Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-05-23
THE LAST HORROR /
Fearful Flood in Massachu-
sets +!

The thriving manufacturing villag-
es of Williamsburg, Skinnersville,
Haydenville and Leeds. in the towns
of Northampton and Williamsburg,
Hampshire County, Mass, were al
most entirely swept away by flood
ofwater caused by the breaking o q
dam on Mill River, last Saturday.
1t. is estimated that nearly 200
lives were lost and q million dol
lars worth of property destroyed.
The dam which gave way was forty
feet high and 122 feet thick at the
base, constructed of stone, and was
thought to be proof against any pres
sure of water that could possibly be
brought against it. About IL a.
m. the water was discovered burst
ing from the earth around the escape
pipe and almost in an instant the
whole structure was rent and torn,
and the vast body Of water was rush
ing upon the villages below, with
such rapidity that no warning could
be given to the inhabitants. In
many instances, whole families per-
iShed, while i'll others part escaped
only to see those who were dear to
them as life itself snatchcd by the
awful current, and hurried into etern-
ity in moment. The force of the
water was so great that the most for.
midable structure crumbled before il,
and hardly a building of any descrip-
ton was left standing where but a
few hours previous stood prosperous
villages. The total loss of human
life can probably never he fully COM
puted, but from the returns already
made 127 bodies have been identified,
while others are found buried in the
mud or thrown up far upon the dry
land.
On Tuesday a special committee
appointed by the Legislature visited
the scene of the calamity to ascertain
what must be done in the way of re-
building roads and bridges. Some
interesting facts concerning the re-
sponsiblity for the disaster vera clio
tied by their investigation which we
copy from the correspondence of the
Boston Globe.
The party went through Florence
Haydenville, Skinnervillc, and vii.
liansbur9, right up to the broken
reservoir, which point was reached
about 2 O'Clock. Among those who
had joined in along the way were
prominent men from the several vii.
lagos, and the contractor and engineer
| by whom the reservoir had been con.
structed, Joel BassetL of East Hamp.
ton and Emery Wells of NCrthamp
| ton. At the reservoir there was &
good deal of excitement among the
hcayey losers who were present
The original contract and specifca.
tons were read, and, at the conclu,
sion, the contractor began TO cndeay.
or to prove that his work had been
done faithfully according to agree.
ment. One OF the provisions was that
the stone wall which ran across the
river in the center of the cmbankmcnl
should have u foundation resting on
the solid rock. Mr.. Bassett was en-.
deavoring to show that this had been
complied with, when Colonel Henry
w. Wilson Of the committee stepped
forward aud said:
Mr. Bassett, that provision was not
complied with; the witness is at your
feet in that loose earth and the testi-
mony is against yop."
Colonel Wilson then took the spe.
cifcations and showed to the commit
tee in what they had not been COM
piled with, showing himselftC be amas-
Ter fthe subject which he was dis Gus
sing. The most important thing thai
he showed WAS that the dam was forty
feet less in thickness than was agreed
upon. He also showed shat the cen
trail wall, upon which so much de-
pcndencc had been placed, had not
been built on solid rock, bnt on the
loose earth, so that of course, the wa
ter could work under it. At the con-
clusion Of Colonel Wilson's statement
Mr.. Skinner, who has lost every dol
lar Of a handsome fortune, walked up
to Mr.. Bassct and Mr.. Wells and said :
Look here; if you want to know
what | think Of you two, I'll tell you
that you ought to have 4 rope around
your necks, and something ought to
be done with the rope, too"
A GRANGER's DPEAM.-The Lam
ark Gazette, staunch Granger paper.
publishes the following which is too