Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-05-25


Florence it was capable of doing no dam
age other than the carrying away of
light bridges. at Northampton, 100
feet of the railroad track and railroad
bridge were washed away. The ice-hous-
cs above the hoe shop were swept off. of
course, as soon as the reservoirs were
emptied the food subsidized and the river
resumed its regular course. The evil eff
fects of the disaster to the Valley of
Mill River is almost incalculable. 1t is
a terrible blow to its business prospects,
and it is difficult to tell at present where
it will end. There is no insurance on
the property destroyed.
A thriving and prosperous strip of
country. Astounding in broad acres OF
rich lands, and presenting a beautiful
and picturesque view of the homely but
happy life of the Hampshire hills, has
been converted into reeking quagmlre
in which the remains of human bodies
the wrecks of houses and factories. and
mounds of debris of all kinds form
sickeniug spectacle. 1t was without par
allel in the history of terrible catastro.
phies, and those who survived to witness
it have had an impression made on their
minds which can never be etfaced. In
the Nonotuck mill in Leeds the scene
was of the most appalling nature. Wo-
men and children rushed out of doors,
only to be swallowed up in the fearful
flood. Only two minutes notice was CIV
en- to the hands in the silk mill, but
nearly all escaped, though eight or ten
met death in the street. Only the CHM
ney remains of all the building. The
wooden mill was seen to lift up IN the
centre and then crush together like an
eggshell and in moment the brick
wall crumbled as if built of dust. Ny
ron Smith, one of the employees, rushed
into a water-closet in the second story
of the brick mill the closet was close
beside the chimney, and did not 60 with
the.mill. Smith was afterwards saved.
Mr.. Isham and girl were standing by
the door. when young man rushed up.
and giving the girl his hand, called on
her to run. Isham said, ''Come into the
mill and shut the door, The girl ran
as asked and Isham went back and was
seen no more alive. The scenes remind
one forcibly of the story told by Charles
! Reade in his Put Yourself in his Place,
r of the breaking of the Ousley dam and
t the destruction Of the manufacturing
5 village of Hillsboro. Even Ransome'
: ride from the scene of the break, through
S the districts in its course, has been out
Q done by the courageous Waterman who
# rode his horse to death, and then mount
l. ed another and pursued his course, warn
If ing the thunder-stricken inhabitants o
h their fearful peril.
L. Many persons at Haydenville and vii
" liamsburg have been made insane by tn
st fearful excitement which prevails, an
ne from the loss of friends. AS fast as tn
ne bodies were foucd in the Florence mead
IL ows they were taken to William Wa
We ner's carpenter shop, on the Florenc
of road, for identification. The scene he1
b. was perfectly heart-rending. On til
he floor, in irregular order, lay eightee
be corpses of all ages, from the child tN
Vi years old to the woman of seventy. Ne;
he the door, with fearful cash in the for
I'VE head, was Ralph Isham, the book-keep
of the Critchlow button mill. Over
are the corner was the widow Fitzgeral
rs while all around were blackened corps
of with their clothes half torn off. and
eds some instances terribly mangled.
deS Scenes and incidents connected WI
or the terrible disaster are told to every
tly quirer, and many of them will pass il
on history as a portion of the legenda
en- lore of the Inflated neighborhood.
but When the alarm came to the affrig
erly ed citizens, some were paralyzed W
ties fear and unable in consequence to eff
mp their escape. Many women tainted
Vii the streets and were borne away by
hes, relentless current. So sudden was
One inundation that many lost their prese
hen of mind and rushed widely from poi
the of safety into very death itself. 9th
in who remained to save loved ones "
the themselves lost. Eight cases Of insar
inch have been reported from among tt
pur- who were either rescued from the
used rent or who lost some near relative
Of the food. They were committed to
oun- asylum here, and some Of them hav
es of far recovered composure as to be ain
that entirely out of danger.
hick. Probably. the most impressive 81
lays connected with the terrible calar
proof was the warning given to the resia
of the Inflated valley and the maj
dis of its communication. It's stated
ound the Waterman, when he found that
slant dam had actually given way, mount
torn, horse, drove with the utmost pos;
shing speed to Williamsburg, shouting to e
e in one to flee for their lives, as the tor
the would soon be upon them. His /
), but was so urged beyond his strength
huge he dropped dead in the streets of
as a liamsburg. Procuring another hors
front dashed on to Skinnersville, little
nber, lage next in the path of the food, spl
ma ing dismay in every direction. 1t
lwell- a fearful ride, with the torrent ros
wave behind him-a race not for his own
lners- but for the lives Of others, and al
lamp- as worthy to be immortalized In
CON- as Sheridan's ride to Winchester
earful more similar STILL the historical II
Will Paul Revere Tearing down to the
. res village, he shouted the tidings to
e riv- liam Skinner, proprietor of the silk I
The who instantly gave the alarm by
,e the ing the bell of his factory as for
sweep His operatives, rushing out, were
luding to run for their lives to the hills '
IS saw surrounded the village They
mill, scarcely time to do so before the
e food had swept away the factory. Thei
away itants could not at first realiz
RS and amount of the danger, and in the
er was fancy they were swallowed up /
BIKE in roaring torrent and whirled away
solid plains below, where their bodies
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