The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-05-18

with two of his three little children his wife, a
native of Frederick, carrying the other, but the
family were overtaken by the flood and lost to-
gether.
w. II. Adams, whose Towering mill was on 0
OF the first buildings to fall, was lost with his
assistant Mr. Hitchcock. Mr. Adams, hearin g
of the coming disaster, went down to his house.
and warning his fami y, 'the reservoir has
broke" attempted to regain the mill when he
was met by the coming wave and swept away.
His house and his family were almost mrucu-
lously saved, the house of Hiram Hill, which
stands in the track of the food breaking its
force.
One of the saddest cases was that of Mr. Biz
mingham's family. Father, mother, and three
daughters were all swept away together. The
family were all at breakfast when the watsr
struck the house.
reporter of the the Republican who ex-
amlned the reservoir a few hours after the dis
aster describes the general aspect as follows:
The eastern section of the reservoir, in which
the hrst break occurred has disappeared from
top to base with the exception of few rocks at
the bottom, almost to the eastern bank near the
Stream: The stone wall which enclosed the
iron tube remained almost intact on the upper
side but on the lower side considerable more of
stones have been carried away by the force of
the current. The western half of the reservoir
has suffered less seriously, though even on that
side only the extreme portion, where COMPARE
lively little OF the pressure came, remains un-
paired Much more of the base of the stone
wall remains here than on the other side, so
That one can walk upen the remains of it to the
very centre of the stream.
OF the whole extent of the reservoir as it
stood Saturday morning it is safe to say that
one-sxteenth now remains. The features that
most impress one about the ruins is the small
ness of the stone wall when compared with the
immense extent of water which the reservoir
held. This wall was understood to be eight
feet thick at the base. Upon measuring sec
ton OF 1t. however, as it stood intact ten feet
above the bed of the stream, the reporter found
that it lacked about three inches Of being six
leet across. The upper third of the walk as
one walks across the chasm at what remained
OF 1t on the eastern side cannot fall to strike the
observer as seriously lacking in thoroughness
and stabily.
representative of the Springfield Republi
can made careful study of the reservoir, of the
disaster and the condition of the river, in the
course of which he had an interview with the
man who first discovered the trouble
most wonderful rescue, and probably the
only one of an adult person from the flood it.
self at Leeds, was that of Mrs Mary G. Hard
ing, sister of Miss Maria Clark of this city.
She was at work on the second floor of the silk
factory when the alarm was given, and had
reached the ground when the shout was raised.
''run across the bridge" She started, leading
the whole company, but soon the cries were of
another sort, and Come back" and Don't 90
over" were sounded Oh every side 1t was too
late for Mrs. Harding, though she was on the
bridge, and going back was as perilous as going
forward. She ran as woman seldom ran before
and no sooner had she and perhaps half doz-
en- others reached the farther shore than that
immense debris struck the bridge and it went
down with crash carrying with it six or seven
girls and women who were Just little too late.
The woman kept on running for the Ross
store and making, as she AYERS, pretty good
time, While her companions, who had crossed
the bridge, entered the fated boarding house.
10 fha tn h. n,. ~..l
just got through the larger gate below the steps
leading to the store when the water rushed up
carried of the gate ald threw her down near
the lower stair. Luckily two men were on the
oank and she was drawn up, but not a moment
too soon, for just then the steps went and the
three had to seek safety higher up the Shore
The escape from the bridge from the dissenting
debris from the chance of entering the house as
her companions did and from the water after
ward, make Mrs. Hardngs case most mar
velous one, she, the OILY of all the thirteen who
started over the bridge was saved.
One of the saddest cases was that of three
French children, none of them over nine years
old, whe sat among the living and dead in Mr.
Warmers house at Leeds, and told questioners
that they had lost three sisters brother and
their mother, bnt that their father was safe and
attending to some of the dead people, but
many well knew he was among the dead also,
yet none had the heart to break the terrible
news to the children.
mother to place of safety when the relent
less water seized them. She was carried away,
while he grasped tree about fifteen feet high,
and was saved, though the waters reached and
swayed him.
Three men. J. NJ. Stephensons and two new
hands whose names were not known, fearing
the boarding house in which they were, with
number of others would give away, despite
the entreaties of their associates, climbed an APP
pie tree near by. The latter fell under them
and thew 6rowna1 wbio tba
boarding house remained unframed. One man
ventured upon the roof of the boarding house
and though it crumbed under him he chung to
it and saved his life. John Atkins. foreman of
the weaving room died IN saving the lives of
his wife and two children
All through the centre nothing remains of
the high wall of stone and EARTH which rose to
the hight of forty feet in the bed of the
stream, save the stone work running at r ght
angles with the dam at the bottom. In the
very bread of the stream nothing is left, and
where the water DOW flows harmlessly along its
ancient channel, not slone remains from top
to Dottom. A small dOrtiOn of the eastern part
of the reservoir and a larger section of the
western still remains.
Above the eyesweeps over the bed of the res
ervolr a tract of Ill acres, covering the south
near the Conway line. This land nestled in
among the hills is for the greater part tolerab1y
level, sloping off partly more or less on every
side and dotted over a large part of its surface
With StuHpS OF trees tnaC formerly occupied 1t.
Below the reservoir the sight is most impress
sive. The vast mass OF water suddenly loose
and dashing down the narrow valley has
wrought such devastation as one would not
have believed possible without having seen it.
The very bed of the stream has been cut in
places many feet below the original course, and
for long distance the valley is dotted, some-
times crammed with huge rocks torn from the
reservoir, while the trees that in many places
lined its bank have quite vanished and those
that marked the outer edge of the torrent are
all tattered and torn. Indeed, as one stands on
the remaining wall of the reservoir and looks
about, the scene is most desolate and iIn-
pressive.
Three Children Fatally Poisoned.
BOSTON, May ia sad case of poisoning
occurred here to-day. Three little boys, aged
81 A and years, while they were playing in
the yard of house where their parents resided,
found box of rat poison, of which they ate
with fatal results.
lee Schooner Wrecked.
Schooner Matthew Kenney, from Hallowell
for Philadelphia with cargo of ice, went
ashore at IL o'clock to day at South Wellfeet,
Cape Cod. Crew all safe. At last accounts
the vessel was in good condition. The wind
was southeast, blowing heavy. There was
slight insurance on the vessel.
WASHINGTON.