Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-05-20
Horrible Flood.

Horrible Flood.
The most dreadful disaster that
has occurred since the falling of
Pemberton Mills, occurred in Western
Massachusetts,, on Saturday morning last
A reservoir (known rs the Williamsburg
reservoir) of 1O4 acres on Mill river broke
away, and the food swep. down through
the towns of Williamsburg and North
ampton into the Connecticut river. Des-
troying four villages, it spread out upon
the maalows on reaching the villege of
Florence in Northampton and there and
below no loss of life occurel.
In the four villages destroyed there were
about $50 lives lost. The number ofthose
known to be drowned reaches H. distri-
buted as follows in the four villages
Williamsburg 60; Skinnersville4; Hayden
vile 80: Leeds 81. The loss of property
amounts to $4,000.
The details of so horrible disaster, OF
course, fill more space than our whole pa
per would afford, and we have taken only
such as give an account Of the general re
suits. and more remarkable of the incidents
of escape The mill mentioned as Adams
mill in the following account, was one, we
understand, in which Hon. Prosper Mer-
rill of Windsor County, was largely inter-
ested The devastated valley has been
visited by thousands of people, and Sc
great has been the crowd, that roughs and
thieves took it as their opportunity, and
the State Constabulary were ordered to
the spot.
Subscriptions for the relief of the suffer
er5 are pouring in, and Monday it was es-
timated that $4,000 had been raised
The press of the country with one voice
condemns the using of sham work. where
by so many homes were desolated. To
that, and the fatal habit of 'risking it,
is the dreadful accident of Saturday due
The following which we have compiled
from various accounts gives 4 very cor
rect idea of the disaster. We believe how
ever. that George Cheney, the watch
man. did not have his horse drop dead in
Williamsburg, but merely changed him
for fresh one, and WAS forced to lose pre-
cious moments while convincing "a livery
man that there was really impending a
great calamity.
The villages which have suffered are
Williamsburg, Skinnersville. and Hayden
VILE all in the town of Williamsburg,
and the village of Leeds in the town OF
Northampton. Besides these. the village
of Florence and Northampton itself suffer
ed, but so slightly in comparison with the
others mentioned that they hardly call for
any attention. Four villages have been
swept almost from existence, and more
than forty buildings of every description
have been DESTROYED, with ten dams and
twenty bridges. The Mill river is Il small
but swift stream which flows Southwestern
ly through Hampshire county and empties
itself into the Connecticut at Northampton.
In the northeastern part of Williamsburg
it is formed by two branches, which meet
at almost right angles. One came down
from the town Of Goshen and the other
from Conway On the Goshen branch are
two reservoirs, in which is stored water to
be used by the mills in dry times. On the
other branch is another reservoir for the
same purpose This last is the one which
caused the disaster. The dam consisted
of a wall of stone. forty feet high. with
foundations forty feet deep Both sides Of
this were built up with earth, so that the
dam at the base was 122 feet deep.
About ID A. NJ, the water was discov-
! hIIp- ipfr ia IF no
escape pipe and almost in an instant the
whole structure was rent and torn, and
the vast body of water was rushing upon
the villages below. In some instances it
was seen in advance and the inhabitants
were warned in time, but this fortune was
not universal. The huge wave which roll
ed along as fast as horse could run, observ-
ed from the front looked only like huge
pile of lumber, trees, household furniture,
and such materials. advancing to destroy
the dwellings and whole villages below.
The wave rushed through William sburg,
ISkinnersville, Haydenville, Leeds, and
Northampton proper, into the Connecticut.
committing, in Il very short time, a fearful
havoc in human life and property. Will
liamsburg, the town nearest to the reser-
voir, is built on both sides of the river,
slope abruptly, and therefore the water
rose very high in that place, sweeping
away nearly every house, including Spell
mans butter factory, Adams saw and
grist-mill, james wooden mill. black
smith shop, stores, etc. The flood struck
Skinnersville and carried away every house
but three, Mr. SINNERS and two others.
The latter escaped because they We're on
I I'll
toward the stream, but, being somewhat
protected and being a substantial building,
the only damage done was the carving
away Of part of the front veranda The
force of the water was so great at this
point that it broke in pieces SINNERS silk
factory, a solid brick building, wrenched
Il fifty horsepower boiler from its fasten-
ings and drove it diagonally distance of
200 yards high up on a sloping bank. At
Haydenville, a dozen small wooden build
ings were crushed; large brick building.
occupied by Hayden, Gere Il Co, as a
brass foundry, was swept away like a
straw; also IA a fine bank building erected
recently at cost of 100000. The cotton
mill was injured also, but escaped destruc-
ton.
The village of Leeds was left in a sorry
cOndltlOn by the destructive wave. The
mandatory of the Nonotuck Silk Com
pany was saved by a little rocky point
which projected into the stream. This
threw the water to the other side, so that
it carried away a large boarding house
with all its contents. The flood then swept
down further, and in its course CARRYING
houses, furniture, etc. Nothing was left
of George 2. Warmers button factory ex-
cept about twenty feet of the chimney.
One man saved himself by crouching in a
crevice at its base. The building of the
Northampton Emery Wheel Company was
slightly damaged. A small chapel in
Leeds was also swept away.
BY the time the wave had passed Leeds
its force had become somewhat abated, so
that when it reached the village of Flor
ence it was capable of doing no damage
other than the carrying away of light
bridopS At NOrthamntop 1OG foot &c H.