Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-05-28
A TERRIBLE CALAMITY.

Breaking of an Extensive Reservoir I'm
Massachusetts-TO Swept Away
and Nearly One Hundred and Fifty
Lives Lost-Immense Destruction of
Property.
A terrible disaster occurred at the little
manufacturing villages of Williamsburg,
Haydenville and Leeds, in Hampshire
County, Mass, few miles north Of
Springfield, on Saturday, May 16. The
Goshen reservoir, covering about 125
acres, gave way about O'Clock, its waters
sweeping through Williamsburg, Hayden
vile, Leeds, Florence and Northampton.
The two first named are villages in the
town of Williamsburg, and the three last
named are in the town of Northampton
All are situated on Mill River, noun
tain tributary Of the Connecticut River,
which flows into the latter south of
Northampton. In the village of Will
iamsburg Mill River divides into two
branches, one of which has its 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.
Among the telegraphic dispatches Civ
ing an account of this fearful calamity
are the following
NORTHAMPTON, Mass, May 16.
Not far from eight 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, but with the instinct of
selfpreservatiOn strong within them, the
people began to rush from their homes,
while the fOam-fecked animal that had so
calamity brought the messenger 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 over
whelmed by the food or crushed beneath
the falling walls of their houses.
Up among the hills of Goshen there
was large reservoir of about 104 acres
| in extent, where the various mill oper-
ators of Williamsburg, Skinnerville, Hay
denville and Leeds were wont to store
their summer supply of water. Peo-
pie living in the vicinity of the dam
say that it has been leaking more or less
for several weeks, and 1t is believed that,
having thus gradually undermined the
dam, the water acquired a strong head
way, and suddenly the dam gave way and
the immense body of water poured out
in its strength, carrying everything be-
fore it.
The torrent rushed upon the doomed
villages with a 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 II wide expanse of
seething, angry waves as it reached
the more open country. Reaching
the beautiful village of Williams
burg, some two and a half miles dis
tant, it struck a small button factory,
sweeping it clear out Of existence. Next,
a saw and grist mill was attacked and
melted-not a vestige remaining. Houses,
barns and shops followed like grass be-
fore a scvthe, and men, women and chill
dren were caught and borne away stTug-
cling and shrieking in vain. One of the
waves swept to Skinnerville, two miles
distant, silk factory being hurled down,
and a 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, scarcely one
brick being left upon another, the money
in the vault sharing the same fate.
The smaller village of Leeds, between
one and two miles distant, was the next
place to suffer, and the scenes at Will
iamsburg and Haydenville were here re-
peated
4 short distance from Leeds were two
bridges, one of iron and one of stone,
both nearly fifty feet above the bed of
the stream. They were both swept away,
the former being carried bodily and a.
considerable distance down the stream.
Here the greatest destruction appears to
have stopped, although along the river, |