home-
stead at that time was Dennis Hanford,
the last male descendant of his line.
On the day that Tryon burned Nor-
walk Hezekiah Betts was plowing in
the field with a yoke of oxen. He had
ridden to'the place on horseback and
he succeeded in driving his oxen toa
hiding place in the woods, when he saw
the enemy making for the shore. His
future wife, Grace Hanford, was a girl
of fourteen at the time, an.l she went
with a party of neighbors to the woods
near the Rocks for safety ; and she,with
other womenfoik, watched the flames
destroying ,their homes from Blue
Mountain.
Her oldest brother was taken irison-
er by the British who found him at
work in a field near the present Town
Farm. At about the same .time another.
man was shot near the Dawn Town
cemetery and it was re ported to Mrs.
Hanford that it was her son. She did
not learn for some hours the real fate
of her son who was taken to Long
Island by the British anl detained six
weeks. Everything the townspeople
possessed which could not be hidden
Was destoyed that day. Some people
buried their furniture others hid their
silver 'in the chimneys. Cattle were
driven into the woods.
The following winter was a hard one,
the frost holding like iron for three
months with deep snow. Ox teams
could cross Long Island Sound on the
ice. All the farms burned were stocked
with hay and this loss was providen-
tially made good by a remarkable sea-
son whi'ch yielded two crops of after-
math, and, Miss Betts added, many of
the cattle and sheep had twins the fol-
lowing spring. ..The British made pris-
oners of all the able-bodied men they
could seize. One man who found he
was pursued, sprang into bed and ef-
fected a’ terrible attack of rheumatism,
“you will have to carry me, if you take
me,” he declared when the soldiers
came, “I can’t walk a step. They left
him in ;bed and as soon as theyhad
gone, up jumped the man, and ran to
the outlying farms to alarm his neigh-
bors. The good old lady smiled be-
nevolently and said, “He thought he
was lying in a good cause.” I'
' Hezekiah Betts entered the army the
next year at the age of nineteen, and
served three years. He witnessed the
surrender of Cornwallis .at' Yorktown
and he used to tell his. children that' he‘
saw more people at that time ‘than he-
ever expected to see tilI'the day of
judgment. When they asked him if he
had ever killed a man ‘in the war, 'he
told them that after taking aim he
always shut his eyes for he had a tender
heart.
When Miss Belts was a little child
she remembers reading aloud from'
some book about the ' RevolutiOnary
troops crossing a river; and her father,
who was listening, said “I was there.’ I
This made a deep impression upon her.
and made her realize the war tales
more than anything she could- have-
done. :
Miss Betts’ father and mother were
strongly Puritan in their sentiments
and their house was often the "scene of
prayer meetings. The Rev. Roswell
Swat. was the first minister whom Miss
Bette remembers, and she vividly re-
calls hislappearance in'these meetings. '
She said if she were an artist she could
paint his portrait now; tall and fine
leaking, with eyes like diamonds and
full of animation.
hymns like “Jesusandshall it ever be,"
01: "Come, humble sinner," Mr. Swan
would rise right up on tiptoe in his
emotion; and good old Mr. -Betts who
fled, would start the lines for a second
singing. I
She remembers South Norwalk chief-
1y by the house prayer meetings held at
William Raymond’s whose house stood
on the site cf ‘the Union School; and atj
Deacon Nash’s. ‘ “How well I‘ remem-
her old Nathaniel Raymond l”she said.
“It seems to me I can hear him pray- in
his quavering voice at meetings, now.”
He made long prayers and always at a
certain point he wOuld exciaim "None
but Christ! nohe but Christ!” Nathaniel
Raymond was a Revolutionary veteran.
He lived in the old house still standing’
ICONTINUED ON EOUETH PAGEJ
When they sang .
' Phwnix Engille Company. I: a... on also. “I IIIIIII I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I'll. or II. loo-Io II
[$1.00. a. YeaL‘
P RICE TWO CENTS
1111111111111 1111111111111
A Magnificent Plano, for the Most;— {Popular
School Lodge, Society, Club or Fire Com-
pany in Fa1‘1field ____Cccnty
Which Is our most pop xlar school, lodge society, club or
fire company?
