New-York tribune., 1874-05-18

made with the assistance of two or three drlitlhe
trees Then followed the destruction OF the grlst-
mill. The office of the Northampton Emery Wheei
Company and the hand-engine house, with con-
fonts were next in the order of destruction and
these were followed by the other buildings on the
brink of the river and on the main street
House after house fell. One of the Oldest places
in the vicinity was thrown with violence against
large elm tree and uprooted it, and was only saved
from utter ruin by fortunate collision with orace
of stronger trees. The village chapel an edlice de
voted to Evangelical preaching, followed and TWO
or three double houses. Then, with crash, fell
Warmers button factory, and the ruin OF Leeds VII
lage was complete.
There are many incidents related of the flood and
the hairbreadth escapes therefrom The alarm
seems to have been heard by the residents such as
is alleged to have been given by fleet horseman'
and the only ntimaton the people had of the i'm
pending danger was when they first saw the
wall of debris approaching and heard It's
roar In Mr.. Quigley's house sat Mrs. Quigley,
two daughters and o schoOl-teacher, named MISS
Marble and having Just finished breakfast, they
were sitting talking when they heard the noise, and
retreated to the upper story. While standing there
the main part of the house was wrenched away,
leaving them with but thin PARTITION against the
swelling tide. Their courage did not fail them,
however, and as they saw neighbOr named Hum
phreys floating by portion of the roof OF his
house, they raised the window and pulled him in.
They were all saved. as were also, Humphreys wife
and mother, who each grasped child and stood ON
beds to keep them above the water.
| Frederick ClOugh, a foreman at the button fac-
! tory, heard the roar of the coming Hood ana
hastened to Mrs. Bonney's house, and told them to
/ l. 10 fhn
Clough seizng one of Mr.. Ryan's children, grand
| daughter Of Mrs. Bonney, and begged Mrs. Ryan
and Carrie Bonney to follow him, but they stood
fixed to the spot in terror and fright. He fled with
the child They remained with another child and
SO were swept away. Mr.. Bonneys other daughter
| Annie fed from the mill and was saved
RYAN Moran's tenement, on Main-st. was one OF
the few that did not 60 off, being saved by the jam
| above mentioned The second story was however,
| flooded and six children were found huddlod be-
| hind bed in the chamber. up to their necks In
water and numb and half dead with cold. One little
boy came floating down to Leeds on board, from
somewhere above. Luckily, he steered for little
| knoll not yet covered and throwing away his
board he climbed to the highest point of the knoll.
| Still the water rose and only spot as large as
| table renamed, when the water reached its great
est hight and the plucky fellow was saved
PECUNIARY LOSSES.
II is exceedingly difficult to estimate the pecu-
niarv loss Both mills of the Crtchaw Ivory Button
Company were swept away, and the loss will prob
ably be 100000. The Emery Wheel Company loses
about 81 coo; the Nanatuck Silk Company loses its
| dam, which will make necessary a suspension OF
operations for time. A. Hennessy, grocer, loses
store-house and horse, probably worth $780, and in
addition to this there are several tenement houses
owned by the several corporations and private per
SONS, all of which now a complete wreck.
THE ALARM AT sKINNERsvnLE.
Mr.. jerome IIillman heard the Williamsburg bells
ringing and then the fearful rush of waters sounded
in his ears. He jumped horseback and ran at full
speed toward Haydenville. Once he looked behind,
and the air seemed to be full of flying timber
Great trees were turning end for end now
their enormous roots were IN the ar, and
then he would see their trunks and branches whirl-
ing round At the top OF perpendicular wall of
water, advancing down the valley, 30 feet high,
were seen houses and barns turning over lie
reached Haydenville and warned the hands in the
Brass shops who ali escaped in safety. The alarm
was caught up by others. and by such means
many of the operatives down stream saved their
lives One person, it appears, had the temerity to
rush to tue Congregational Church and pull the bell
rome: but it would appear that he too. got fright
ened for but one two peas were heard before the
awful rush was both seen and heard. Men and
women had to run to the nearest high ground for
safety.
IN WILLIAMSBURG.
1t was in Williamsburg that the flood began and
where its effects most disastrous to human life
Fifty-six lives were lost in this single village
The signs of ruin are most HORRIBLE. At
the empty reservoir is seen the jagged walls of
| the dam. Below, for a thousand feet and
more the bed Of stream is gouged out in chasms to
| depth of 30 feet Beyond, acres of woodland have
entirely disappeared, leaving not trace behind
For miles the fertile meadows have been
| destroyed and never be regaiDed
| They quilted and completely
| covered with sand and gravel and imbedded with
| great powders, many OF them weighing over ton
apiece. About onethird of the village has been de-
stroyed, the flood having cut broad swath through
| the place carrying houses down the stream. The
| River lust below the meeting of the two branches,
| changed its course. and leaving its old bed, has
spread out over the entire meadows where it is
rnnniup. In this typical New-England village the
| contrasts between prosperity and misery, beauty
and desolation are sharp and sudden. from ast6 nj
cottages smooth lawns and blooming flowers, one
e.are AT once INTO scenes Of deepest where the
SCARED and scanned ground, great shapeless masses
of splinters which once houses, or houses half
destroyed with their sides torn out, upside down,
are in place of the prosperity of yesterdy morning.
In the little Town Hall are laid the recovered
bodies ghastly and some mutisted and gashed by
the floating tmbers wrapped in sheets waiting for
| friends TO identify them. Long strings of teams,
filed with curious strangers. are crossing
and recrossing the river where it flows the new
bed it has made for itself. Now and then wagon
| - Loo od wit, daad ipOt