Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-05-22
GREAT FLOODIN MASSACHUSETTS.

Breaking Away of an Extensive Water
Reservoir-Towns Swept Away and
Nearly Two Hundred Lives Lost-Im-
mense Destruction of Property.
A terrible disaster occurred at the man
ufacturing villages of Williamsburg, Hay
denville and Leeds, in Hampshire County,
Mass, few miles north of Springfield, on
Saturday, May 16 The Goshen reservoir,
covering about 1875 acres, gave way about
eight O'Clock, its waters sweeping through
Williamsburg, Haydenville, Leeds, Flor
ence and Northampton. The two first
named are villages in the town of Will
iamsburg, and the three last named are in
the town of Northampton. All are situ-
ated on Mill River, mountain tributary
of the Connecticut River, which flows
into the latter south of Northampton. In
the village of Williamsburg Mill River
divides into two branches, one of which
has it's rise in Goshen and the other at
about the edge of Conway. Two large
reservoirs are situated on the Goshen
branch and one on the Conway branch,
containing total area of not less than
1000 acres, with an average depth of not
less than six feet. X
Among the telegraph dispatches giving
an account of this fearful calamity are the
following:
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. May Is.
Not far from o'clock this morning the
peaceful residents of Williamsburg were
startled by the appearance of horse dashing
madly through the streets, while his rider
shouted to the people to escape for their lives,
for the reservoir had given away, and the
waters were coming down upon them.
Scarcely comprehending the dreadful tidings,
b,,t xrifh hn ir,af Of a1f afi
strong within them, the people began to rush
from their homes, while the foam-fecked ami
NAL that had SO gallantly brought the messen-
ger sank to the ground exhausted. Another
horse was quickly secured, and the message
was borne to other villages, but the alarm
was so sudden that all did not hear it, and
scores were caught by the swiftly-rolling
waters, and aged grandams, innocent children
and strong men were alike overwhelmed by
the floor or crushed beneath the walls of
their houses.
Up among the hills of Goshen there was a
large reservoir of about 104 acres in extent,
where the various mill operators of Williams
burg, Skinnerville, Haydenville and Leeds
were wont to store their summer supply of
water. People living in the vicinity of the
dam say that it has been leaking more or less
for several weeks, and it is believed that, hav-
ing thus gradually undermined the dam, the
water acquired strong headway, and sud-
body of water poured out in its strength, car
rying everything before it.
The torrent rushed upon the doomed viii
lagos with loud roar, apparently large,
advancing billow of underbrush and debris
issuing rapidly through the deep gorge to the
height of forty feet, and again spreading over
a wide expanse of seething, angry waves as
it reached the more open country. Reaching
the beautiful village of Williamsburg, some
two and half miles distant, it struck small
button factory, sweeping it out of existence.
Next, a'saw and grist mill was attacked and
melted-not yestige remaining Houses,
barns, and shops followed, like grass before
a seythe, and men, women and chill
dren were caught and borne away struggling
and shrieking in vain. One of the waves
swept to Skinneryille, two miles distant, a
silk factory being hurled down, and huge
iron boiler being carried nearly half mile
and landed high and dry. In Haydenville,
about one mile further on, the bank building,
three-story brick structure, was swept away,