History of Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, including Lynnfield ...

282 Chronological Table.
1881. The "yellow day," so called, occurred Sept. 6.
Beautiful celestial phenomena, Sept. 12.
President Garfield's death announced by the tolling of the church bells at
midnight, Sept. 19. Memorial services held, Sept. 26.
Free PubHc Forest Association, or Exploring Circle, formed.
Hon. Enoch Redington Mudge, donor of St. Stephen's Memorial Church
dies, Oct. I.
St. Stephen's Memorial Church consecrated, Nov. 2.
[As our chapter of Annals closes with 1881, and it seems desirable to take some
notice of events down as near as possible to the time of publication, the following
additions are inserted.]
I 882.
The winter of 1881 and '82 was rather remarkable for the quantity of snow, and
the long time the earth remained covered. A storm began on the afternoon of January
31, during which some eighteen inches fell. And on the next Sunday, Feb. 5, a
snow storm occurred that was not for many years before exceeded in violence. The
drifts in some places were for a time insurmountable ; and services at several of the
principal churches were omitted.
On the night of Feb. 15, a building on Munroe street, owned by Charles G. Clark,
together with one or two others, was burned, causing a loss of some $20,000.
The Grand Army Coliseum, on Summer street, was dedicated March 15, with
appropriate ceremonies. Its seating capacity is much greater than any other place
of assembly hitherto erected here.
On the morning of the 15th of March, just before the time for workmen to assemble,
a terrific steam boiler explosion took place in the rear of the Goodwin last factory,
in Spring street. The engineer was killed, and several others badly wounded. One
or two adjacent buildings were much damaged, and a piece of the boiler, weighing
about 1.500 pounds, was thrown two hundred feet up into the air, and fell in Newhall
street, seven hundred feet distant.
A fire occurred on the morning of April 22, at Houghton, Godfrey and Dean's
paper warehouse. Central avenue, destroying property to the amount of $3,000.
Electric lights made their appearance here, in the spring.
At midnight, May 12, according to the weather reports, the thermometer, in Lynn
and vicinity, reached a lower degree than in any other part of the United States; yet
it was not so low as to be particularly noticeable.
Memorial Day, May 30, was observed as usual ; address by Comrade James M.
Tanner, of Brooklyn, N. Y.
Glen Lewis was consecrated, May 30.
Barnum's " greatest show on earth," visited Lynn, July 22. Some half a score
of elephants appeared in the street parade. The giant elephant Jumbo and the nursing
baby elephant were both members of the caravan. Some 25.000 persons attended the
exhibition, and the amount of money received for admission, reached nearly $11,000.
The show consisted of a large collection of animals, equestrian, acrobatic, and other
circus and semi-dramatic performances. It was, no doubt, the grandest and most
costly show ever in Lynn.
An explosion of a part of the underground equipment of the Citizens' Steam Heating
Company, at the corner of Washington and Munroe streets, took place, July 27,
injuring the street somewhat, and throwing up stones and gravel to the danger