The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1874-05-27
THE TERRIFIC TRAGEDY.
THRILLING DETAILS OF THE SCENE
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION SWEEP
THROUGH 4 POPULoUs VALLEY.


THRILLING DETAILS OF TIE SCENE
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION SWEEP
THROUGH 4 POPULoUs VALLEY.
SPRINGFIELD, MASS, May IT,
The Williamsburg reservoir, cover
ing a tract of over one hundred
acres, gave way early in the forenoon
Saturday. precipitating the vast
mass of water it contained, three
miles down the steep and narrow
valley into the thriving manufactur-
ing village Of Williamsburg, thence
further down the>valley through the
villages of Haydenville, Leeds and
Florence into Northampton Mea-
dows, where the stream empties in
to the Connecticut river. The huge
torrent, dashing in to Williamsburg
with relentless power, swept away
in moment the manufacturing es-
adjustments and numbers of dwell
ings, causing enormous destruction
of property and terrible loss of hu-
man life. The lower villages suffer
ed only less awfulIy. The latest
| figures of the loss of life make the
total one hundred and forty y-four,
divided as follows between the three
places: Williamsburg. 60; Leeds,
40; Haydenville, 35. The figures
only represent persons who's loss is
positively known, though the bodies
of all are recovered. Bodies are
constantly being found, and in some
cases those of persons who were not
supposed to be lost, so that it seems
perfectly safe to say that the loss OF
life will exceed one hundred and
fifty, if, indeed, it does not more
nearly approach two hundred.
now THE FIRST ALARM WAS SOUNDED.
Collins Graves, milkman, who
was at the livery stable in Williams
burg where gatekeeper Cheney was
trying to get some one to spread the
news, exclaimed If the dam is
breaking, the people must know it r
and lashing his horse into q run, he
dashed away toward Haydenville,
shouting, 'the reservoir is right here
run It's all you can do" /" 1t was
now quarter to eight, and, mean.
while, Cheney had rung the bell oi
the Congregational Church to fur,
ther warn the village folks. On
went the horse and driver. spreading
alarm, Graves shouting all the way
He made directly for the manufac
turing establishments. For" said
he, 1.-THE people in the streets and
houses could hear, but the roar ol
the factories would drown my warn
ing for the operatives.
At Skinnerville the messenger was
five minutes ahead Of the coming tor
rent, but at HaydenviIle he had but
two minutes in which to spread the
alarm. This famous ride of Collins
| Graves, which saved many hundreds
of lives, ended at the hotel in Hay.
denville. The horse and rider were
both exhausted, and here another
herald took up the tidings. Grave:
could hear the thunder of the com
ing food, but, not fully appreciatins
its extent, he turned TO 90 back tC
Williamsburg. And the dugway
the disaster which he had proclaim
ed burst upon his sight, and he hae
just time to turn off on a bank wheI
it crushed past him. Indeed, b,
was not twenty seconds too soon
and as it was. he had almost des
paired Of reaching . place of safety
and had thought of abandoning hi
tired steed to its fate.
George Cheney. the gate-keeper
who first discovered the trouble
makes the following statement: II
went out, as usual, Saturday morn
ing about six O'Clock; everythin.
looked all right; the reservoir wa
full as it had been for several days
water was lowing out Of the waste
way, on the west side, past his house
the gateway having been closed 70
fortnight. There was no sign of a
impending catastrophe, and Chene,
returned to his house. His family
including his wife, several childrei
| and his father, sat down TO break
fast. They were just finishing th