New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-20
DISASTER.
The Scene OF the Disasfer-Incidents-
Heroic Conduct of Cheney the Gate.

The Scene OF the Disasfer-Incidents-
Heroic Conduct Of Cheney the Gate.
keeper.
New YORK, May l9.-Specials from the
scenes of the Massachusetts food state that
on the west bank Of the Mill river is the
Goshen reservoir larger by nearly one-half
than Bursted Asktield's reservoir, to which
it has always been reckOned inferior in
strength 1t is owned by the same men,
whose own fortunes with their own reser-
voir have just been wrecked.
All accounts attribute the disaster to the
weakness and insecurity of the resery Or
works. The walls were not thick enough
to resist the pressure Of l25 acres of water
averaging thirty feet in depth, and, more
over, portion of the wall at the time of
building in 1866, was hurriedly finished by
the contractor, owing to the approaching OF
cold weather, and the work did not receive
the careful supervision it required.
Persons interested in the structure and
the mill owners who depended on it for
long time felt it was insecure, and much
had been done to strengthen it. At no time
has the wall been free from leaks, and
sometimes the volume of water escaping
was so large as to cause alarm, but as re-
pairs were made and the board of examin-
ers of hampshire Court have repeatedly
declared the reservoir safe. lately more cen
fdence had been felt.
George Cheney, the gate keeper, who first
discovered the trouble, makes the following
statement: He went out as usual on Satur-
day morning about six o'clock. Every
thing looked all right. The reservoir was
as full as it had been for several days. The
water was fo wing out of the waste. 1t was
on the west side part of the house, the gate
way having been closed for a fortnight.
There was no sign of an impending catas-
trophe, and Cheney returned to his house.
His family, including his wife, several chill
dren and bis father, sat down to breakfast.
They were Just finishing the meal when a
great noise was heard, and an old man who
was standing at one of the eastern windows
exclaimed: "For Gods sake. George, look
there"
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 emergency. At once, with
single eye to the discharge of his duty,
and almost, without stopping to consider
the danger, he rushed to the gate and let
on the water full head, in hopes that this
might possibly afford relief and avert dan
GER This done he paused a moment to in
Vestigate the condition of the wall and
where the break had taken place.
A glance showed him that it could hardly
| fail in few minutes to give way entirely
| Streams of water as large as mans arm
we're forcing their way through, new ones
| appearing every moment. The wall was
constantly crumbling away, and its utter
| downfall was evidently only question OF
| minutes.
Cheney rushed to his house and told his
| father he was going to the'village to warn
the people. Together they hurried to the
barn, few rods below, and while Cheney
was throwing the bride upon his horse his
| father cut him stick
Leaping upon his horses back and plying
| vigorously his lash, he rode at topnoet
! speed down the road that skirted the stream
to Williamsburg, covering three miles, he
| thinks, in fifteen minutes. 1t was then
| about half. past nine O'Clock.
Driving to the hease Of Mr.. Spellman
| who had general charge Of tho reservoir, b
summoned that geotfe1au from h1s break