Connecticut western news., 1874-06-19

and spurred away.
 His hoise was fast and powerful, and carried him in three minutes back to Emden's farm. The farmer rad gone to bed. Ransome told him he feared the dam was going then galloped on to Hatfield Mill. Here he found the miller and his family all gathered out side, ready for 8 start; one workman had run down from the reservoir.
 "Ths embankment is not safe."
 "So I hear. I'll take care of my flour and my folk. The mill will take care of herself" And he pointed with pride to the solid structure and granite pillars.
 Ransone galloped on, shouting as he went.
 The shout was taken up ahead, and he heard voice crying in the night. "It's comingl It's coming!" This weird cry, which, perhaps, his own gal loping and shouting had excited, seem- ed like an independent warning, and thrilled him to the bone. He galloped through Hatfield, shouting, |" Save yourselves Save yourselves r and the people poured out, and ran for high ground, shrieking wildly. Looking back, he saw the hill dotted with what he took for sheep at first, but it was the folks in their night-clothes.
 He galloped on to Damfask, still shouting as he went.
 At the edge of the hamlet, he found cottage with no light in it; he dis mounted and thundered at the door. |" Escape for your livesl for your lives !''
 A man called Hillsbro' Harry opened the window.
 "The embankment is going. Fly for your livesp p
 "Nay," said the man, coolly, "Ouse- ley dam will burst neane this week, !" and turned to go to bed again.
 There was sharp explosion heard up in the hills.
 Ransome pulled up and said aloud, cit will be all right now, thank good ness they have blown up the weir"
 The words were scarcely out of his mouth when he heard loud, sullen roar, speedily followed by tremendous hiss, and rumbling thunder, that shook the very earth where he stood, two miles distant.
 At that appalling sound, that hissing thunder, the like of which he had never heard before, and hopes never to hear again, Ransome spurred away at all his speed, and warned the rest of the will lage with loud inarticulate cries he could not wait to speak, nor was it necessary.
 At the top of the bill he turned mo- ment, and looked up the valley; soon he saw lofty white wall running down on Hatfield Mill it struck the mill and left nothing visible but the roof, sur | ronnde6 hv white foam
 Another moment, and he distinctly saw the mill swim 8 yard er two. then disappear, and leave no trace, and on came the white wall, hissing and thun- dering.
 Ransome uttered cry of horror, and galloped madly forward, to save what lives he might.
 Whenever he passed house he shrieked his warning, but he never drew rein.
 As he galloped along, his mind work ed. He observed the valley widen in places, and he hoped the flying lake would spread, and so lose some of that tremendous volume and force before which he had saen Hatfield stone mill go down.
 With this hope, he galloped on, and reached Poma Bridge, five miles and half from the reservoir.
 Here, to his dismay, he heard the hissing thunder sound as near to him as it was when he halted on the hill above Damfask but be could see nothing, owing to turn in the valley.
 At the bridge itself he found a man standing without his hat, staring wild ly up the valley.
 He yelled to this man, "Dam is burst. Warn the village-for their lives run on to Hillsborough-wheny you are winded, send another on. You'll be paid at the Town Hall."
 Then he dashed across the bridge.
 As he crossed it, he caught sight of the flying lake once more he had gone over more ground, but he had gone no farther. He saw the white wall strike Dolman's farm there was light in one window now. He saw the farm house, with it's one light, swim bodily, and then melt and disappear, with all the poor souls in it.
 He galloped on ; his hat flew off he came under the coiner's house, and yell ed warning. A window was opened, and man looked out the light was behind him, and, even in that terrible moment, he recognized -Shifty Dick.
 'The foodl the flood Fly! Get on high ground, for your lives l" * * * * *
 At the first blow, the house that stood nearest to the flying lake was shattered, and went to pieces soon af- ter; all the houses quivered as the water rushed round them two stories high.
 Fearful as the situation was, sick ening horror was added to it by the horrid smell of the water it had foul and appalling odor, compound of earthiness and putrescence it smelt like newly-opened grave; it paralyzed like serpent's breath.
 As Henry Little, the hero of Reeds story, left the barn in which he had taken refuge, he tried to find his way to the road, which he knew led up the hill to Woodbine Villa. But all land marks were gone houses trees, hedges. all swept away; roads covered three feet thick with rocks, and stones, and bricks, and carcasses. The pleas ant valley was one aorrid quagmire, in which he could take few steps, bur- dened as he was, without sticking, or tumbling against some sure sign of destruction and death. Within the con- pass of fifty yards he found steam boiler and it's appurtenaces, (they must have weighed some tons, yet they had been driven more than mile) and 8 dead COW, and the body of wagon turned upside down the wheels of this same wagon were afterwards found fifteen miles from the body.]
 He began to stagger and pant.
 Soon after this, they came under a short but sturdy oak that had survived; j; and, entangled in it's close and crooked branches, was something white. They came nearer it was dead body some poor man or woman hurried from sleep