By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | May 6, 2019
In this year, we encounter a disastrous institutional fire, Mr. Carricabe’s runaway son, an ex-teacher seeking office work, the illness of a minister’s wife, a veteran’s suicide, a Nute teacher beginning her summer vacation, suspension of work at the Carricabe paper mill, the death of Samuel F. Nute, the double-headed snake reprised, hiring at the shoe factory, and layoffs at the Waumbeck mill.
The Panic of 1893 began in February 1893, with the bankruptcy of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad and a series of bank failures. The various Milton mill closures in the latter half of the year were due to the Panic of 1893.
The Strafford County Insane Asylum, situated on what is now County Farm Road in Dover, NH, burnt down during a blinding snowstorm on Friday night, February 9, 1894. One of the unfortunate victims was Mary Twindall, from Milton Mills.
INSANE ASYLUM FIRE. Horrible Holocaust at Dover, New Hampshire. FORTY-FOUR LIVES WERE LOST. Of the Forty-Eight Inmates Only Four Escaped – A Blinding Snowstorm Raging at the Time, and Those That Escaped Suffered Extreme Hardships – Names of the Victims. Dover, N.H., Feb. 10. The county insane asylum, four miles from here, was burned last night and forty-four lives were lost. When Watchman William Chevey made his 10 o’clock trip into the insane asylum he found the fire coming out of the cell occupied by A. Lafamitain, a woman, and gave the alarm. William Driscoll, the keeper, with his family, lived in the building, and he at once broke the locks off the fifty-four cells and tried to get the inmates out, then he got his wife and two children, neither of whom were dressed. Of the forty-eight inmates, only four escaped. They are William Twombly, Rose Sanderson, William Davey and Frank Donshon. The latter walked two miles in a blinding snowstorm, with only his shirt on, to William Home’s house, where he was taken care of. Those who were burned were: Robert Dione, of Salem Falls, N.H.; Mary Foutain, of Great Falls; Frank Nutter, of Rochester; William Chesley, of Durham; Mrs. Roberts, of Great Falls, and an eight-year-old child; Lester Jones, of Farmington; William Twombly, of Barrington; Owen Malley, of Great Falls: Michael Case, of Dover; Frank Rowe, of Great Falls; Charles Libby, of Great Falls; Frang Page, of Rochester; W. Filles, of Great Falls; Frank Spriggins, of Dover; Harry Kimball, of Dover; Julia Keil, of Dover; Mrs. Mary Lavin, of Salmon Falls; Mrs. Mary McClintock, of Dover; Maggie White, of Great Falls; Ann Carr, of Rollinsford; Mary Nutter, of Rochester; Mary Maloney, of Dover; Lenia Ellis, of Lee; Mary Twindall, of Milton Mills; Caroline Rait, of Dover; Mrs. Ann Rothwell, of Dover; Lizzie Ellis, of Great Falls; Catherine Haley, of Dover; Elizabeth Pickering, of Gonic; Mary Cogley, of Dover; Sarah Sweet, of Rochester; Sarah Hutchings, of Dover; Kate Duffee, of Dover; Sarah McClintock, of Great Falls; Fannie Slattery, of Great Falls; Ann McDermott, of Dover; Addie Otis, of Great Falls, and six others whose names could not be remembered by the keeper and his books were burned in the building. The building was of wood, 135 by 84 feet, two stories high, with a big yard on each side. It was built fifty years ago and had fifty cells. One woman escaped to the yard, but was burned to death there. The building cost $150,000. The main building, in which was over one hundred of the county poor, caught fire, but was saved by the heroic efforts of the inmates, who carried pails of water and extinguished the flames, although many were burned in so doing. – The Dover fire department was summoned, but owing to the distance, the blinding snowstorm and the icy roads, it took ninety-five minutes for the department to get there, too late to be of any service. The smoking ruins show the charred bodies still laying on their beds. How the building caught fire is a mystery (Republic (Columbus, IN), February 11, 1893).
Paper mill owner John M. Carricabe’s wandering boy would have been John A. Carricabe.
