The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-05-29
A MASSACHUSETTS, CALAMITY.
frtghtfui Loss Of Life by the Hreak-
tns 81 Mill ReservOtr-The Water
Carries on Everything in its Course
Four Villages SW q na Mav

Ing az a Mill Reservoir-The Waaes
Carries ON Everything i0 its Course
Four villages swept Away.
NEW YORK, May ia most horrible
calamity has befallen the inhabitants of Mil
River Valley, In Western Massachusetts,, the
particulars Of which are as follows. ms given
10 in special dispatch 10 the Herald
Not far from O'Clock on Yesterday morn
ing. the peaceful residents Of Williamsburg
were startled by the appearance Of "A horse
dasbing madly through the streets, while his
rider shouted 10 the people 10 escape for their
lives, for the reservoir had given way and the
waters We're coming down upon them.
Scarcely comprehending the dreadful tidings,
hut with the instinct of self-preser, alton
strong within them, the people began 10 rush
from their homes, while the ioam-iecked ami
mai that had so CALAMITY brought the messen-
ger sank TO the ground utterly exhausted.
Another horse was quickly secured and the
message was borne 10 other villages. The
alarm was so sudden that all did not hear il
and were caught by the swiftly rolling
waters; and aged grandames, innocent chill
dren, and strong men were alike over
whelmed by the Hood or buried beneath the
falling walls of their houses.
THE CAUSE OF THE DISASTER.
Up among the hills of Goshen there was a
large reservoir OF about l0i acres in extent,
where the various mill operators of Williams
burg. Skinnervile, Vaudeville and Leeds
were wont to store their summer supply of
water. The people living in the vicinity of
the dam say that it has been leaking more or
less for several weeks. and II is believed that,
having gradually undermined the dam. the
water acquired strong headway, and suddenly
the dam gave way and the immense body OF
water passed out in lis strength. carrying
everything before il. The torrent rushed
upon the doomed villages with loud roar,
apparently
LARGE DvANcTNG Bu.Low
underbrush and debris. rushing rapidly
through the deep gorges to the height of forty
Feet, and again spreading out wide expanse
oil seethlng, angry wayes.t II reached the
more open country. Reaching the beautiful
village of Williamsburg, two and "A half miles
plstant, II struck small button factory,
sweeping II out Of existence. Next saw
and grist-mill was attacked and melted. not
vestlge remaining. Houses, barns and shops
followed like grass before scythe, and men.
women and children were caught and borne
away. struggling and shrieking in vain. ON
the waves swept 10 Skinneryile, two miles
distant, "A silk factory being hurled down a
huge iron boiler being edrried nearly half
mile and landed high aha dry In HAYDEN
vile, about one mile furthes on. the bank
building, three-story brick structure, was
swept away. scarcely one brick being left
upon another. The money in the vault shared
the same fate. The smaller village of Leeds.
uttWttu one anu TWO miles distant. WAS the 4
next place % suffer. and the scenes al Will !
liamsburg and Haydenville were here
short distance below Leeds !
were two bridges. one of iron and |
one Of stone. both nearly ftv |
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 ap- |
pears 10 have stopped. although all along the /
river until Il emptied into the Connecticut "A /
short distance below Northampton, the banks |
are covered with all manner Of debris. tim
Der. trees. pianos, tables. chairs. and other
furniture.
we're destroyed. and the total loss is from 81, :
100000 TO Sl.jOO,000. although. of course. it
: Impossible To accurately estimate the dam
ige. The saddest feature of the whole affair
i the
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
Al first u was thought that not more than
orty or NIFTY lives were lost, but a careful
;anvass of the villages visited gives the tota
number Of missing persons NJ ~.
THE INUNDATED DISTRICT.
The villages affected by the disaster are
" Williamsburg. lIaydenville. Leeds and Flor
nee, all situated on Mill River, which is trib-
itary TO the Connecticut River, running into
ne latier at Northampton. In the village of
Williamsburg Mill River divides into two
one of which has its rise in Goshen.
md the other a. about the edge of Conway
TWO large reservoirs are situated on the Go
'hen branch. and one on the Conway branch
containing total depth of not less than six
eet. The reservoir dams We're regarded as
constructed. being built by
'killiul engineers in the most approved mod
,rn method, and large sums Of money were
last year In putting them i'm
What was supposed to be perfect order.
ne Oldest dam l. at least twenty-five years
u age, and j. on the Goshen branch. IL
vas most carefully rebuilt within the last
wo years. Above this was new dam. built
ast year. The dam on Conway branch is six
n seven years old. The mills on the stream,
eckonlng from Williamsburg down 10 North
mpton, are a follows: VIM. Thayers tool
actory, and two button factories, employing
hirty hands, men and girls; the corset wool
N mil OF Henry James, EMPLOYING about
MY hands; the large brass works Of Hayden.
Iere X Co., employing about 800 hands; the
otton mill of the HAYDEN Manufacturing
,ompany. running 5000 spindles. and en-
loving about eighty hands; the Dia-
1ond Tobacco Works, employing fifteen or
wenty hands; the two extensive silk mills
the Nonotuck Silk Company. employing
O0 hands; the large brick mill OF the North
mpton Brush Company. employing about
Ixty or seventy-five hands: the cotton mill
the Greenville Manufacturing Company.
900 spindles, employing seventy-five or
Ighty hands; Northampton formerly Bay
tatc) Cutlery Company, employing probably.
NJ hands; the Clement a Hawkes. Manufac-
lring Company. agricultural implements.
fifty hands: International Screw
nd Nail Company. employing seventv-five
ands; the large basket factory Of Williams
Company, employing about
10 hands; and the skinner silk Works,
EMPLOYING fifty or sixty hands. Be
dies these. there are some half-dozen grist
nd saw-mills. some Of them of considerable
opacity. which were in the range of devas-
tion. The manufacturing capital invested
ong the Mill River and affected by this dis
'ter. placing it at a low estimate, must be
We million dollars. and the immediate popu-