The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-05-21
Dreadful Calamity.
Three Villages in Massachusetts,
Swept Away. One Hundred
Lives Lost.
FIRST DISPATCH.

great water.reservoirs, situated in
Hampshire county, Western Massa.
chusetts, along the liro Of the New
Haven aud Northampton Railroad.
burst this morning, completely sweep
ing away tho three manufacturing
villages Of Leeds, Haydenvi!le and
Williamsburg. Scarcely building
is left standing. At last accounts
seventy lives had been lost.
The operator at IIaydenyil!e says
that several bodies have just been
found.
The reservoirs were used to sup.
ply the streams in that vicinity in
dry seasons, but the heavy rains last
night burst them. They were silca
ted three, eight and tea miles, re-
speotively, from Haydenville. Net
house Is standing in Williamsburg.
At this writing the waters Am .
siding. The obstruction ~ 80 h..
is not less than $4,000, 1000. T..
SECOND DISPATCH.
Bosros. Mass. May 16-The villa.
gcs affected by the disaster are Will
liamsburg. Uaydenvllle, Leeds and
Florence, located on Mil river, o
tributary to tho Connecticut, running
into the latter at Northampton.
The mills on the streams have all
been carried away, and included
Brass works, button factories, silk
and cotton mills, brush factories,
agricultural implements, and basket
factories, etc besides saw and grist
mills. The manufacturing capital iu-
vested along Mill river Is estimated
at 45,000.CC0, and the immediate
damage effected is 100000. The
valuation OF Williamsburgh, farm.
ing aud manufacturing town, is near
100000, personal, aud the number
of dwelling houses in both Williams
burgh and Haydenyille, which is a
settlement in that town, was about
500.
The station agent of the New la.
ven and Northampton Road, at Flor.
ence, was drowned also his wife,
At tho same place many persons
were swept down the river. and
many bodies have passed down the
stream, 1t being imp ossible to secure
them on account of the swift current.
The reservoir dams were all most
substantially constructed, in the m ost
approved modern manner. a later
dispatch says that 100 lives were lost
/ : bo M % t's. -so;<-cs .hat j,
is impossible to get details.
FURTHER ACCOUNT.
HAYDHsvILLE, Mass, May TO-
The largo reservoir, about four rliles
north OF this place, burst about
o'clock this morning, and the waite,
came rushing down the hills carry
ing everything before 1t.
! The food struck the south eastern
portion OF Williamsburg village
two miles north Of this place. carry
ing away largo number of dwell
ings, and sweeping along to Skinner
vile, it demolished SINNERS large
silk mills and his boarding and dwell
ing houses.
Continuing on, tho water strucl
the large brass mandatory Of IIay
don, Gerc & Co., sweeping it ava,
in All instant. Large stones and ma
chinery were swept through thu
main streets at a feariu! rate, ant
we'll built houses woro Instant,
crushed, without giving the inmate.
a moments warning.
The food caught tho village o
Leeds, where large number OF shops
dwellings, etc. were swept away.
The loss OF life is very heavy il
killed and drowned, whole famiIieI
having been carried over the dams
1t is impossible at this time TO give
the number OF lives lost. Twenty
three bodies, SO far have been takcr
out of the rubbish on the shores
Whole blocks OF tcnements, filled
with women and children. x4he estab
down the stream, and all the esmates
Of course, were lost.
AT noon bodies are cops,antl,
being brought in and laid in til,
church. Most Of them can be recog
nized.
FLORENCE, Mass, May 16.-rher,
is great excitement in this neighbor.
hood over the loss Of life and the
destruction of property In conse.
quence Of the bursting of the rcser.
voir above Williamsburg.
The Station Agent Of the New
Haven and Northampton Company
with his wife, werc drowned. A,
the same place, many others were
drowned. Several bodies were seen