BOY LOST AND FOUND. Chief of Police Miller received word Saturday morning from John M. Carrecabe of Boston that he had good reason to believe that his 18-year-old son was here, having run away from home a few weeks before. Mr. Miller found the boy clerking for W.B. Atwood under the name of Frank Roberts. He immediately wired his father, who came here on the 3 o’clock train Saturday night. Accompanied by Mr. Miller, they went to Bina Hastings’ house where the boy was boarding. The boy was taken completely by surprise and promised to go home with his father. Both left for Boston on the midnight train. No motive was discovered for the boy’s running away. His father is a twine merchant in comfortable circumstances and the boy had received. a good education and been cashier in his father’s factory at Milton, N.H. He first went to Manchester, N.H., and was under police surveillance there when his father arrived to bring him home, but escaped as soon as he caught sight of his father in the Manchester depot. Mr. Carrecabe was very grateful to Chief Miller for his prompt detention of the boy (St. Johnsbury Caledonian, March 9, 1893).
John A. Carrecabe, shoe stock manufr, 277 Derby, h. 12 Dearborn, appeared in the Salem, MA, city directory of 1897.
WANTED – By a lady (formerly a teacher), acquainted with typewriting, a position in an office, bank or library, or as a cashier, companion or teacher; best of references. Address box 64, Milton, N.H. (Boston Globe, April 4, 1893).
Orlan N. Wardwell married in Keene, NH, October 1868, Augusta M. Wilson. They had two daughters and a son; only the son and one daughter, Hattie B. (Wardwell) Coller, were still living in 1893.
That daughter was the wife of Edwin S. Coller, the Milton Mills Methodist minister.
JAMAICA. Mrs. O.N. Wardwell who has been at Milton Mills, N.H., for some time past taking care of her sick daughter, has returned here to her home (Londonderry Sifter (South Londonderry, VT), April 7, 1893).
Edwin S. Caller, a clergyman (Meth.), aged forty-one years (b. MA), headed a Goffstown, NH, household at the time of the Twelfth (1900) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Hattie B. Caller, aged twenty-nine years (b. NH), and his daughter, Ethel C. Caller, at school, aged eleven years (b. NH).
Alvah G. Burrows was born in Lebanon, ME, in 1841, son of Jonathan and Abigail (Goodwin) Burrows.
Alvah G. Burrows, a currier, aged twenty-three years (b. ME), registered for the Class I military draft in South Danvers, MA, in June 1863. He entered military service with the Salem Cadets Massachusetts Infantry, under the nom-de-guerre Charles Andrews. He served also with Battery E of the First Pennsylvania Light Artillery.
He married in Farmington, NH, November 26, 1866, Lizzie B. Ricker. Rev. S.L. Tufts performed the ceremony. She was born in Milton, NH, circa 1849, daughter of Hiram and Caroline (Meserve) Ricker.
Albah G. Burroughs, a farmer, aged thirty-nine years (b. ME), headed a Milton household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Lizzie B.S. Burroughs, keeping house, aged twenty-nine years (b. NH), and his children Minnie E. Burroughs, at school, aged twelve years (b. NH), and Willie S. Burroughs, at school, aged ten years (b. NH). They shared a two-family dwelling with the household of [her father] Hiram W. Ricker, a farmer, aged sixty years (b. NH), and [her mother] Caroline Ricker, at home, aged fifty-nine years (b. NH); she was disabled by rheumatism. Their two-family dwelling appeared between those of Robert W.L. Pike, a farm worker, aged fifty-six years (b. NH), and Paul Reynolds, a farmer, aged eighty years (b. NH). Theodore Lyman and Luther Hayes lived in close proximity, i.e., they all lived in West Milton.
Alvah G. Burrows applied for a veteran’s invalid pension, July 16, 1887. He appeared on Page 5 of the Veterans Schedule of the Eleventh (1890) Federal Census.
CONDENSED NEWS OF THE DAY. New England. Alvah Burrows, a veteran and an estimable citizen of South Milton. N.H., committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor. Despondency resulting from ill health was the cause (Burlington Independent, April 15, 1893).
