Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1874-05-22
DISASTER IN MASSACHUSETTS.
Breaking of an Immense Reservoir.


On Saturday morning last the manufacture
ing villages of Williamsburg, Haydenvile,
Leeds and Florence, Massachusetts, situated
on Mill river, tributary of the Connecticut,
were suddenly overwhelmed by deluge caus-
ed by the breaking of a reservoir above Will
lmmsburg. The torrent swept down upon
factories, mills and tenement houses, taking
the thousands OF men, women and children
nnawares, sweeping away or overturning
buildings, and carrying down hundreds Of
people many of whom lost. The latest
estimate of the loss of life places it at over one
hundred and fifty persons, the bodies Of many
of whom have been recovered. The loss of
property is estimated at over 81, 600, 000.-
The following dispatches give the full particu-
lars OF the calamity
SCENE OF THE CATASTROPHE.
BosToN, May 1.-THE reservoir above Will
liamsburg, Mass, constructed with two Others
to supply the manufactures of Williamsburg,
Leeds and Haydenville, gave way at early
hour Saturday, the water sweeping everything
before it, and causing large loss of life The
villages affected by the disaster including
Florence, are situated on Mill river, which is
tributary of the Connecticut river, running
into the latter at Northampton. In the village
of Williamsburg Mill river divides into two
branches, one which has its rise in Goshen,
and the other at about the edge of Conway.
Two large reservoirs are situated on the Gosh
en- branch and one on the Conway branch,
containing total depth of not less than six
feet. The reservoir dams were all most sub
stantially constructed built by skillful en-
gineers in the most approved modern method,
and large sums OF money have been expended
during the last year in putting them in what
was supposed to be perfect order.
The Goshen reservoir which gave way COW
cred SO acres of ground at an average depth
of thirty feet The reservoir was constructed
about twelve years ago in order TO afford
reliable supply of water for the various facto-
ries on Mill river, which is one of tie most
tickle and uncertain of streams, liable alike to
floods and almost utter drought II was built
by company ofcapitaists who were interested
in the various manufacturing enterprises on
the stream, and has caused them apprehen-
sions of disaster several times Last year,
however, it was repaired at heavy expense,
and since then has been supposed 10 be until
now toeraby well secure although known to
be leaky.
DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY.
The reservoir broke about O'Clock in the
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 Hay
denville, carrying away large number Of
dwellings, thence TO Skinneryille. where it
swept away Mr. Skinner large silk mills and
his boarding and dwelling houses. Continu-
ing on, it struck the large brass mandatory
OF Messrs. Hayden, Gree Il Co, sweeping it
away in an instant. Large stones and machin-
cry were swept through the main streets of
Haydenville at rapid rate, and wel-buif
houses were instantly crushed, not giving the
inmates moments warning.
The food then struck the village of Leeds,
where large number of shops, dwellings, &C.,
were swept away. The loss of life is very
heavy, whole families in some instances having
been carried away over dams, and were either
killed or drowned. Whole blocks of tenement
houses filed with women and children were
swept down the stream, and all the inmates,
of course were lost. During the day al Hay
denville bodies were constantly being brought
in and laid in the church. Most of them can
be recognized.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
There were narrow escapes. A butcher
named Michael Henegan was caught, and with
his horse and wagon carried along until he
managed to get into the top of tree and thus
escaped. Thomas Thomesay was carried two
miles afoa. some timber until he finally
escaped. Ira Dunning was in like manner
carried over half mile, and Charles Brady
after riding in imminent peril for mile,
escaped in tree DR.. johnson warned bis
wife in season to enable her to escape in safety,
but in trying TO save his three children he was
caught by the food and they all four perished
in sight of the agonized wife and mother
Conductor E NJ. Chandler passed over the
road carly Saturday morning with his train,
from Williamsburg for New Haven, just ahead
of the food, which swept away his wife and
child. Engineer Roberts, who to start
out on the next train, lost his wife and child.
just below Williamsburg the food swept away
SINNERS factory, with several women opera
tives, who had just begun work.
There were between fifty and sixty dead bo-
dies recovered on Saturday, and to-day or
ganized searching parties going ever the
course Of the flood in search of others. The
total number of lives lost is so and the pro-
perty destroyed estimated at 81, 900, 600
The bodies recovered are terribly mangled,
and many of them stripped Of every parti-
Gle of clothing.
At Haydenville and Leeds the dwellin gs not
destroyed turned into charne houses and
hospitals.
A train on the Canal road has gone out 70
Leeds with provisions.
Florence thieves are pilfering the trunks OF
factory girls at Leeds.
THE ALARM.
SPRINGFIELD, May l7.-Collins Graves, a
milkman, who was at the livery stable at Will
liamsburg when the gatekeeper, Cheney, was
trying 10 get some one to spread the news be-
low, exclaimed, "If the dam is breaking the
people must know it, and lashing his horse
into a run he dashed away toward Hayden
vile, shouting, ''The reservoir is right here
Run-it is all you can do ~
1t was now Il quarter of eight, and mean
while Cheney had rung the bell Of the Con-
gregational Church to further warn the viii
lage folks. On went horse and rider, spread
ing the alarm. Graves shouting all the way
He made directly for the manufacturing esab-
liShments, 'for,' said he, 'the people in the
streets and houses could hear, but the roar
of the factories would drown any warning for
the operatives"
AT Sknnersvile the messenger was five min
utes ahead Of the coming torrent, but ut Hay
denville he ha6 but two minutes to spread the
alarm. This famous e OF Collins Graves,
which saved many hu red lives, ended at the
hotel in Haydenville. Horse and rider were
both exhausted and here another herald took
up the tidings.
Graves could hear the thunder Of the com
ing flood, but not fully appreciate its extent
He turned TO go back to Williamsburg. Al
the 'dugway," The disaster which he had
predicted, burst upon his sight, and he had
just time TO turn of into the bank when it
crushed past hin. Indeed he was not two
seconds too soon, and as it was, he had almost
despaired Of reaching place of safety.
SPRINGFIELD, May l8.-Thousands of peo-
pie have gone from this city and the surround
ing country to Northampton and the scene Of
the Mill river devastation to-day. The search