Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-05-21
THE MASSACHUSETTS, DISASTER
A Reservoir Bursts and Destroys Three Villages
III Miles Laid Waste by Torrent 100
Persons Drowned-Five MiiIi0u Dollars worth
OF Mill Property Destroyed.
Hay 10, 1874.

Persons Drowned-Five MiiIi0u Dollars worth
OF Mill Property Destroyed.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. May TO-
Never has Western Massachusetts
experienced anything like the stu
pendous disaster which has to-day
laid waste IL miles of the valley Cf
Mill river. in the western portion of
Hampshire county. The shock fell
with the suddeness Of thunderbolt
from clear sky, leaving its victims
no opportunity to escape from the
fearful, all-engulting food. The re-
servoir which caused this fearful loss
of life and property was one Of 100
acres extent in the town Of Williams
burg, and about 3 miles above the
village. 1t was constructed six years
ago, with criminal cheapness, by the
MillRiver Manufacturers Association,
q combination of capitalists who own
the mills on the stream below. 1t
was intended to supply water in
times of drouth. Instead OF building
substantial dam across the Ravens,
where the reservoir has it's outlet,
they merely piled up an earth en-
bankment with stone overflow. 1t
was known full well that the sell was
of a clayey and treacherous charac
ter, but false economy prevailed over
sound judgment, and the clay was
asked to do the work Of stone. The
result appears to-day, in the loss Of a
hundred lives, and millions of dollars
worth of property in a few brief
hours.
1t had been known for some days
past that the water was teaching
through the embankment, but the
fact does not seem to have been CIV
en- due importance. Last night there
was heavy rain, filling the reservoir
the brim, and soon after 6 o'clock
this morning the Waterman was ter
rified to find it's weak support giving
way, and mighty torrent Of water
pouring out. Hastily mounting q
horse, be rode with the utmost speed
to Williamsburg, shouting to every
one to flee for their lives, as the tor
rent would soon be upon them. His
horse was so urged beyond his
strength that the animal dropped
dead in the streets OF Williamsburg.
Procuring another horse, he dashed
on to SkinnervilIe, little village
next in the path of the flood, spread
ing dismay in every direction. 1t
was fearful ride, with the torrent
roaring behind hin,--a race not for
his own life but for the lives of others,
and almost as worthy to be immor-
talized IN verse as Sheridan's ride to
Winchester. Tearing down to the
little village, he shouted the tidings
to William Skinner, proprietor of the
silk-mils, who instantly gave the
alarm by ringing the bells of his fac
tory as for fire. His operatives, rush
ing out, was told to run for their
lives to the hills which surround the
village. They had scarcely time to
do so before the flood had swept
away the silk factory, only few
ruins remaining to show where it had
stood.
Up to this time the food had swept
across the corner of Williamsburg
and had carried off the only factory
in the little settlement of Skinner
Vile The heaviest blow. SO far as
the destruction of property was con-
cerned, remained for the thriving vii
lage of Haydenville, where were
located the principal manufacturing
establishments of the town of Will
liamsburg Here were the brass
foundry of Hay den, Gore & Co., and
the large new Office building adjoin-
ing, in which was the Haydenvile
Savings Bank. Both of them were
large substan tial brick buildings, but
they stood up no more against the
flood than paper houses would have
done. They were swept clean away,
and with them the safe of the Savings
Bank, in which was $4,000 in
money. Nothing has been seen of
the safe or money since, The force
of the torrent at this point may be
Judged from the fact that a large
boiler was carried several rods, and
hoisted upon the verandah of the
Hayden mansion, while another boil
err was crammed full of mountain
trees On swept the current, carry
ing off Elan Graves store also
Eames' store, several houses with
their occupants, part of Loomis'
Hotel, Thomas Hayden & Co s tobac-
co factory, and two iron bridges both
nesrly SO feet above the stream, one
being carried bodily q considerable
distance down the stream.
There was a terrible loss Of life at
Leeds, the next village encountered
by the flood. The first iHtimation
received there OF the impending dis
aster was terrigc roaring as of
train of cars passing over bridge.
La an instant down came the torrent.
At first no water was visible, but
wall of driftwood, thirty feet wide
and several hundred feet wide was
seen sweeping down the valley at the
rate OF twenty miles an hour. The
food first carried off the dam and
portion of the works of the Monta-
que Silk Company, and then struck
the company's boarding house near
the upper store. Here Capt. Vaughn,
the depot master, and three women
lost their lives. The last seen of
Vaughn, he jumped from the l. into
the main part of the ground-story of
the building as it parted, and went
down with the flood. The water
here was as high as the floor of the
upper store. The bridge and lower
dam went next, and the flood then
struck Main street, leaving only
three houses standing. Here was
the greatest loss of life. Women and
children rushed out of doors only to
be swallowed up in the fearful food.
Only two moments notice was given
to the hands in the saw-mil, but
nearly all escaped, though eight or
III