Lizzie B. Burrows applied for a widow’s pension, May 25, 1893. She married (2nd), before 1903, Addison W. McCorrison.
Miss Benson finished her second year at Milton’s Nute High School and returned to her home town of Brattleboro, VT on vacation.
PERSONAL. Miss Sarah Benson has returned from Milton, N.H., where she is a teacher in the Nute High school (Vermont Phoenix (Brattleboro, VT), June 23, 1893).
See also Milton Teacher of 1891-95 for a more complete biographical sketch of her life.
The Waumbeck Company at Milton Mills closed for six months due to the deflated prices of the Panic of 1893.
MANY NEW ENGLAND MILLS TO CLOSE. New York Merchants Believe the Serious Effect of the Move Overestimated. MILTON MILLS, N.H., July 20. The agent of the Waumbeck company has issued orders for closing the mills here for six months as soon as the goods now in process of manufacture are finished. The reason assigned for this action is a lack of orders except at ruinous prices. This is the first time m the history of this company that work has been ordered to cease on account of the condition of markets, and the result of the present action will be a serious blow to many employés (Chicago Tribune, July 21, 1893).
FLASHES FROM THE WIRES. The agent of the Waumbeck Company has issued orders for closing the mills at Milton, N.H., for six months. The reason assigned in the lack of orders except at ruinous prices. This is the first time in the history of the company that work has been ordered to cease (Los Angeles Times, July 21, 1893).
Lewis W. Nute’s brother, Samuel F. Nute, died in Peabody, MA, on Monday, August 28, 1893. His share of the Lewis W. Nute estate thereby passed to the town of Milton.
By the death of Samuel F. Nute in Peabody, Mass., on Monday the town of Milton, N.H., comes into possession of $50,000 in accordance with the conditions of the will of L.W. Nute. The money is to be used for the benefit of the worthy poor of the town. Mr. Nute had evidently come to the conclusion that the building of libraries and museums is progressing at a sufficiently rapid pace to meet the thirst for knowledge of letters and art. Just about this time it is safe to say that a great many persons will regard the provisions of Mr. Nute’s will as quite as philanthropic in their way as the comparatively common million-dollar bequest for education (Princeton Union (Princeton, MN), August 31, 1893).
Milton’s double-headed snake had attracted a great deal of attention in 1891. This later reprint had been overtaken by events.
CABINET OF LITTLE CURIOS. Professor Rogers, of Boston, is the owner of an alcoholic specimen in the shape of a doubleheaded snake of the brown adder species. It was killed at Milton, N.H., in 1891 (Orleans County Monitor (Barton, VT), September 4, 1893).
The unfortunate Professor Rogers had died in a ballooning accident in July 1892. (See Milton in the News – 1891 for further details).
The N.B. Thayer shoe company was actually hiring during the Panic of 1893.
FEMALE HELP WANTED. GIRL wanted in packing room to dress and button shoes, misses’ and children’s work. N.B. THAYER CO., Milton, N.H. (Boston Globe, September 28, 1893).
The Milton Leatherboard Company also felt the deflationary affects of the Panic of 1893, but somewhat later than the Waumbeck Company, which had suspended production some months earlier.
NEW ENGLAND MILL NOTES. The Milton Leatherboard Co., of Milton, N.H., has made a reduction in the number of its employes (Essex County Herald (Island Pond, VT), November 25, 1893).
Economically, all this suggests that the N.B. Thayer shoe company had the stronger foundation. They were most capable of weathering a serious market downturn. The Milton Leatherboard Company was less secure, but stronger than the Waumbeck Company.
Previous in sequence: Milton in the News – 1892; next in sequence: Milton in the News – 1894
References:
Find a Grave. (2014, September 17). Pvt. Alvah G. Burrows. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/136013410
Find a Grave. (2012, October 23). Hattie B. Wardwell Coller. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/99448378
Wikipedia. (2019, April 1). Panic of 1893. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_of_1893
Milton Observer 