The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-05-26
From the .Mspton On. J) Herald.

From the .Nepton (yM J) Herald.
DISTRESSING OocuRREscE. On Monday
night last, most affecting occurrence took place
at Branchville, about six miles from Newton.
Between the hours of 10 and II O'Clock the
stream which passes through that Village,
having arisen to an unusual height, in conss-
quence of the large quantities Of rain which
had fallen during the evening and the preced-
ing day, the Mill-dam of John Bell, Esq, at the
upper end of the village, gave way with ire.
mendous crash, and an Immense column of
water, about 25 feet In depth, was suddenly
precipiiated into the stream below, carrying
destruction and desolation in its whole course
through the village. The first thing upon
which it spent its fury was the forge of Mr. Bell
which stood few rods below the dam; the
water wheels were swept away, almost every
thing within the building completely demolish-
ed or carried away, and the building itself re-
moved a few feet from its foundation. 1t next
came in contact with the Mill.dams Of Samuel
Price, Esq, which were instantly swept away
by its irresistible force one wall of the Wool
len Factory was thrown entirely down, the
building otherwise slightly, and some of the
machinery materially injured. The races to
the Factory and grist-mll were filled with
stones and rubbish, or destroyed, SO that the
place where they were located can with diff
Guilty be pointed out. Several dwelling houses
below were inundated; and though but one
life was lost, many escaped narrowly, and some
miraeulously from drowning.
The inhabitants were aroused from their
slumbers by the crash of falling stones and
timber, and the loud roaring of the water burst
ing into their dwellings. Many escaped into
their upper apartments and there awaited, in
awful suspense, that death which at every
moment appeared inevitable. The family of
iaIc xTne =
Mr.. M Daniels had retired to bed in an upper
chamber, his wife was in a lower room. reading
one child lay in the cradle, two others were in
! bed asleep near her; she had scarcely heard
| the sound of the moving mass of water before
| the door of the room in which she was sitting
was burst open by its violence. She sprung
upon a box which stood near her, with her in.
FAINT in her arms, and here she stood, the wa.
ter reaching nearly to her chin, holding her
| child above it until Mr. MD. descended from
the chamber, with a. view, if possible, to save
them she begged him to desist, declaring that
the children in the bed were both drowned. and
that he must perish if he persisted in the
attempt to save either her or them; he, how.
ever, did persist, and found his children in the
bed, Heating on the surface of the water, unin.
| jnred, and one of them still asleep, and convey.
ed them all to place of safety.
The house in which Mr. Michael Mackerlv
resided was entirely swept away; the place
where 1t stood cannpi now he a"c.@sta.Al point
| the only persons in The honse) were awakoned
by the noise; in an instant thew heard ihe
chimney falling, and felt the house moving
! from its foundation. Mrs. Mackerlv clupr ~
her husband, he put his arm around her and
gave her all the assistance in his nowar. ,bo
house was soon demolished, and thew fonnd
themselves without having yet sustained ony
material INJURY, amidst the wreck of their
dwelling, the horrors of dark and stormy niob,
ana all the desolation and devastation that sur
ROUNDED mem, born rapidly along the foaming
! torrent. Mr.. Mackerly caught hold of = hnsS
and held on for short time, still annnort;n~
his wife; in this situation he was struck On ga.
Verely on his head with piece of floating tim.
Der, as Tor few moments to deprive him of his
reason; when he recovered, he found IN his
inexpresslble horror, that his wife was sonar.
ated from him. He was carried some dis,apc.
farther when he again caught hold of bush.
and was able TO make sufficient exertion tn
gam, Tor the lrst time. footing on land Here
he remained for considerable time sur.
rounded with water, until some neighbors
who had followed him and heard his criss e.
assistance. came to his relief Ha was taken
to the house of the Rev. Mr. Conklin, where in
few hours, he was SO far recovered as to be
aole TO be conveyed to the neighborhood of his
former residence
Mrs. Mackerly was unfortunately drowned
Her body was found about 8 O'clock the next
morning, under a heap of rubbish. within a csw
feet Of the place where her husband had been
taken from the water, about half mile below
the village. She did not appear TO have been
severely bruised, and Mr.. Mackerly thinks shs
must have tainted when when the house fell
time. '''"'
Inc injury. done to various descriptions of
property IN the village is very considerable !:
most OF the gardens are ruined the turnpike
road and two stone bridges washed entirely
away IN snort, the whole village which few
short hours before wore cheerful and rural
appearance, now presents a scene of desoation
and ruin.
EXTRAORDINARY OccURRENcE On the 9th
INST, Mr., Mason Wood of Stratford, Montgom.
cry County, N. Y went down into a well 20
deem. ha a( IL