Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-05-23
TELEGR A PHr~
LATER FROM THE ATLANTIC Static

Reservoir Bursts its hanks and Ov.~.
f"nr Manufacturing vili.2cs-A Loss "
HAYDENv1LLE, Mass, May 1G.-Tho
reservoir supplying the manufacturers
OF Williamsburg, Leeds and Havdo,
vile, broke this morning, swept dow
the hills and through those VILLAGES
almost completely destroying them
Whole houses and factories We've oaa
RED off. Several tenement houses wero
crushed and the inmates had not t;mo
to escape. Dead bodies are constan+i,,
arriving. Twenty-three have been d.
covered already. It is estimated thot
one hundred persons persisted. The
water is now falling. Tie reservoir
comprised $50 acres, and had an nv
erage depth of thirty feet It was
drawn up in the daytime to supply mills
at Williamsburg, Haydenville and Flor
ence. The reservoir was constructed
about twelve years ago. There was
scarcely sufficient water for the various
factories or mills, and the river was one
of the most uncertain of streams. Iahlo
to floods and almost utter drouth: tanks
had to be built by capitalists interested
in various manufacturing enterprises on
the stream. 1t caused them apprehen-
sion of disaster several times last year
The reservoir was repaired at heavy ex-
pense, and was supposed to be perfect
ly secure, although it seemed leaky.
BosToN May 16.-The villages af-
fected by the reservoir arc Williams
burg, Haydenville, Leeds and Florence.
They are situated on Mill river, which
runs into the Connecticut at Northamp-
ton and Williamsburg. Mill river d.
vides, one branch rising at Goshen. It
has two large reservoirs, and there is
also reservoir on branch rising at
Conway. These reservoirs was consid
cred substantially constructed, skillful
engineers having built them after the
most approved modern methods. Much
money was spent during the year in re-
construction. The Oldest dam is rs
years old, and is situated on the Go
shen branch. 1t has been carefully re-
built within two years. The capital in
volved in this disaster is $1,000 900.
The Immediate population suffering
must be about 5000. This population
is almost wholly manufacturing. The
heaviest loss will fall upon the estate of
the late Ex-Governor Hayden, who
died recently. One of the mills was
lately sold by the executors of the es-
tate. Sunday had been appointed for
memorial day in the memory of the
Ex-Governor. Reports that Lieut-Gov-
ernor Talbot and wife were in Hayden
vile ut the time were untrue. He left
here on Thursday for Northampton on
business, but returned.
The Loss OF Lire-,Ec"surcs OF Relief
SrRINarIELD, May 1G.--A Northamp-
ton telegram estimates the loss of life
by the food at sixty. At Leeds sever
al persons were drowned. A train has
gone to Leeds with provisions. Sc
lectmen Starkweather and Burr have
organized twenty men at Leeds and
twenty at Northampton to search in the
flood for bodies. Fifteen bridges, II
factories and IS buildings have gone,
and 500 people are homeless.
Damage to Business and Property.
Boston May ia dispatch from
tho scene of the disaster to-day, gives
the following particulars: At SINNERS
vile, Hayden, Gerge Il Cos stores and
the Haydonvlle Savings Bank, with
the safe, were swept away. The safe
contained $50, 900. T.. NJ Graves and
f. Ames and several other houses, tho
Loomis Hotel, Hayden e. Cos tobacco
factory, and two iron bridges were also
swept away.
Tho Origin OF the Disastcr--A Terrible
| story.
New YoRK ,-Evoning-May 16.-A
Herald special from Northampton says:
"About 8 o'clock this morning man
on horseback came rushing into Will
lismsburg, warning the people that tho
reservoir had broken; but the notice
was so short that many could not tako
advantage of it. People living in tho
vicinity say the dam has been leaking
for weeks and had been gradually under
mined. Tho roar of the torrent as it
rushed upon the villagers was deafen-
lug. Ills estimated that 100 buildings
have been destroyed, and the total loss
is estimated at from 81 900, 900 to ST.
500, 900. A careful canvass shows that
nearly 100 lives have been lost-at
Williamsburg, 40; at Leeds, 80; at
Haydenville, 32. From so to GO bod
les have already been recovered.
At Leeds terrible loss of life took
place. At first no water appeared, but
a seeming wall of drift wood thirty feet
high and several hundred feet wide ap-
pearcd, sweeping down the valley at
the rate of twenty five milesan hour. A
portion of Montague's silk factory was
carried off. with the brick boarding
house of Capt. Vaughn, depot master,
and a large number of women and
children were engulfed by tho torrent.
One chimney is left out of the silk
mill. Crutchlow Button Mills and
stores are all gone. Only three houses
are left standing. The loss is estl-
mated at 81 900 900. A. P. Crutchlow
| 81 IL, .on ;,low Gaorra Warner