The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-06-26
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ASfEAbAb AglhNALeEs
PARTICULARS.
NORTHAMPTON, Mass, May 16.-A
special dispatch to the New York
HerdH says that not far from
O'Clock this morning the peaceful res
ident of Williamsburg were startled
by the appearance of a horse dashing
madly through the streets while his
rider shouted 10 the people to escape
for their lives, for the reservoir had
given away and the waters were COM
ing down upon them. Scarcely com.
prehenning the dreadful tidings, but
with the instinct of self preservation
strong within them, people began to
rush from their homes, while tho foam
flecked animal that had so gallautly
brought the messenger sank to the
ground utterly exhausted, Another
horse was qnickly procured and the
message was carried to other villages;
the alarm was so sudden that all did
not hear it, and were caught ty the
swiftly rolling waters; and the aged
grandames, innocent children and
strong men were alike overwhelmed
by the flood or buried beneath the
falling walls of their houses.
THE CAUSE.
Up among the bills of Goshen
there was a large Reservoir of about
one hundred and four acres in extent,
where the various mill operators of
Williamsburg, SkinnervilIe, Hayden
Vile, and Leeds were won't to store
1heir summer supply of water, The
people living in the vicinity Of the
dam say that it has been leaking more
Or less for several weeks, and 1t is be-
lieved that, having gradually under
mined the dam, the water acquired
strong headway, and suddenly the
dam gave way and the immense body
Of water passed out in its strength,
carrying everything before it. The
torrent rushed upon the doomed viii
lagos with loud roar, appoarantly a
large advancing billow OF underbrush
aud debris, rushed rapidly through
the deep gorges to the height Of forty
feet, and again spreading out a wide
expanse Of seething, angry waves, as
it reached the more open country,
Reaching the beautiful village of
Williamsburg, about two and half
miles distant, it struck small button
factory,
SWEEPING IT OUT OF EXISTENCE,
Next a saw and grist mill was attack
ed and melied, not a ,vestige remain
ing. Houses, barns and shops follow
ed like grass before a scythe, and
men, women and children were
caught and borne away, struggling
and shreiking in vain,r On the waves
swept to Skinnerville, two miles dis
tant, a silk factory being hurled down,
huge iron boiler being carried near
! ly half a mile and landed high and
dry. In HaydenyilIe, about one mile
further on, the bank building, three
story brick structure was swept away,
scarcely one brick being left upon an
other. The money in the vault shar-
ed the same fate, The smaller village
of Leeds, between one aud two miles
distant was the next place to suffer,
and he scenes at Williamsburg and
Haydenvllle we're here repeated,
A short distance below Leods were
two bridges, one of iron and one of
stone, both nearly fifty feet above the
bed OF the stream. They were both
swept away, the former being carried
bodily aud ! considerable distance
down the stream. Here
THE GREATEST DESTRUCTION
appears to have stopped, although all
along the river until it emptied into
the Connecticut, a short distance be-
low Northampton, the banks are COW
cred with all manner of debris tim
Der, trees, pianos, tables, chairs, and
other furniture.
1t is estimated that nearly one hun
dred buildings were destroyed and
the total loss is from 100000 to
81 100000, although, of course, it is
impossible to accurately estimate the
damage.
The saddest feature of the whole
affair is the great loss of life. At
FIRST it was thought that not more than
forty or fifty lives were lost, but a
careful canvass Of the villages visited
gives the total number Of missing
persons at nearly one hundred and
twenty, as follows:
At Williamsburg, forty-nine; at
Leeds, thirty-nine; at Haydenville;
thirty-tour.
There have been fifty and sixty
dead bodies already recovered, and
on Sunday morning organized search
ing parties are to over the ground in
search Of others. There were many
narrow escapes A butcher named
Mioheal Herningan was caught, horse,
wagon and all, and carried along until
he managed TO get into the top Of a
tree, and thus escaped. Thomas
Finessy was carried two miles, float.
ing on some timbers, until he finally
escaped. Ira Dunniug was in a like
manner carried over half a mile.
Cbas. Brady, after riding IN emminent
peril for mile, escaped TO q tree.
DR.. johnson warned his wife in sea
son for her to escape ii safety, but in
trying to save his three children he
was caught by the food and they all
four persisted in sight Of tho agonized
wife and mother.
THE BODIES RECOVERED
we're terribly mangled, and many Of
them were stripped OF every particle
Of clothing, bat most Of them were
identified by friends, aud the scene Of
disaster has been visited by hundreds
Of people. This afternoon and To-.
morrow hundreds moro win undonbt