The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1848-03-14


MASSiLON INUNDATED BY THE
BREAKING OF THE. SlPPO RESER-
VOlR DAM-rGREA'r DESTRUCTION
OF PROPERTY.
On Wednesday morning lasta(ter our form
was made up for press, we briefly, announc-
edthc breaking Of the dam, and tho conse-
queAt destruction Of property at pt~NIassillpn
that morning aboui3 o'clock The reservoir
dam was erected jointly by iho State and
Rolling mill company to-supply the canal e.
for riling purposes. IL is situated "a miles
". Z, ofthat town, 30 feet above il, aud cdv-
cred about 1000 acres Of ground, TO the DIV.
erase depth Of probably 6feet The water
thus far has not however been used for either
Of the designed purposes SINCE lis erect
ion an uncommon amount of sickness has
prevailed in the vicinity, and the sufferers at.
tribuied il To the reservoir; they have held
meetings, peliioncd the Legislature for redresi
aud as we learn, on the very day lis desiruc.
tion occurred, the Legislature passed a reso-
luton authorship the Board of Public Works
10 select committee to examine the matter
during the approaching season, and report
10 the next Legislature whether in their op-
inon the dam does produce sickness =
Whether any agency was used by the neigh
boring citizens 10 break the dam, we do no,
know, and therefore will not say.
About ! after 8 o'clock, A. NJ the water
reached Massiloa--presentiiig doubtless a
fearful and appalling sight. II continued 10
rise with fearful rapidity, until II burst the
embankment Of the canal, and rolling into
the low grounds to the river-carying with il
every obstruction; lnundaiing The lower part
of the town, even north of the American llo-
tel, filling cellars, and the basement stories
OF warehouses, and even going into some Of
the houses. Il rendered the streets impHss-
able by deposi,ing muck. lumber, boxes, &c.
in them. J. l.. Rsynolds' large brick ware
house was entirely destroyed, and scarcely a
ves,ige Of il is 10 be seen--whore il stood,
and almost the entire lot, is now the bed of
the strcam--iis contents of flour, grain, clover
seed, etc. we're swspt with it--but some OF
the -four was 1, ken up along the river, The
east corner Of the Stone block fell down; and
The archcs under it TO pass boats from thc
canal 10 the bason giving way, The floors have
fnllen in. The end of Mr. G. SINNERS brick
factory, was thrown down and the machinery
carried off. Tho fremont House, large
brick building, just opened the day before as
. tavern, washed on its north end TO its very
fnundaiion. I here was dancing party in
it as the water approached; but most of the
party escaped before it become surrounded
by deep water. Several however were com
PEELED TO reman in il, pcrrlous as were their
situation A stone arch running north OF it,
we should Judge, only saved the buAaiug. =
Had it fallen, lives must have inevitably been
lost. Ono corner of Reeds brick tannerry
was knocked in by a. canal boat striking it:
the building is safe; his loss in hides, &c, is
+ heavy A brick house between that and the
river was in imminent danger, but was saved
,ty the pcrsevering industry oftbe citizens. DR.
Natson's warehouse, as well as that of Fen
,i,er and McMillen were undermined, and
vast quantities of articles washed out. To
show the power of the water, il is asserted
that barrels of Sugar, Molasses, &c. driven
out Of the warehouses, were carried up the
canal miles. A stable with two cows in it
was swept 'f, The whole loss sustained is
estimated al 10000 .'v .aama