The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-19
NEW YORK HERALD TUESDAY, MAY 49, ls74-TRIPLE SHEET

NEW J
IN incident little moro terrible than the others
or some mad work OF destruction little more
conspicuously frfgntful than the rest The face Of
nature has completely changed IN this once happy
and smiling valley, and every scene reflects
the sorrow around It. And the rains
which poured down all day long. have made this
theatre OF death even ghastier than 1t was before.
With the full sunlight OF yesterday 1t was CHASTITY
enough without the sombre shades OF this fretful
day. cannot now attempt to recount the dsas-
ters, beginning with the wife and daughter OF Liv
ingstone Bartlett who were the rrst to fall VIC.
tins to the mood, and ending. perhaps. with the
little boy whose body saw dragged out from the
meadows below Leeds.
nAYDsNsvlLLH.
1pointed moment ago to Haydenavile a. the
Poma Bridge OF Charles Reade's story. 1t Is the
village In the centre Of the valley. Immediately
below 1t Is Leeds; above it Williamsburg. 1t was
a beautiful village. William SINNERS silk mill.
which was just below the Williamsburg depot,
marked the dividing line between 1t and Its neigh
Dor village. The mill il gone the last brick and
the elegant mansion OF its proprietor is the shat
tered monument OF what this man had wrought.
The operatives at first regarded the story OF the
until the mill and many houses near
1t were swept away-n0t until the Hood
had come and almost gone that they awoke to the
terrible reality. Onward swept the waters, and
the mill Of Hayden, Gere Co. was also swept
away, and with 1t the savings bank, where some
foolhardy people had ensconced themselves to wit
ness and watch the flood. At this point the river
was walled with solid masonry, but the walls were
uprooted and the huge stones which composed
them were tossed about ike SO many pebbles
dropped into an eddying current. On the high
ground above is the house OF Joel Hayden, built by
the late Governor Hayden where the boiler from
the mill now lies on the lawn. Other residences
equally elegant stand in Q line with 1t, and
though they remain, every tree in front OF them
which was not swept away is imbadded In i'm
mense masses OF debris where, perhaps, some OF
the undiscovered bodies are buried. On the other
side OF the river the banks were not SO high and
nearly everything went with the hood, q line Of
rubbish on the hillside marking the height which
the waters reached. And 50 rolled the Hood on
through Leeds, continuing its work Of destruction
till its force was weakened in the meadows above
Florence. Thus weakened, on and on 1t
went till the Connecticut swallowed 1t and
all that came with 1t, calmly vanquishtng
what q moment before mad been q giant.
My imagination has been SO much impressed by
what witnessed coming here-the des0lated val
ley, the ruined buildings the houses filed with the
dead, the vehicles bearing the disfgured bodies OF
the victims, the possibilities OF almost impossible
revelations OF disaster and death-that cannot
overlook the scenes upon which my eyes have
rested without emotions which come to few men
In the course OF o long lifetime. This Is no Ordi-
nary scene, even to one who has seen death in
every shape. 1t is worse than battle field where
the carnage has been TERRIBLE for here most of the
victims have been women and children, too weak
to run from the death that overlook them. 1t was
an overwhelming torrent rushing through peace.
iul valley and showing itself a messenger
or destruction, which claimed nrst OF all
what was choicest and best That valley, once
noted for its industry and now historic
from its calamity. Is before me, and Its woes may
be seen wherever the eyes chance to rest. Will
Harrisburg, Haydensville Leeds are the names Of
one common misfortune which could not have
happened II few men, considered the safest and
best in the community had guarded as carefully
their own interests and the lives Of their operatives
as they had shrewdly carved fortunes out Of
nothing.
TOUCHING INCIDENTS.
And, again, the disaster was full OF incidents.
1t could not be otherwise where the story OF every
victim was tragedy scarcely less terrible than
the crimes OF the French Revolution. have had
brought to me here where write the stories
which the newspapers In Springfield tell-stories
which, In many forms, are repeated from one end
OF the country to the other-and what /
most remark about them 10 the heedessness with
which the important ana the unimportant are CON-
mingled. The account Of Henry T1lton bearing his
mother ana his little son to place Of safety but
escaping, while both OF those he loved were swept
away, Is more pathetic than Virgls legend
OF Eneas bearing Anchises upon hts shoulders
from ruined Troy-more dramatic than
Henry Litte's struggle with the Hilsboro' Hood for
the safety OF Grace Garden. But In the next
breath we are told that COW noated down from
Williamsburg to Florence, and escaped with
only broken horn. Poet never wrote any
thing inner in conception or truer to the grand
and overpowering impulses of mothers
heart and mothers love than Is contained
in the lament of the poor Irish woman who lost
her husband but saved her crippled child only to
lose him also by Q subsequent accident which
bele him while they were bearing him to place Of
safety. comp cried she, 'that should live to see
this night An the boy cried to me, Sure you won't
leave me. mother, to be carried in the noodp an,
l rushed and snatched him out OF bed, and got out
between the houses, and as God hears me, I
could't get farther, am I stood there, am the
boy In my arms, an the water going over me.
And I was Knocked from here Wild tim
Der that hit me on my leg and again in the
breast, but Pm alive and saved the boy. but he'll
die the mornin', an the mans gone. Edwards
gonel On, but for the rainy morning, he'd been
here at work and saved! Oh, my darling, my
darling, God help us"
No pen, save Victor Hugos, flushed with describ-
ing the horrors or La vendee, can adequately
describe this disaster. Among calamities IL is
enic in all its phaseS I can ONLY survey the field
over which the mad waters rushed in their fury
and think that II had time to collect all my
thoughts and opportunity to select the nttest word
for telling all have heard might unfold chapter
which other men would read with feelings akin to
my own.
THE SEARCH FOR BODIES.
NORTHAMPTON. Mass. MAY IL 1874