The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-05-21
WIlIIamsburg Dam Inre,lIgn,Ion.

"ASputk Dum IuNeblklkl0ns
NEW YoRK, May q. "A. dispatch ircr
i Northampton, Mass ), yesterday, saws nm
when the Legislative COMMITTEES yisite
tho reservoir the breaking Of which 4,
saturday was attended with such terri
ole conse luences, everybody descendel
70 tne gap and cafefel examination wa
made Of the bottom, the walls and sur
roundiDgs. The contractor, Mr.. Bassetl
taxing q copy Of the specifications con,
famed I'M the loriginals contract nm
der which the dam had been buiit
called the attention Of the members h
what he termed the evidence Of their fuI
tillment and consequent exoneratIon from
blame Of himself and those who actet
Col. Wilson, Of Boston, the engineer
who had constructed the Hartford reser.
vol. twenty years ago, and who had &C
compAnied the Committee as an expert
remarked, "This dam was not built &C
cordtng to the specifications Of that "a.
per in your hand" The Colonel theu
proceeded 10 point out that the specIflca-
tions had called Tor the building al a
foundation wall at least three ieet below
the bottom Of the reservoir, whereas Il
was built only upon that bottom, between
which and the wall the water was found
TO pass easily, which created q leak and
eventually spread the latter against The
embankment protector. This wall was
forty feet narrower than the contract
specified 1t should have been. TN short u
said Col. Wilson, "the speclficat ations have
been entirely disregarded, and the ACCT
dent was inevitable. The only won
der Is that 1t did not occur before.
The terrible neglect and gross ignorance
displayed in the construction Of The dam
was criminal, and Its recent evil conse-
quences, murder. - :
In talking Of the event later, Col. Will
son said he could not regard It as an ac-
cident because the dam could NOT hold
any body Of water In, as the earth at the
bottom under the wall was slowly but
surely washed away daily. -
Joel Hayden said that such had been
his fathers Qate Governorl opinion, and
so strangely fixed In this belief had he
been that he had issued standing orders
In the foundry to the hands 10 leave their
benches and the building the moment
they heard the word reservoir" shouted
In the street, and take refuge on the high
ground.
Q. G. spellman, overseer Of tho reser-
Voir, and formerly Secretary and Treas.
urer OF the Association by which The dam
was built, has been protected in his house
Tor two nights past by a large number OF
special police and military. On Monday
an lrishman formerly in the employ Of
Spellman informed him that the Irishmen
and Canadians had determined 10 ayenge
the loss OF their homes and families ~
lynchtng him. During the night he felt
q need for the police and military. Al
the first streak OF dawn the villagers were
at work among the ruins, and as the
morning advanced parties OF men eouip-
ped as naVies continued to arrive from
the surrounding townships, so by seven.
o'clock thousands were clearing and cart.
ing Oh the debris all the Wsv from
Northampton Meadows 10 WILLIAMSBURG,
Every eye sought body, and twenty.one
corpses were found. These bodies were
difficult to recognize, because decompo-
sition had set in. They were much dis
figured by bruises and totally nude.
at Leeds nothing was done except look.
tngior the dead under the rubbish. which
experienced men say will not be cleared
away, even at the present ratio, In less
than week.
At Haydenville tho day was begun in
q business like manner. Joel Bsvden
employed his hands, and all who were
able and willing 10 earn a dollar In pick
ing up his patterns and brass ware, sew
eral thousand dollars worth OF which was
stored IN his out houses and barns. Be
iore noon, to get at these, Hayden finds
1t necessary 10 alter tho course of tho
stream, and his men are planning a new
course for 1t, beginning at the north side
OF the iormer site Of the brass foundry
and running south through tho valley.
An incident otextraordinary canine affec.
ton has just come 10 light in connection
with the awful calamity. Col. Joel HAYDEN
one OF the sons Of the late Lieut.. Gov.
Hayden, has dog ofthe ST. Bernard kind,
he has for long time been the village
tayorite and pet Of the school children,
MIR. Ira Bryant, father oiMrs. Col. HAY
den, over 10 years Of age was loet by the
disaster. On Sunday afternoon his dor
started out and followed the searchefs
ior dead bodies in tho meadow lands.
hewas seen on Miller's fats paving IN
the sand, and when he was visited II
was found that he had dug quito A bole
In the dirt which disclosed q portion Of
q mans lower limbs, and the next half
hour revealed the form oil Mr., BRYANT,
Diligent search had been madc for these
remains, but It seemed hardly possible
that any human being could have found
imbedded corpses, Williamsburg and
Skinnerville are at q stand still, moi Bit
Of work other than that necessary in
searching for dead bodie, being in pro-
grcss.
. Even some Of tho manufacturers IN
whom.a a majority Of the people LOOK for
an incentive to action shut themselves mn
In their houses and fret. Mr. Skinner Il
is stated, has signifed his intentions moi
to rebuild his factory, and Dir. Spellman
certainly said that he would not erect bis.
sun, all the leading men Of Williams
burg are not so craven as to yield 10 Ibis
blow without making at attempt 10 re-
establish that once pretty and thriving
town. They are ready to shake of the
apathy ol griet now paraliztng them, and
70 exert themselves msniully, II the Leeis.
islute ana Ice large cities will only aid
them. ="
College Destroyed by Fire.
NASHVILLE, May 20.-Neophogen Col.