The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-05-18
A f l. o O ID.
BURSTING OF A RESERVOIR
Great Destruction Of Life
and Property,

place, burst about o'clock this morn
ing, and the water rushing down the bill
carried everything before it. The flood
struck the southeastern portion OF
Williamsburg, a village two miles north
OF this place. carrying away large
number OF dwellings /; and sweeping
along to Skinperville, demolished
Skinrer's large elk mills and his
boarding and dwelling b ouses; contin-
uing on, the water struck the large
brass manufactory Of Hsyd Gere q
Co., sweeping it away in an instant.
Large stones and machinery were swept
through the main streets at fearful
rate, and well built houses were in.
stantly crushed, not giving the inmates
a moment. 9 warning. The flood caught
the village of Leeds, where large
number OF shop,, dwellings, &c, were
swept away. The loss Of life is very
heavy in killed and drowned, whole
families having beencarried over dams.
1t is impossible at this time to give the
number OF lives lost. Twenty three
bodies, 20 tar, have been taken out Of
the rubbish. Whole blocks OF tene-
ments, filled with women and children,
were swept down the streat and all the
inmates, OF course, lost. The bodies are
constantly beirg brought in and laid in
the church. Most OF them can be
recognized.
FLORENCE, May l6.-There is great
excitement in this neighborhood over
the loss OF life and destruction OF pro-
perty in consequence of the bursting OF
the reservoir above Williamsburg. At
Leeds the silk mill and button shop
were both carried away. The station
agent OF the y, II. e. n. c. railroad
with his wife we're drowDed. At the
same place many were drowned. Several
bodies were seen going down stream,
but so swift was the current that they
could not be recovered. The water ID
now falling and more correct and def
mite particulars may be obtained.
New HAVEN, May l6.-The reservoir
which broke through the entertainments
this morning, causing such sad havoc,
WAS constructed to supply the manu-
factories Of Williamsburg, Leeds and
Vaudeville. These towns have been
nearly DESTROYED. One hundred lives
are supposed to be lost.
SpRINGFIGLD, May l6.-Reports OF
the disastrous consequences by the
breaking OF the reservoir at Jasper,
Hampshire cousty, this morning. come
in thick end fast. The damage to
property must be hundreds o. thousands
o, dolara, which it is impossible 10 es-
innate accurately. The number drowned
at Williamsburg was great, but reports
are coming in of a lar greater mum"
Der at Florence. The Nsnstuck Silk
Co = works and the Florence Manuiac-
turing Co.'S works are damaged to the
extent OF 800 OOO. Conductor f. M.
Chandler passed over the road early
this m9rniug, with his train from Will
liamsburg ior New Haven, juet ahead
OF the flood that swept away his wife
and child. just below Williamsburg
he flood swept away SINNERS factory
with several women operatives, WHO
had just begun work. At Haydenville
Samuel l. Miller lost his wife and
three children, and Haydeo,
Ge1e & Co.'S factory, including
their office and Haydenville Saving
Bank with large amount OF funds and
also Loomis hotel were swept away
Iced ~ Warmers button factory
was swept entirely away in this flood
which took the canal railroad bridge
in it's course. The water stopped al
South street bridge The morning
train from New Haven is at East Har>
ringtou. The flood is now suhsding
The Goshen reservoir covered $50 acres
OF ground and had an average depth OF
80 feet, and was drawn upon 10 dry
times to supply the mills at Williams
burg, Haydesvile and Florence. The
reservoir was constructed about twelve
wears ago 10 secure sufficient water toI
various factories on Mill river, one oI
the most uncertain streams, liable tt
floods and almost ntter drouth. 1t wal
built by the capitalists interested 10 TIT
various manufacturing enterprises OF
the stream and caused them apprehen.
sions OF disaster several times. Las
wear the reservoir was repaired at
heavy expense and was supposed 10 b
perfectly secure. although it has seem
ed to he leaky.
New HAVEN, May ia twenty
four inch pipe in the dam OF the grea
Askfeld reservoir above Williamsburg
Mass, had been leaking for weeks ant
some people had shaken their head
and said The dam must be attended t
or it might break. 1t did break yes
terdsy morning, and the masonr!
around this outlet gave way and then
all in a minute, as If q piece had beer
bitten out of the dam, great wall o
water seemed to spring up into the al
and leap out into the sink below. Tn
standing joke OF Mill River Valley
Look out, the dam is broke, wa
proved true at last. The torrent was Of
Williamsburg in ten minutes and sent II
spray above trees sixty feet high.
crumbled one house like paper an
killed a woman and her two children
then another and another. 1t swer
the wooden mills and rushed on at tn
rate OF twenty miles an hour. As
came raging down the valley it dug u
houses and swallowed them in an in
slant, leaving no trace OF them. IRE
butts and great stones came down wit
the flood. The mountain OF waite
roaring like a thunder storm of hal
reached SkinpervllIe and lifted the sll
mills upon its shoulders before shred
ding them into bits. At Haydenvlll
it swep, away the factory in q momen