Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-05-20
Terrible Dlsastcrl
GREAT DESTRUCTION OF Lus AND PROPERTY !

GREAT DESTRUCTION or LrrE AND PROPERTY
On Saturday morning the large reservoir in
Goshen, Hampshire county, Mass, which was
used for cconomizing water for manufacturing
purposes in dry seasons, burst, owing to the
heavy rains of Friday night. An immense
food was sent sweeping through the town OF
Williamsburg, and the villages Of lIaydcnvillc,
Leeds and Florence, causing great destruction
of life and property.
The latest dispatches estimate that at least
two hundred lives were lost, and property to
the amount of over $50, 900 900 The follow
ing facts we condcnse from the Boston papers
HAYpNynLE, Mass, May 10.
A largo reservoir about four miles north OF
this place burst about eight O'Clock this morn
ing, and the water came rushing down the hills,
carrying everything before it.
1t struck the southeastern portion Of will
liamsburg village, about two miles north Of
this place, carrying away large number Of
dwellings thence to Skinnorsyilc, where it
swept away SINNERS large silk mills and his
boarding and dwelling houses.
Continuing on it struck the large brass man
uhctory Of Hayden, Geer 4 Co., sweeping it
away in an instant. Large stones and ma
chincry were swept through the main streets
at fearful rate, and well built houses in
siantly crushed, not giving the inmates a mo-
ment's warning.
The GOOD then struck the village Of Leeds
where a large number Of shops dwellings, etc.
were swept away. Tho loss of life was very
heavy, whole families in some instances having
been carried away over dams, and were either
killed or drowned.
The villages which were affected by the dis
aster are Williamsburg, Ilaydcnyille, Iced.
and Florence, and are situated on Mill River
which is tributary to the Connecticut, run
ming into the latter at Northampton
In the village Of Williamsburg, Mill River
divides into two branches, one Of which has it,
rise 10 Goshen, and the other at about the edge
Of Conway. Two large reservoirs are situated
on the Goshen branch and one on the Conway
branch, containing total area Of not less thar
thousand acres, with an average depth Of mol
less than six feet The reservoir dams were al
most substantially constructed, built by skillul
engineers in the most approved modern method
and large sums Of money have been expende,
during the last year in putting them in wha
was supposed to be perfect order.
The Oldest dam is at least twenty five year
Of age, and on the Goshen branch IL wa
most carefully rebuilt within the last tw
years Above this was the new dam, bull
last year The dam ON the Conway branch &
abous six or seven years old.
Upon the stream are situated twelve lnrg
mills, employing about twelve hundred hand.
besides several saw and grist-mill-.
The manufacturing capital invested alon
Mill River and affected by this disaster plnC
ing it at low estimate, must be 5000 600
and the immediate population affected therob
is about five thousand
Ofcourse the population is almost wholly
manufacturing one, which has grown up orouu
the dams, and increased in proportion 70 ID
demands Of industry in that locality.
The latest figures Of the loss Of life make th
total one hundred and forty-four, divided O
follows Williamsburg sixty, Leeds forty-ninC
llaydenyille thirty five. These figures only rer
resent persons whose loss is positively known
though many are not yet reported Bodies ar
constantly being found, and in some cases thos
Of persons who were not supposed 20 be lost, an
tits perfectly safe to say that the total loss Of III
will exceed one hundred and fifty, it indeed
does not more nearly approach two hundred
1t appears that serious doubts as to the safet
of the reservoir have been entertained eve
since it was built, nine years ago, though les
the last year or two than in its early history
The gate-keeper has several times expresse
fears to his employers, calling especial after
ton TO the point where the break occurred, b.
the examiners have always reported eyerythin
l sNfe- The d'reo, oNuee Of ,ho disaster, asic
from the general weakness Of the dam, mu
be a subject of speculation. The gate-keep,
detected no sign Of danger when be examine
the situation at early dawn, and what the la
d strain was that broke the great dam Of the re
/ eryor can never be definitely known. PerhaI
as satisfactory a theory as any is the one DR.
sented by a man familiar with the case, thu
the frost had started the earth so that the wat,
= had found numerous little courses through /
= which finally carried of the first mass Of cart
d Saturday morning, and at once loosened Il
whole mass The gate keeper has at yariot
A times feared breach, as the water flowed col
stantly through the bottom Of the gate wa,
while there were also number Of small stream
some Of them quite minute, along the botto
3 OF the east side Of the centre.