The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-05-18
MASSACHUSETTS.
MASSACHUSETTS,.
Reservoir Disaster
l44 LIVES LOST.
100000 Of Property Sweep
Away.

SPRINGFIELD, May II. The most terrible
disaster in tn annals of Massachusetts occur
red in Hampshire county on Saturday The
Williamsburg Reservoir, covering tract of
100 acres, gave way early in the forenoon, PIE
cipitating the vast mass of water it contained
three miles down steep and narrow valley in
the thriving manufacturing village of Williams
burg, thence farther down the valley, through
the villages of Haydenville, Leeds and Flor
ence into the Northampton meadows, where
the stream empties into the Connecticut. The
huge torrent dashing into Williamsburg, swept
away in a moment the manufacturing estab-
lshments and numbers of dwelling houses,
causing enormous destruction of property and
terrible loss of human lite. The lower villages
suffered only the less awfully The latest
figures of the loss of life make the total number
IA divided between the three placesIas follows:
Williamsburg 60; Leeds 40; Haydenville 3d.
These figures only represent the persons whose
is positively known, though the bodies of all
are not yet recovered. Bodies are constantly
being found, and in some cases, of persons not
supposed to be lost; so it seems perfectly safe
to say the total loss of life will exceed $780, If,
indeed, it does not more nearly approach 200
The following are the lists of each village of
persons who are known to be missing:
At Wlliamsburg-Miss Livingston S. Bart
lett, Viola B. Collyer. T. J. Hitchcock. VIM. H.
Adams, widow of VIM. Snow, Willie Lilton,
Mrs. VIM. Sorter, r. j. Louchors, Mrs. e. M.
Chandler and daughter May, Jeremiah Ward,
widow of Electa Knight, Mrs. Patrick Scully
and two children. widow Mary Bremen, lex
Roberts, wife and two children, Mary A. Nc
Gee, Mrs Geo. E. Lamb, E. c. Hubbard, Mrs
Merrick Wood and child of Chicopee, Michael
Burk and three children of James Burk. Fred
erick Bird, Jas. Stephens, Mrs: w ID. Adams
dau4hter, Widow Downing, Henry Birming-
ham, wife and THEE children, Mrs. E. G.
Kingsley, Mrs E. u. Kingsley and two chill
dren, Dr. E. M. johnson, wife and three chill
wife, John Atkinson, Spencer Bartlett and
wife, George Ashley, Mrs Geo. e. Lamb,
Frank Train and wife-60.
At Skinnersville, a little below Williams
Bryant father of Capt Jos. Hayden's wife,
and Robbie Hayden, the little son of Captain
Hayden.
At Haydenville-Mr Morris and her daugh-
ter, Mrs. johanna Williams, Francis Brodeur,
John Kaplinger, Mr. Hogan, Edward Macler,
Mrs. MosIer, Mrs. John Wilson and three chill
dren, Mrs Casey. her married daughter, Mrs.
A. Brozier and two other children, Mrs. Messie,
two young children and her married daughter,
Mrs. Napoleon Benoit, with an infant, Stephen
of Edward Thayer, three children of Samuel
Miller, Michael Burk, Archibald Lanconbie-
49,
tits utterly impossible as yet to give detailed
estimates of the losses. Aside from buildings
destroyed and damaged, bridges have been car
Il "
of meadow land rendered almsst valueless
The total loss must far exceed $1,000,000 and
will probably come nearer ~, 100000. The fol-
lowing is general estimate of the losses by
the places:
mills swept away, $4,000; H. L. James, mill
damaged and left without water power, $780,
900; houses. barns, ETC., $40, 1000
Sknnersville-William SINNERS silk factory
and IL tenement houses destroyed $4,000;
other houses and barns, $13, 900.
Observation-Disclosures, Geer q Co., brass
works, savings bank building and tenements
swept away, $25O,0O0; Hayden Tobacco works
carried off, $1,000; Hayden Foundry and Ma
chine Company's works, damaged $4,000; other
houses and stores $4,000; gas works $4,000.
