Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-05-22
INCIDENTS OF THE WILLIAMS.
BURG CALAMITY.

An incident of extraordinary canine affec-
ton has Just come to light In connection with
the awful calamity which has fallen on Hay
densvile. Col. Joel Hayden, one Of the sons
of the late Lieut.. Gov. Hayden, owns noble
dog of the St. Bernard species. He has for
a long time been village favorite and pet
of the school children who are near the Hay
den residence. Mr.. Ira Bryant, the father Of
Mrs. Col. Hayden, an elderly gentleman,
something over sixty years of age, was great
favorite with the dog. He was delighted to
be with him, uneasy when Mr.. Bryant was
away, and always when he could accompanied
him on his walks about the village. Mr..
Bryant was lost in the disaster, and so were
many of the dogs friends. 1t is said no hui
man being ever expressed a deeper sense of
| sadness than he. His movements, even in
the hustle and confusion, were noticeable. He
| intruded himself upon the family, and was in
| every part of the house shifting about. An
old pair of boots of Mr.. Bryants
received his repeated attention, as did articles
of clothing. Sunday afternoon he started
out and followed the searchers for bodies on
the meadow lands. He was seen on Miller's
flats paving in the sand, which caused an in
quiry. and when he was visited it was found
that he had dug quite trench, in which were
discovered the lower portions of mans
limbs. the toes of the boots being upturned.
The next half hour revealed the form of Mr.
Bryant. As the workmen prosecuted their dig
ging around the body the dog lay at their feet.
As the face was exposed, he seemed for sec
ond overioyed, but when a cloth was wrapped
| around the rigid form and the removal was
begun, the noble creature seemed bowed with
grief, and followed the little party home.
| Diligent search had been made for these re-
mains, but it seems hardly possible that any
| human being could have found the imbeded
corpse.
Young Dunning of Leeds had a most won.
derful experience. When the alarm was
given he was at work in the spool room Of the
Monotuck Silk Works. Rushing out of the
mills his first thought of course, was for his
family. He found that his father, wife and
three children, had all left the house. He
shouted to them to run for their lives, at the
same time pointing to them what direction to
take. His wife and children obeyed, and
were saved, but his father, an old man of IS,
thinking that something might be got out of
the house before the flood reached it, went
back. In dashed young Dunning, begging
him to leave the doomed building and, why
| he knows not, raising one of the windows.
| As he did so the floor gave way beneath their
| feet and his father disappeared from sight.
The young man had just time to Chamber out
of the window and as the house tipped, crawl
up its side to the roof, just as the building
broke up, leaving him but fragment to cling
to for his life, and on he went sailing down
that awful flood, in full sight of wife and
children, who as they looked on in terror and
agony, expected momentarily to see him sink
beneath the surging mass. In few seconds
his frail, raft was crushed like an egg
| shell, but his presence of mind never left him,
and he jumped for another, and when that
was gone, yet for another. He was fastening
down with the current at terrific speed, and
intent on the fearful task he had in hand,
never once thought of the dams to which he
was Fastening. The first one was reached in
the awful crash and jam. He was hurried
seemingly twenty feet in the air to come down
and be submerged for the first time far be-
meath the waves. AS he came to the surface
again and clasped another piece of drift wood,
he realized with an intensity unimaginable by
those whose lives have never been imperiled,
that another and higher dam was but short
distance below, and that he had absolutely no
| hope for life unless he escaped from the flood
before that point was reached. Most FORUM
ately the wollen mass of water and debris at
that point surged toward the shore, and seeing
an opportunity which seemed to be providen-
TALLY presented, he clambered across some
broken roofs, which served him as bridge,
and with leap again had fast hold on the
earth. The feelings of man who like him
had scarcely hope of life, on finding himself
escaped from the jaws of death, cannot be
depicted. Mr.. Dunning describes as the
most appalling incidents of the memorable
ride tie heartrending screams and groans of
women and children in houses that were
swept down with him, and seemed to be be-
meath him.