The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-05-19
The characteristics Disaster.
aTATEMEST OF \ CATE-HEErER.


statement: He went out, rs usual, saturday
morning about G O'Clock. Everything looked
ain ri,ht. The reservoir vas full, rs it lac
been for several days. Water was pouring
ont Of the wasteway on the west SIDE pas
his house, the gateway having been closec
for = Fortnight. There was no sign OF I'M
pcnaiuc catastrophe, and Chcency returned
10 the house.
The family, Including his wife, se1era
children, au6 bis father, sal down to break
fast. They were Just finishing The mea
when great noise was heard, aud the ole
man, who was standing at ore of the eastern
windows, exclaimed "For Gods sake
Gcorgc, look there About forty feet in
length Of the bottom Of the reservoir on the
east siGe, Just beyond the gate, was shooting
doYa the stream. .
Cheney seems 10 have realized the sltu''
ton and emergency at once. WIN " Si's'c
eve to the discharge Of his duly, ana a'inust
without stepping 80 consider Inc GahSc!, Ir
rushed TO the gate aud let on water at '"''
head. III tie hope that this lAlSht possibly re-
|;eye and avert The danger. IAls done, he
p.,,sed a moment TO Investigate Tue coiiu'-
lion Of tie wall ;TiIcre Tie break i3Q l2ktl.
Mace. ci.ucc showed lin that 1t coAi'l
fail i3x few mUu.cS to give way entirely.
S,r,arl< OF water IS Large rs mans arm
we're forcing their way through, rev oH's
sppearing every moment. lis u'tcT 90" l..
f,I, IVES opiya question OF minutes. thcc"e!
rushed 10 his house aud to'd us iHhei AZ
IA. -oiD. to the village TO warn Inc ptot'e.
Together they hurried 10 lac Di!D' 4 lew
rods brow, ana while Cheney was throw,
irn the bride upon lis horse MS iA'!!r[ Gu.
t,F.. .l'.
him stick. LrapinE upon n, EolS"' '''.n
and Diving vigorously his l2Sh, ne t0u- 4;
thr :cnmcst speed down he road that SHirled
the stream to Williamsburg. coEctih" 'he
three mics. hc tLiahS, i'll fifteen lnlhu'es.
THE wAES!:G.
II 7aa thea about iali-raSf : oc'oc''
Driving 70 tic h0lisc Of Mr. ;clellMao, ""o
bad general charge Of the reservoir. he SUN
rcoue,, ,hat gentleman rom his hleanl'st
,,yIr 10 s,artle him with The reservoir Is
goiny.' c,oo,.y
had Lccu talking TO hin about ire reservoir,
srt both had agreed that everything iooH31
al rirht for the summer. Spe!Imin couiu
NOT at lis, credit The statement. /
lie thought Tie man Il little scared, ana
"a Il. startling announcement repiled, NO,
!, c,rno. be possible" But Cheney quickly
tou him atout The giving way OF the earth,
md tic streams OF water rushing through,
md saon convinced him that the danger was
most imminent.
The tirs, duty Was to warn the people fur
her down the stream. Cbeenel'S horse was
.yh.u>ted, and SVelman directed him 10 go
q the livery stable, where again precious
moments were lost III convincing the incre-
!rlous people that the messengers story
oult be true. Finally horse was made
eativ. and fresh man got of to notify
Iweliers further down the stream.
The reservoir was constructed in the sum-
ner and fall Of 1865, Though it was not filled
INC used until the following spring. Emery
3. Wells. Of Northampton, and Joel BaSset,
If East Hampton. were The contractors, ana
he cost vas go, eco. 4 stone wall was frst
built, which was stipulated to rise from the
width Of eight feet 1T the base TO two leet al
he top, which latter was 1orty-tWo feet
above the bed OF the stream.
This wall was contracted to be made IN
he hest Known cement. EEye!opiDg this
wall on either SIDE was mass OF earth when
,loprt: Down OH the water side at an angie OF
hirtv degrees. 4 LATERAL section OF this
,aTthc. support measured about l20 leet a.
he !aic.
This wall of earth was sixteen feet across
Il the .oo, covering tle crest OF the stone
5aiI Two feet in depth, in order to prevent
LANCER from frost. The water never rose
,uile to tue crest of the dam, being Kept TWO
Get below that line by means of waste-Way
It the western side.
,1hr citizens Of Williamsburg held town
Meeting Saturday evening and appointed
of subscriptions, to look alter the
destitute. to organize a search for the Mss
ny. .o,r,., boro
,een sending in supplies of food and cloth
no and money since the disaster, and con-
r;intions were taken up for the sufferers in
.ha churches throughout western MassacEu-
satts on Sunday. All the large towns are
orraniziug relief societies.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
spn1scprgLD, MASS, May 1S.-The man
ohio took up the cry at Haydenville and car
lied I it to Leeds was Myron Day. A little
before s o'clock, while all the people of this
Mace were going towards or finishing their
hrcakfast. their attention was attracted by
The appearance of Myron Day, from Hay
den,iile. on horse shouting: "The reser-
voir is broken; save yourselves, for the
hood is Mt hand!" He rushed for the
bridge over the dam, ard had got
about half way over it when the roar
Of the coming waters was heard by the
inhabitants, who by this time stood at
their doorsteps. He dashed toward Flor
ence, and the people looked forth toward
the north dam and saw there what seemed
to them the crest of an enormous moving
wood.pile fifty feet high. They knew what
il was, and rushed wildly up the slopes to
safe quarters.
Their houses were left just as they stood
with tables spread for breakfast aud childre!
getting ready for school. In less than three
minutes the stone dam had given away, ant
the great volume of water, laden with frame
houses, pianos, seWing-machines, boilers
iron wheels, huge grist-mill machinery, cows
sheep, poultry, aud human beings, from
Haydenville, plunged into the valley O.
Leeds.
Measures for immediate relief have beer
instituted at Haydenyille. MIR. Hayden sem
out notice to rebuild his works, and offers Il
employ all those who ever worked for him
aud AS many more as are needy in clearing
away the debris and making preparations fol
| work.
! Hundreds CT acres are covered with SAT
remnants Of the villages which once adorned
the tract of country running eight mile
through Hampshire county and now bar
rem waste of land, stones, ruins, and corpses
Thousands of people have gone from thi
city and surrounding country to Nortkamp
ton and the scene Of the disaster to-day. Th
search for dead bodies has been going on al
day, and will be continued under the bes
possible management for several days, ant
| perhaps weeks. The meadows are so deepl
covered with debris that it is feared nun
bodies are yet undiscovered. 1t Is nov
thought Yesterdays estimate of 200 lives los