The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-05-22
Al Northampon-Emorr Wheel Com.

At Northampon-Emory Wheel Com
pany, damage $4,000.
At FIorence-the Florence Manufac-
turing Company's brush factory, damage
to stock $1,000. Wonotuck Silk Com
pany's silk mill partially torn away, and
stock damaged $4,000.
The damage to the town of William
sburg, by loss of bridges, the great de-
struction of roads and the complete ruin
of the best meadow lands, is at present
cripple the town. Three iron bridges
were CARRIED away. In the village of
Williamsburg, one wooden and two iron
bridges; in the village Of Leeds, one
bridge was taken of, and in the village
of Florence, one wooden and two iron
bridges were swept away.
1t appears that serious doubts as TO the
safety of the reservoir have been enter
tanned ever since it was built, nine years
ago, though less the last year or two than
in its early history. The gate-keeper has
several times expressed fears to his en-
polyerz, calling special attention once to
a point where a break occurred, but the
examiners always reported everything
safe
The direct cause OF the disaster, aside
/ from the general weakness of the dam,
must remain subject of speculation.
Perhaps as satisfactory theory as any
/ is the one advanced by man familiar
with the case, that frosts had started the
earth so that the water had found num-
erous little courses through it, which fin
ally carried off the first mass of earth
Saturday morning, and at once precipit-
ated the catastrophe.
New YORK, May 17.-Just below Leeds,
ON what was pretty lawn, called War
ner's fats, vast amount of debris was
collected, A hundred men with OK
teams and horses to move the heavy
timbers began work early in the morning
In the first half hour FIVE bodies were
found, and before noon thirty were un.
buried in that spot. The operatives
from Williamsburg, whose lost ones had
not been recovered, crowded the little
carpenter shop into which the bodies
were carried, and all were recognized
although some were disfgured almos
past recognition. In the string of vehic
les every few rods were wagons contain
ing one, two and sometimes four coffineC
bodies en- route for the cemetery, for il
! the universal bereavment, interment fol
lowed swiftly after the recovery of th'
bodies, and funeral services, except in ;
! few instances, were dispensed with.
At Haydenville the bodies were laid
out in the Congregational Church. Ly
: ing side by side were a mother, and he
: two children. Near them q mother, he
married daughter and her two infan
: children. The dead of those of whom
: the food had left destitute were burie'
at the expense Of the town.
The dead of Williamsburg numbe
ffty-seven. The Town Hall was thicl
: with the uncofined bodies, principal.
? of women and children. The churehe
were closed, and the pastors and peopl
| devoted their whole time to the care {
| the dead, which were removed to the re
: ceiving vault of the cemetery as rapiOl
: as the burial facilities permitted.
Y One poor fellow worked alone for a
j hour around the wreck of his own hous
: which was carried away half mile froI
0 its place. He lifted up the boards an
y timbers very carefully, peering insid
e them so anxiously that a throng soon a
: sembled around to watch his movement
|, "I'm hunting for my wife," he SAT-
n when questioned. "She was in the hou'
y when the food came, and she must
g near it now" Those who tried to heI
him we're scarcely able to do SO, becau
g he would have each board lifted as car
:, fully as though the body lay below. +
l. worked until late in the afternoon befo
= he learned that the body was amor
? those found on Warmers Flats.
r The gatekeeper of the reservoir sa.
IL he has lived in constant expectation of
1T break, and has often called the attentic
of his superiors TO its unsafe conditio
l. The accident has caused great apprehe
ct sion among the residents along the we
IL branch of Mill River, of which the G
Ut shen reservoir is the head, and viii
ut Joins the east branch at Williamson
ar 1t is in all respects similar to the w
OF liamsburg reservoir. To-day petiti
d. numerously singed, was sent to the col
Id pany owning it, asking to have it empti
at at once, and the dam strengthened. Pc
ular apprehension ran so high that t
ed citizens threatnned to take the matt
nd into their own hands and break the da
ne The company promised to do what
necessary at once.