“Springfield City Hall.

As this report was going to press on January 6 the city hall in Springfield was set on fire by the upsetting of a lamp among some of the decorations at a fair in the assembly hall.

Incredulous as it may seem, within a time fixed at from twelve to not exceeding twenty minutes, the building was completely destroyed, and with it nearly all of the records of the assessors, those of some of the minor departments, and a few of the files and least important books of the more important departments.

The offices of the treasurer, auditor, and a part of the room used by the city clerk, were in a section of the building protected by a fireproof covering, a vault in the city clerk’s office being, however, the only absolutely safe receptacle for records in the building. The fire swept through the clerk’s office, ruining everything outside of the vault; and, had it not been for the prompt action of Miss Bertha B. Fuller and Miss Edith M. Ware, clerks in the office, the valuable records of the town and city in that office, dating from 1636, would, in all probability, have been destroyed by fire and water. At a risk of their lives, as proved by the fact that they were nearly suffocated, they threw into the vault all the records temporarily out of it, and closed and fastened both the inner and outer doors. While others might have shown this presence of mind, it is doubtful if many engaged in the tedious, monotonous work upon the records would have appreciated the value of them so fully as to have incurred a personal risk in their preservation. They deserve the thanks not only of the citizens of Springfield but of people everywhere throughout the State and country who prize the records of the old New England towns.”

Reference Data:

Public Documents of Massachusetts, Vol. 8. by Massachusetts, 1905, pages 25-6