Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-05-28
A TERRIBLE CALAMITY.

| Breaking or ~ Extensive Reservoir
I'm Massachsss sts--Townss Swept Away
and Nearly Two Hundred Lives Lost
--Immessc Destr Getion or Property.
A terrible disaster occurred at the little
manufacturing villages Of Williamsburg,
Hsydeuville and Leeds, in Hampshire
County, Mass, few miles north OF
Springfield, on Saturday, May 10. The
Goshen reservoir, covering about 1875
acres, gave way about eight o'clock, its
waters sweeping through williamsburg,
Haydenville, Leeds, Florence and North
ampton. The two first named are villages
| in the town of Williamsburg, and the three
last named are in the town of Northamp-
ton. All are situated on Mill River, a
mountain 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 telegraph dispatches giving
an account of this fearful calamity are the
following:
NORTHAMPTON Mass, May 1G
Not far from 3 O'Clock this morning the
peaceful residents of williamsburg were
startled by the appearance OF horse dash
ing 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
self. preservation 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 flood or crushed beneath
the falling walls of their houses.
Up among the hills of Goshen there was
large reservoir of about 104 acres in ex-
tent, where the various mill operators of
Williamsburg, Skinnersville, Haydens-
vile and Leeds were wont to store their
summer supply OF water. People living
in the vicinity of the dam say that it has
been leaking more or less for several
weeks, and it is believed that, having thus
gradually undermined the dam, the water
acquired strong Roadway, and suddenly
the dam gave way, and the immense body
of water poured out in It's strength, carry
ing everything before it.
The torrent rushed upon the doomed
villages with loud roar, apparently a
large, advancing billow of underbrush and
debris issuing rapidly through the deep
gorge to the height Of forty feet, and
again spreading over wide expanse OF
seething, angry waves as 1t reached
the more open country Reach
ing the beautiful village of Williams
burg, some two and half miles dis
tant, it struck q small button factory,
sweeping it 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 scythe, and men, women and chill
dren were caught and borne away strag.
Cling and shrieking in vain. One Of the
waves swept to Skinnersville, two miles
distant, a silk factory being hurled down,
and 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 lefIgp0R 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 HaydensTille were here
repeated.
A short distance below 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,
until IL emptied into the Connecticut, q
short distance below Northam pton, the
banks are covered with all manner of
debris-timber, trees, pianos, tables,
chairs and other furniture.
It Is estimated that nearly one hundred
buildings were destroyed, and the total
loss Is from one million TO million and
half of dollars, although, of course, it
Is impossible to accurately estimate the
damage.
New HAVEN, Conn.,, May II.
There was an hour and half of flood,
and then ebb, and at noon those who had
escaped came back in crowds to see tb
ruin. 1t was In awful sight. Hous =
were crumpled like twisted paper, trs e
stripped of their bark and limbs, e. %,
when their roots chung to the soil.
The beautiful valley Is waste of nu
and muddy water laden with dist, rte
and strange shapes. Great boilers hay
been carried hundreds of yards an 1 lc
crushed together and buried.
A man was picked up from tire lupc
which he had ridden six miles on he no
rent cheering and waving his CO Al. N
poor fellows mind was gone. Nc ie
than eight cases Of insanity Soleowe
among those who have lost rel ruivcs an
friends by the terrible Gala nir, an
three were committed to an ssytum !
Northampton.
Everything WAS ground fr q. and whe
the food was past the tim N,s were