The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-05-22
THE HAMPSHIRE CALAMITY.
Further Details Of the Great Disas.
ter,
THE GATE-KEEPER's STORY.

From the Springfield Republican.
George Cheney, the gate-keeper, lives
little below the reservoir, on the west
ern bank, but out of range of the food.
He has held the place nearly three years,
his duty being to attend to the opening
and shutting of the gates, keep close
watch of the condition of the reservoir,
and report to his employers anything
! which seemed to demand attention. It
has been his practice, upon rising in the
morning, to go out and inspect the con-
dition of affairs. He said he went out
as usual on Saturday morning, about s
o'clock. Everything looked all right.
There was no sign Of the impending cat
astrophe, and Cheney returned 10 his
house.
The family, including his father, sat
| down to breakfast. They were just
finishing the meal when great noise
was heard, and the old man, who was
standing at one of the eastern windows,
exclaimed, "For Gods sake, George,
look therem About forty feet in length
of the bottom of the reservoir on the
east side, just, beyond the gate, was
shooting down the stream. Cheney
seems to have realized the situation and
the emergency at once. With a single
eye to the discharge of his duty, and al.
most az one would infer from hearing
him tell the story, without stopping to
consider the danger involved, he rushed
down to the gate and let on the water
full head, in the hope that this might
possibly afford relief and avert the
threatened danger.
This done he paused 4 moment 10 in-
vestigate the condition of the wall where
the break had taken place. A glance
showed him that it could hardly fail in
few minutes 20 give way entirely.
Streams of water as large as mans
arm was forcing their way through, new
ones appearing every moment. The
wall was constantly crumbling away Its
utter downfall was evidently only
question of a few minutes. Cheney
rushed up to his house and told his faith
er he was going to the village to warn
the people. Together they hurried to
the barn, a few rods below, and while
Cheney was throwing bride upon his
horse his father cut him a stick. Leap
ing on his horses back and plying Wig
l. II.
speed down the road that skirted the
streams back to Williamsburg, covering
the three miles, he thinks, in fifteen
minutes. 1t was then about half past
Z o'clock. Driving to the house Of Mr..
Spellman, who had general charge of
the reservoir, he summoned that gentle
man from his breakfast-table to startle
him with: "The reservoir is going"
1t was but the night before that Che
ney had been talking with him about
the reservoir, and both had agreed that
everything looked all right for the sum-
mer. 1t is not strange, therefore, that
Spellman could not ar first credit the
statement. He thought the man a little
scared" and to his startling announce
ment replied, "No, it cant't be possible"
But Cheney quickly told him about the
giving way of the earth, and the streams
of water rushing through, and soon con-
vinced him that the danger was most
imminent. The first duty was to warn
the people further down the stream.
Cheney's horse was exhaused, and SPELL
man directed him to go to the livery
stable, where again precious moments
were lost in convincing the incred alous
people that the messengers story could
be true. Finally a horse was made
ready and a fresh man got off to notify
the dweliers further down the stream
GALLANT RIDE.
One of the heroes of the occasion is |
Collins Graves, milkman, who was at
the livery stable in Williamsburg, where |
the gate-keeper, Cheney, was trying to
get some one to spread the news below.
"If the dam is breaking" said Graves,
after listening to Cheney's fragmentary
story, "the folks must know it," And, |
lashing his feet horse into a run. he !
dashed away toward6Haydenviile shout-
ing, The reservoir is right here. Rum!
IT, ell you can do"