The New York herald., 1866-08-27
SAD CALAMITY At HoLYYoke, MASS.
A Boat with Three Men Carried Over d
HoIyoISe Dnm-Onc MAN Saves His Life


a Fearful Leap.
(From the Springfield Republican, August 221
The calamity which occurred at the Holy0ke dam
Monday, by which two men were killed and aHot1
severely injured by far the most serious accd(
that has occurred there during the seventeen yet
its construction. The had been at work SCI
ten or twelve days, repairing the iron combing along
crest aud wooden panked surface just at the cxtre
limit OF the DAM and had nearly finished It before
accident befcll them.
The work had been prosecuted with an unusual deu
OF water flowing the dam, and the men fully
allied the danger they incurred, and Saturday OF ]
week Mr. Hadley spoke particularly OF the need OF
speedy completion account OF the rising wal
ON Monday they went out for the last time as N
expected and too truly, as the fatal result prov|
They fastened their boat which was large, das.hl
toned punt, directly on the crest of the dam In ab
twenty two hes of water, by an anchor attached ab
sixty feet up the stream and proceeded fav0raby VI
their labor till shortly before eleven O'Clock. when
as they were removing the last OF the fash boards Z
preparing ashore, they made the appalling disc{
cry that their hold the river bottom had given vi
and that they must go over the dam down the fea.|
Its foot Mr. Brown had the presence OF mind 10 spr
for the stern OF the boat. The Others who were In
how, ciutchod the sdos convuisvcly for safety Nsy
word was spoken by either OF the three men, and
more than a minute elapsed before the boat went oY
AS the forward part Of the boat went down the fail
Brown jumped for life and cleared the sheet OF wal
Mr. Brown saws that his last sight OF his two compani
of their bodies thrown headlJng several feet In
air, and the next moment he fell scnseess ON the
and was unconscious till nearly an hour afterwards,
he was rescued from ledge some thirty rods below
The leap OF the boat was witnessed from Frink's
vcope factory by Mr.. II X. Pierce and another man
work near by. They Immediately gave the alarm,
soon possible boat was procured, and manned
Joseph Ely and Mosey Smith who proceeded to the le
where Mr. Brown was lying and brought him to shd
They Tn n returned and secured the body OF Mr.. Had
which had lodged some fifteen rods further down.
mock had probably instantly been broken by tho
fall upon the rocks and there licences Of
by drowning. No signs Of the third body were dsr
cred, and searching party were exploring the river
vain for II yesterday.
Mr. Browns injuries though severe, will not be III
TO be OF serious Ill consequences. Both wrists v
broken, and he received confusion in the he
He went the dam at ten minutes before cleV
o'clock. and fifty nve minutes after before he
rescued To the spectators on shore there seemed
difference in the two men, one living the other dead
they rolled along down the rocks by the curr
II Is singular coincidence that several years si|
three Irishmen went over the dam In a boat and VI
all rescued after several hours labor by Mr.. Hsdicy
Mr. Ely, the latter OF whom was the man 70 remove
Hadey's dead body from the rocks on Monday.