Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-05-18
WILMINGTON, DEL, MONDAY, MAY Is, 1874. PRICE
An Avalanche of Water.
The Last Appalling Calamity.


HAAPsHIRE COUNTY, MASS, DKLUGED WITHOUT
A MOMENTS wARSINa-THE MANUFACTURING
TOWNS OF WILLIAMSBURG, LEEDS, AND HAY
DENVILLE SCENES OF DEATH AND DssoL ALTON.
BosToN, MASS May 1.-THE most dreadful
disaster that has ever visited this State or any
other occurred this morning at Goshen. Williams
ourg, post village in Hampshire county, ninety
i've miles west OF this CITY,
THE BREAK OF THE RESERVOIRS
AT Goshen "A reservoir covering l5O acres Of
Sround, ana having all average depth of thirty
'eet, was constructed about twelve years ago in
oruer 10 aford reliable supply OF water ior
various iactofies on Mill River, which Ia one OF
tie most hckls aud uncertain OF streams: liable
aiike 10 Hoods and almost utter drought AZ WAS
bullt by a company OF capitalists who were iu-
tefested IN various manufacturing enterprises on
tue stream, and has caused appit tensions of dis
is'er several times. Last Year 1t was, however
rtpaired at heavy cost, and since then has been
supposed 10 De toerably secure, although known
to he leaky How false this suppostiou the hear
rrndlng story OF the day only too plainly prove.
~ ah eA'!S hour u o'clock the people living III
the immediate vicinity ut the reservoir wee
startled hy the report OF the breaking Of tbs ~
eNolI' fIiSht INSTANTLY seized upon every one
anu Us The water came rushing down the hllI.
lyihs everything before 1t, men, women ma
children He'd for their lives No one t1r IN,
| moment, thought OF saving proprrtv m d.'' ."'
ger u themselves was too apparent to ston m
thhh ot anything else but prrc ipitate flight IN,
torrent struck the southeastern port,on ot WIi,
hlabufg hrst' sweeping away large number
ot dwellings, tdence 1t rushed down upon Sk,u-
heisVht, where large silk mill and dwelling
houses were driven beiJre il III al Instant Heavy
Socs anu mac ulntfy came riding nth the too,I
ana houses, no matter how strongly built. wer.
crushed almost to atoms, III most instances the
| inmates not having IA moments warning. Thr
! lille village lell ha 81, ~.
water, and Us before, shops, dwellings,. and Ih',
IKE, gave way before il. One OF NV informant.
saw whole blocks OF tenement houses,
FILLED WITH WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
| swept uo"n The stream. The break was SO sud.
| ucn ana over" htlhlng, coming like an avalanche
| thNt the iosa oil lie must be terrible Whole
| FAMILIES are knuwn to have been kiIIet or drawn
| ell while being carried over the dam or conrss
| II Is as yet impossible t0 give the exact uumb.r
oi llNes lost though |: Is certain that not less II
not more than a hundred were hurried lnto rter
NIFTY. >'''
BosroN, May 10 Dispatches from the sosra
OF The Hood to-day, say that at SklunersviIla tbe
| store OF Hayden, Gere u Co., and the Hayd,nylll,
savings Bank building, with the sale, were swept
away. lhe sale contained <3j, 900 in money (
t'raFes store IT, Ames' store and several hous, )
Looms Hotel, Hayden " Co.'S tobacco faetorv
and two iron bridges wera also swept away At
The village oi Leeds terrible loss OF Lts occut
req AT hrst no water was visible, but "A wall az
dflltwood 10 lest high and several hundred feet
IN width, was seen sweeping down The valley al
thr rate "t twenty miles All hour. A portion ,t
the Nantnck silk factory was swept away. vIIh
The bflck wsrdlnS-house ol the Company Cant
Naughn, depot master, and large number ar
women and children, were swept aw,y bv IL,
torrent ol water. Only the chimney is leJ stand
OF the silk mil.
The Crtchow button mil and stores nrs nil
gohr, ana only three houses are lett staudng-
me loss Is estimated al 81 100000 A. H. C'nt.
CHOW n son ln-sw, George WaIner. iose $780,
Voo henonatuek six Company lose S45 COO
W. +. QulgIey, loss $4,000
lhs town ot Northampton loses $4,000 in
blidees aud roads Ihe loss at WIllams sburv
aad iiaydeuvilia cannot at present be estimated
H. james woollen mil Is still standing; also
the Hayden Manufacturing Cotton Mil
unly Two houses are lett standing at Skinus,s.
vi'lr Fifteen bridges, twelve iActorits and sew
entS hive buildings are gone, and four hundred
people eit homeless lhe exact number Of hive:
! cannot be ss,eftainsd at this Writing
Bo>roS, May l6.-A later dispatch ssvs tha,
~ lives have been lost, and upwards of 81 600,
| OoO OF property and treasure have been SVEN,
r away by TINS dood