Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-05-22

to his own store.
\ Y. W. u N. W. Libbeys store at White.
Held was broken open Tuesday night. the
safe blown to pieces, and about three hun.
dred aud fifty dollars stolen.
james Hazen, Jr., runner for Whitcber
n Stratton, Of Concord, has been sent 10 iail
for embezzling $500 from the firm and con.
fesses.
Prot Young, Of Dartmouth college. has
accepted the invitation Of the government %
go to China with the scientific expedition 70
observe the transit of Venus.
Charles Webb, freedman about 20. who
was attending Dartmouth college, accideutly
broke both bones Of log few DAYS AGO.
while playing football, SCATTERING one bone
badly. He was taken 10 his home in Man.
chester.
John Doorway, Of Montreal, tried to get
admission to a hotel, with his family, at
Manchester, on Wednesday night Of last
week, but being refused, he disappeared, and
one OF his children has since died at the
station-house, while his wife is very feeble.
MASSACHUSETTS.
Cakes Ames's estate has been thrown in
to bankruptcy.
A colony of 30 families left Boston for
Kinsley, Kan, last week.
A. f. Barker, sub-contractor on the
Lowell and Andover railroad. has run off
with $500 belonging to Mr.. Rice, the gen.
eral contractor
The car and repair.shops of the New
York aud New England railroad company
at Readville were burned last week Thurs.
day loss $4,000.
Paper mill machinery capable of turning
out two tons Of paper daily, has been
shipped this week to japan by Worcester
iron company.
So numerous have become the liquor pros
ecutions Of late in the Lowell Police Court,
that it has been found necessary to devote
one day in the week exclusively for such
business, and Thursday has been set down
in the court calendar as rum day.
A South Boston rumseller filed a bow 10
years old so full Of liquor on Sunday that
he nearly died, aud the people therea bout
say that they will make South Boston too
warm for that rumseIler, when the boy re.
covers enough to give the mans name.
A company Of fifty Lowell mechanics are
going to buy lot of land for $4,000 at
Chelmsford and build village on the CO.
operative principle, each member of the
CONCERN to pay 800 down aud IS month
I'LL the work is done. The cottages will
probably cost about $1,000 each.
One of the most terrible calamities ever
known occurred in Hampshire County last
Saturday morning. A large reservoir on
the east branch of Mill River Just above
Williamsburg broke away at about o'clock
in the morning, causing flood that almost
entirely swept away the villages OF Will.
iamsburg, Skinnervile, Haydenville, aud
Leeds, with fearful loss of life. Those are
all manufacturing villages, the lasts being
about eight miles below the reservoir, aud
the operatives in the factories having but
few moments warning, many of them we're
swept away before they fairly realized what
was coming. Some idea Of the force of the
water can be formed when we consider that
the reservoir covered an area of Ill acres
with an average depth Of "a feet, the water
being 40 feet deep at the point where the
dam broke away. The wave when it reached
Williamsburg was 25 feet high aud came on
with an Undesirable roar louder than thun.
der. Leaving the bed of the river il swept
down the main street of the village, carry
ing everything before it. The news that
the Williamsburg reservoir had broken
away was carried on horseback, reaching
Williamsburg ten minutes, Skinnerv;lle Eve
minutes, and Haydenville only two minutes
in advance Of the food. From HaydeDville
man drove to Leeds in an express wagon
aud gave the alarm, barely keeping in ad-
vance of the flood. Nearly il not quite $50 |
lives we're lost, the slaughter being greatest |
at Leeds, that place having the shortest
warning. This reservoir was built in 1865, |
and fears have always been felt that the |
dam was not safe. An investigation as to
whose carelessness is chargeabe with this
shocking loss OF life aud destruction Of prop
erty will doubtless be had The dam was
built Of stone, feet thick at the base and |
2 feet at the top, and 40 feet high THIS
was encascd in an enbankment OF earth 100 |
feet at the base and sixteen at the top. The
gate keeper, whose business was to be on the
lookout for danger, has heretofore expressed
fears that the dam was not safe us a stream
Of water as large as u mans arm came
through the earth at the point where the
break has now occurred, but of late less
anxiety has been felt. The loss of proper
fy is estimated at 100000 or over, of
which $3.50, 900 falls upon the manufacture
ers in the destruction of the mills and res
orvoir. Probably $4,000 will not more
than cover the cost to the towns of Will
amsburgand Northampton Of repairing roads
and bridges, aud 100000 scarcely covers
The destruction of homes and smaller in
iustrles and the utter devastation of the
ertile meadows The cost Of the reservoir
vas $50, 900. which is a total loss. The
whole highway from the reservoir to the
own line of Williamsburg, about 7 miles,
loS forms the bed of the river, and six
'Ostly iron bridges swept away are among
he damage done. The search for bodies is
carried on steadily and systematically.
Many Of the bodies recovered were buried
sunday and others are awaiting identified
ioL or the arrival Of friends. In the midst
It all this desolation thieves and pickpock-
'ts from the cities are plying their vocation,
hough regular and temporary police forces
ire doing their best to prevent crime.
Those who escaped with their lives lost all
Use, and the destitutlon and suffering are
reat In response to their call for relief
money, bedding and clothing are pouring IN
literally from all parts Of New England.
Williamsburg will petition the Legislature to
xempt the town from state and county tax
his year, which wilt doubtless be granted.
The legislature has sent committee TO the
Gene of the disaster to investigate aud re.
'ort regarding the necessity of state aid.
n the House of Representatives at Wash
ngton, Monday, Congressman Willard moved
0 include the Mill River vallev sufEarars