Leeds-Monotuck Silk Com pany dam broke
and several buildings and houses carried away,
$25 600; George p. Warner, button factory
destroyed and three tenements 100000; other
houses and barns $4,000.
Northampton-Emery Wheel Company, dam
age $4,000.
brush factory, damage to stock $4,000; Mono
tuck Silk Company silk mill partially torn
away, stock damaged $4,000. Damage to the
town of Williamsburg by the loss of bridges,
destruction of roads and the complete ruin of
the best n eadow lands is at present lncalcula-
BILE, but is such as to seriously cripple the town
Three iron bridges were carried away in the
town of Williamsburg, one wooden and two
iron.
The following is complete list of those
missing from the town of Leeds: Ms. Patrick,
\ Charles Patrick and his wife, Miss Julia Pat
rick and her sister, Mrs. Dunber and daughter,
Mrs. Fitzgerald and her two children, two chill
dren of John Clancy, Mrs. Jane Cogan Misses
Annie and Oracle Cogan, Andrew Fennessey,
wife and two children, Mrs. Louis Bronette and
seven children, Mrs Hurley. Miss Carrie Bin
ney, James Fennesy and wife, Lizzie Carpen-
ter, Mary Rose, Patrick O'neill, Alex Louier,
Ralph Isham, Ira Dunning, sam Davis, Mrs
Martha Sharp. Mrs. 0. Shanghesey, Mrs. E.
Harmon and three children, Mrs. Sarah o. Ry-
an and child, Miss Eveine Sherwood, Capt. T.
f. Vaughn, Miss Mary Woodward, Nellie Fen.
nessey-49.
1t appears that serious donbts as to the safety
of the reservoir have been felt since it was built
nine years ago, though less the last year or two
than in its early history. The gate keeper has
several times expressed fears to his employers
calling special attention once to the point where
the break occurred, but the examiners always
| reported everything safe.
| Vastly more important testimony than this
| of the gate keeper, however, is that Furnished
| by Mr.. Lewis Bodtnan a lifelong resident o.
| Williamsburg. Mr.. Bodman was interviewed
| by reporter of the Republican Saturday even
| ing, and gave his opinions with great frank
| ness. He says that the proprietOrs were mo-
| satisfied with the reservoir when it was built
| and felt that it was not safe. Mr.. Bodman &C
companied Lieut. Gov. Hayden when the reser
voir was first filled, which was not till the
| spring of 1866, and said that they both expect
| ed to see it 60 off at that first trial IL mani
| tested no special weakness, however and al
| different times subsequently it was strengthen
| ed 20 the most important operation, and one Of
the more recent being the Grip rapping." Mr.
| Bodman, however, cOnfesses he never felt quite
satisfied with the reservoir during the three
| years of its history when he was mill proprietor
and so part owner of it. Since then he has
| maintained his interest in manufacturing en-
terprises so fully as to keep himself well in
| formed of the reservoirs condition, Ond he say.
| he has become constantly better satisfied will
| il, until, had he been asked the day before thu
| disaster whether he considered it safe he would
have unhesitatingly replied in the affirmative
| Upon being more closely questioned as to hi
| opinion of the construction of the reservoir Mr.
B. gave an opinion which fully confirmed tn
| impression that the reporter had received from
! visit to the ruins, viz:-That the work as
| whole was not satisfactory and that the uppe
third of the wall especially was sloverly built
| He says that when the contractors had reached
this stageit was getting quite late in the fal
| and cold weather was coming on. The englnee
| did not exercise so conttant and close super
| vision as his position demanded, and the con
tractors hurried up their work as rapidly a
possible With too little regard to the quality @
| their work, Notwithstanding, however, Mr.. Is.
| confession that both he and other proprietor
of the reservoir were dissatisfied with the styl
| of construction, it was examined and accepted
| nv the commissioners of Hampshire county
| who have also since then more than once exam
| ined if and ad yised as to repairs upon it, Som
| think that frost had started the earth so Gha
the water had found numerous little course
| through it which finally carried of the flrs
| mass OF earth.
| Most prominent among the victims at Will
| liamsburg was DR.. K. M. johnson, 30 years o
| ,o.a 10 NO Gao T.