Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-03-31
4aiIg Gmpite.
Terrible Calamity at shemeId.


A lule before midnight on Friday last one
Of those terrific disasters to which nearly ell
the great towns in tho north Of England are
more or less exposed happened at Sheffield
The great reservoir Of the Sheffield Water
Company reservoir Of nearly one hundred
acres IN extent, and which held more than a
million cubic feet Of water, suddenly burst its
embankment, and swept with tho fury Of au-
other deluge down the narrow gorge formed
by the Loxley and Stanuington Hills into
Sheffield itaelf Almost before warning could
be given the yolume Of waters began rushing
headlong down the valley, sweeping farms and
houses, forges and factories like chaH before
it, Never, probably before has an accident
Of the same kind occurred, so ruinous in its
Wholesale destruction OF property, so lsmentai
bly, fatal in the loss Of human life Whatever
the sudden and tremendous food could reach
il seems TO have destroyed, and, calculating
only by the number of houses swept away and
the persons missing who we're known to have
been in them on that fatal night, there is every
reason to fear thar the lives sacrificed by this
awful calamity win not be less than 200, If
they do not unfortunately exceed even that
number of the damage done to property it
10 impossible at this early date to form even
conjecture The devastation in this respect
is unparalleled A large popnlous and tbriv
ing district has been almost obliterated from
the earth, scarce more than traces Of the hous-
es and factories that once stood there now re-
manning. The Don, owing to the late heavy
rains, was unusually high, and the additional
water thrown into it has laid hundreds OF
acres under water, and inflicted incalculable
Injury to the growing crops Of the destruc.
tive character ofthe GOOD there we're abund-
ant evidences on every hand. Timber in
large quantities, bedposts, ieather.beds tables,
clocks and various kinds Of household furni-
ture passed down, and several carcases Of cat.
tie also
Large numbers Of people have lined the
rivers banks all the day, but it is now evi.
dent that the greatest volume Of water has
passed by, and further damage here is not ap.
prahended The water is very thickly i'm.
pregnated with mud--a proof that it must
have swept with terrific violence over the land
adjoining the river. Fish, pike in particular,
have been left in large quantities from which
the water has sabsided
LATER.-Every additional inquiry made
into the circumstances of this appalling calam-
ity shows that 1t has been much more disas-
trous than was at irstunticipated. It is now
estimated that the loss Of life will exceed $50,
aud that the valne OF property destroyed ex-
ceeds half million From Brad6eld, where
the reservoir burst, down the course of the
rivers for twelve or fourteen miles the country
is laid waste The reservoir covered an area
of seventy.sx acres, and would hold $4,000,
coo cubic feet Of water. The embankment
which crossed the end Of the valley, was an
enormous erection, with an average height of
eighty-five feet, and forty feet in thickness.
1t was three hundred yards long, Between
MatlocS and Hillsborough distance Of four
miles, the greatest loss Of life has been oaus
ed Within this tract whole rows OF houses
have been swept entirely away, in three Of
which alone there were twenty-five lives lost
--Loadon Times, March Is,