Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-05-28
The Valley of Death.

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18th inst. the masonry around the
outlet gave way, and all in a min
ute, AS If a piece were bitten out of a
dam,a great wall of water seemed
to spring up into the air and leap
outside the sink below. The tor
rent was upon Williamsburg in
ten minutes, and sent It's spray a.
bove trees sixty feet high. 1t
crushed houses like paper, killing
men, women and children. AS it
went rushing down the valley it
dug up houses and swal owed them
in moment, leaving no trace
Trees and great stones came down
with the food. The mountain of
water, roaring like thunder
storm of hail, reached Skinner
vile and lifted the silk mills upon
It's shoulders before shredding
them intobits. At Haydensville it
swept away the factory in a mo-
ment. Al Leeds it came down a
wall Of water faced by an abattls
Of timber, trees and iron boilers,
which struck the village in the
full front. At first no water was
visible, but a seeming wall OF
driltwood, about thirty feet high
and severa! hundred feet in width,
was seen sweeping down the val
ley at the rate of twenty miles an
hour. There was an hour and a
half of flood, and then ebb; and
then at noon those who had es-
capped went back to see the ruins.
1t was an awful sight. Houses
were demolished, and trees strip
ped of their bark and limbs. The
beautiful valley is a waste of mud
and muddy water, laden with dis
toried and strange shapes. Great
boilers have been carried hundreds
of yards and left crushed together
and buried. A man was picked
from a tree upon which he had
rode six miles on the torren:,cheer-
ing aud waving his coat. On the
l7uh, the latest account of the es-
timated dead was l49, most of
whom were women and children.
The figures only represent per
sons whose loss is positively
known. The total loss of life will
exceed $50, if indeed it does not
more nearly approach 200. 1t is
utterly impossible as yet to give
detailed estimates of losses. aside
from the buildings destroyed and
damaged bridges have been car
ried away, roads ruined, and hun
dreds of acres Of meadow lands
rendered almost worthless. The
total loss must far exceed one mill.
ion dollars, and will probably come
nearer to two millions. 1t was
not far from 7 o'clock when the
first symptoms of the break were
discovered by the Waterman in
charge of tie dam. At first he
thought little or nothing Of the
circumstance but at length the
gap began to widen, and he very
properly became alarmed and has
tened to notify the inhabitants in
the villages below.
He started on run for Viii.
hamburg, which was less than
two miles distant, but long before
he got thele the whole embank.
ment gave way, and the stream
of terror, death aud destruction
was there ahead OF him.
He had to take refuge upon a
neighbOring hill to save his own
life, and thus became an agonized
and helpless witness OF a calamity
which he mad done all 10 his power
to avert.
To those who saw the terrible
volume approaching, it looked in
the distance as if terrible fire
was sweeping across the country.
The spray or foam had the appear
ance of heavy black smoke. The
deception was SO complete in the
village of Haydensville, the fire
bells were ringing a few minutes
before the devastating food struck
the town. |
1t appears that serious doubts
as tc the safety of the reservoir
have been entertained ever since
it was built, nine years ago, though |
less in the last year or two than
in its early history. The gate.
keeper has several times expressed
fears to his employers, calling spe-
cial attention once to the point |
where the break occurred; but the
always reported every
thing safe.
The direct cause of the disaster,
aside from the general weakness
IF the dam must remain a subject
IF speculation. Perhaps as salts
actory a theory as any is one ad-
Vanced by man familiar with the
case, that the frost had started