Community Corner

This Week in Winchester History: Town Hall Nearly Explodes

A janitor caught the leaking boiler in time.

This is a regular column with items drawn from past editions of the Winchester Star.

1911

Janitor Saves the Day

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The janitor at Town Hall usually leaves before 9 p.m. However, on Dec. 29, 1911, he was detained and needed to stay longer.

Before going home, he checked the boiler in the basement. He found a leak in the boiler. He, along with a mechanic stayed all night, fixing it. If not for the janitor, the boiler may have exploded.

Find out what's happening in Winchesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

1961

High School arrest

A 17-year-old Winchester boy was arrested and charged with assault and battery and disturbing the peace. According to police, the boy was being rowdy at a Winchester High School basketball in the gym. The boy refused to leave and Winchester Police arrested him.

1986

Snowstorm

It was the first snow of the year in 1987. The storm dropped 10 inches of snow on the town, forcing downtown businesses to close for the day.

Quiet hours

The Winchester selectmen are debating whether they should support quiet hours in the town on Sundays. The measure would limit work permits from being given for before noon and after 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Shocked

Winchester resident and direcor of A Better Chance, Daniel Fisher, survived an electric shock he received at the Wellington Station. Fisher stepped into a puddle and received a 277-volt shock.

Apparently, there was a live wire in the water that came from a damaged light pole. His wife pulled Fisher away from the puddle.

"I had no idea he was being electrocuted," Mrs. Fisher told the Star at the time. "I noticed wires nearby but he wasn't in contact with any of them. I thought he had fallen and I touched him because he wasn't responding to me."

All the information for this story came from the Winchester Star.


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