The Portland daily press., 1874-05-18
Three Villages Destroyed.
Sad Calamity in Western Massa-
chuSettS
Many Lives Lost.

A large reservoir about four miles north OF
Haydenville, Mass, burst about eight o'clock
Saturday morning, and the water came rushing
down the hills, carrying everything before it.
1t struck the southeastern portion of Williams
burg village, about two miles north of Hayden
vile, carrying away large number of dwell
lings, thence to Skinnersville, where it swept
away SINNERS large silk mills and his board
ing and dwelling houses. Continuing on 1t
struck the large brass mandatory of Hayden,
Geer & Co., sweeping it away in an instant.
Large stones and machinery were swept through
the main streets at a fearful rate, and well built
houses instantly crushed, not giving the in
mates moments warning.
The flood then struck the village of Leeds,
where large number of shops, dwellings, etc.,
were swept away. The loss of life was very
heavy, whole families in some instances having
killed or drowned.
1t is impossible at this time to give the num-
Der of lives lost. Twenty bodies up to
Saturday noon had been taken out of the rub
bish on shore. Whole blocks of tenement
houses filled with women and children were
swept down stream, and were of course lost.
The damage to property must be hundreds of
thousands of dollars, while it is impossible to
estimate accurately the loss of life.
Among those drowned at Williamsburg wa.
the wife of III. G. Frost AT Leeds Captain
Vaug an and Mrs. Fl. f. Quigley and daughter
were in a house which was swept away and
were drowned.
Reports are coming in of far greater loss of
ifa at
ny's works and the Florence Manufacturing
Company's works are damaged S25OOO
Conductor E. NJ Chandler passed over the
road early Saturday morning with his train
from Williamsburg for New Haven just ahead
of the flood that swept away his wife and child.
Engineer Roberts who was to start on the next
train, lost his wife and child just below Will
liamsburg the flood swept away SINNERS fac
tory, with several women operatives, who had
just begun work. At Haydenville, Samuel
Miller lost his wife and three children.
At Haydenville, Hayden, Gore and Co.'s fac
tory including the Office and the Haydensville
Savings Bank, with a large amount of funds.
and also 3. Loomis's hotel were swept away.
At Leeds, Mr. Warmers cotton factory was
swept entirely away, leaving the chimney to
mark the spot At Northampton the iron bridge
on the hospital road was swept away, taking
the canal railroad bridge in its course 1t stop
ped at the south street bridge
Goshen reservoir covered one hundred and
fifty acres of ground, at an average depth of
thirty feet 1t was drawn upon in dry times
for the supply of the mills at Williamsburg,
Haydenville and Florence.
The reservoir was constructed ahor+ 4,roy -
years ago, in order to afford reliable supply
of water for the various factories on Mill river.
whichls one of the most tickle and uncertain
OF streams, liable alike to floods and almost ut
ter drouth.
1t was built by company of capitalists who
were interested in the various manufacturing
enterprises on the stream, and has caused them
apprehensions of disaster at several times. Last
year, however, it was repaired at heavy ex-
pense, ard since then has been supposed to be,
until now, tolerably secure, although known to
be leaky.
A telegram received from Northampton esti-
mates the loss of life by the great flood at six
ty.
At Leeds, an old man was drowned with
several others, in the Warner button factory;
also Ralph |. Shaw, whose body has not been
found French family of six children, Mrs.
Robert Fitzgerald and children, Edward Han
non, wife and children, Gavarall Davis. Patrick
O'Neil, Mrs. Hickey, whose daughter was
swept away, but recovered and will survive.
Evali ne Sherwood (body found), Mrs. Bonney
and her sister, John Ryan and two children.
Twelve houses at Leeds were swept away and
part Of the silk mill is gone.
The following is a list of the drowned at Hay
denville: Mr.. Kiplnger, shoemaker; Mr. Ja-
COB Hill; Mrs. Jennie Hillman; three children
Oh samuel Miller; two children of E. H. Tbav-
er; boy named Brodeur; Mr.. Hitchcock, Capt.
Joseph Hayden's son. 'rN
AZ haydenvile and Leeds the dwellings not
hospitals. 0"'i"oi nouSe' anu
IL; "a traln on the Canal road went out to Leeds |
f MN pSovlslons At Haydenville the stores of
Eian uraVes, Mr.. Eames and G. RE were |
swept away. AT Williamsburg Sunerintendent |
was crowned fe"'
AT Williamsburg, DR. johnson wifi. ord
children, also Epaphesdus Hubbard wara
drowned. Twenty-seven bodi, s were d;soovor 80
I'd at two o'clock, three of which are at tho
Northampton Town Han, and fourteen at Flor
.nce See :tmen Starkweather and Burr or
yanized force of twenty men at Leeds and
wenty at Northampton to search the route of |
he flood for bodies. J