Which one has the most admirers and friends 2
Deubtless these questions are beyond the: power or any
absolute answer, but THE EVENI ING GAZETTE offers an
exceptional opportunity to make the test. THE GAZETTE pro.
poses to poll the votes of the people. And the voting is to
have zest in it. It 18 made worth while to vote. There is a
magnificent prize at stake.
THE GAZETTE Will give A $400 UPRIGHT PIANO to the
'school, lodge, society, club or fire campany which gets the
most votes.
. HERE IT IS!
It is an instrumentof the very finest character, It is
beautiful in its workinanship,’ an ornament worthy of any
home, and in all its musical qualities it is unenrpassed. In
every’ sense it IS a perfect and lieautifu1 Instrument—equal to
the best that can be anywhere bought for $400 IN GOLD.
The following are the rules which govern the Voting:
l—TEE GAZETTE will print each day a blank coupon, each coupon being
good for one vote for .the school, ledge, society, club or fire com-
pany the owner of the ccupon may select—the blank lines in the
coupon to be filled out with the name and address. The coupon
to- day is at the end of this article.
2—The contest will close on July 2', and the winner announced onJuly 3-.
3—Any school, lodge, society, club or fire cempany in Fan fie‘d County is
eligible.
4—A full lecord of the voting will be published up to date'every evening
in 'IEE GAZETTE, but votes received after 1011.111. will not .be re.
corded until a day later.
5—Coupons must be filled out in a plain handwriting, for otherwise bland.
ers can not be avoided and votes will be lost. Blank cou'pOns of
11111 iiilfianciib’iii‘eis THE 1c , 1111 & 1111c
.It' is a piano made upon honor and acid upon merit
party buying one does not get merely a handsome case He
get-s a thorough musical instrument. The tone of the instru
ment is full rich, resonant and well sustained, the scale is
magnificent.
Following IS the voting Coupon, 3. copy of which will ap-
pear in TEE GAZETTE daily.
_.L.
Name,
Town,
. . BATTLE OF TIIE BALLOTS.
Norwalk Yacht C1ub...... ......................'"I..-.’.....'....._......11118
Hope Hose Company ................. . .................... . ...... ........ 3......" 10038
St, Mary’ s School.....-..._........... ........ ................. . ................................... 7041
Welcome Stranger Lodge .................... .1452
Center School.......,....................._. ........ '-""4§--.-'-'3”."."«'~"‘r; ..... ;..,I...,..,.........,.'.,._.~._.i 917. ‘
. PequouoCk Pleasure Club....... ....... '..........,...‘..1..'..I.‘.'..'..-....5.....1.’1.-..’»..‘..=....I..‘...'.;1.14* 5661
Over River Sc‘nOol ..... 3,; ..... , ..... ....................... . ............... 347
Pioneer Castle ...... ...... g .......................... 147 .
T. F E. Club...‘ ......... ........ ........ ‘. ‘ 70”
Arion Singing Society...”..............‘.‘.............I .......... ~. ....... .. 60 4
T.G. . C.‘......‘ ..................... Y ..‘. .-." ...... '40
Norwalk Liederk r11 r1 ' g 24 :
Swor'dFish Club .......... . .......................... ‘ 23- ‘
-Lincoln?Council...I..... . . ' " 513
{The Central 011111,.- ........................ i ............................... 13
N. R. ‘_---o.o.u - . anneal-oooololnoo... , -..-_.-I..'..L ...................................... - 13
Compo Engine Co., westlwll---.-.----,----,--'-.--'—--l ........................................... 10
:BishOp McMahon C'ounctl ..... . .' ...... ... ......... I 3 a " 5 * 7- 5-: ‘ i ‘ '1'!” >16
Catholic UnionCouncil.................'...'.._. ...... , ’ ‘ ' ' L i 13 '
Uncas’l‘ribe ...... z ........... .................. 3 1 " , 1' > k . -' ~ '- . ":3 4
Knob Outing Club ......... r. ..... 1 .......... ...'...i...-‘..'...’...i.......‘..4 2. 2'
Pine Ledge Club. 1...”...1. -.--.. ' W2 4
S. S. Club....... ................................ ............... ... 2
Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company --...-. 2
u a. o noon 0 2
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Norwalk Chronicler