New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-17
DISASTER.

Reservoirs Near Williamsburg, Massa.
chusetts. Give Way and Several Towns
are Washed Away and Many Lives
Lost in the Flood.
New HAVEN, May 10.-Three large reser-
voirs above Williamsburg, Massachusetts,
which we're constructed TO supply the man
| ufacturers Of Williamsburg, Leeds and
Haydenville. gave way at an early hour
| this morning, the water sweeping every
thing before it.
| The above named towns were almost en-
tirely destroyed, including such buildings
as HAYDEN, Gere g. Co.'s immense brick
factory. A large loss of life is reported,
but it is at present impossible to give any
estimates, though the number is probably
not less than 100.
The station agent of tthe N. H. and N.
railroad company. with his wife, were both
drowned at the same place. Many persons
were swept down the stream.
Another Account.
FLORENCE, Massachusetts,, May 16-The
reservoir above williamsburg, Massachu-
setts, broke this morning, letting loose a
large volume of water, which carried away
nearly every dwelling house in its course.
Many lives are lost, but 40 great is the
| excitement that it is impossible to get the
exact number. At Leeds the silk manufac-
turing and button shops are both carried
! away.
| The water is now falling, and it is ex-
| pected that in about three hours more
correct and definite particulars may be OBJ
tanned.
| Several bodies were seen going down the
| stream, but so swift was the current that
they could not be recovered
The Details Coming In.
| SPRINGFIELD, Mass, May l6.-Reports of
| the disaster in consequence of the breaking
away of the reservoir at Goshen, Hemp
hire county. this morning come in thick
and fast. The damage to property must
amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars,
| while it is impossible to estimate accu-
rately the loss OF life. Among those drowne
at Williamsburg was the wife of H. Z.
Frost. At Leeds Captain Vaughn and Mrs
| II. +. Quigley and daughter were in house
which was swept away, and they were
| drowned.
Reports are coming in of . far greater
| loss OF life at Florence. The Nantuck Silk
Company's works and the Florence Man
ufacturing Company's works are damaged
to the extent Of $4,000. Conductor E NJ
Chandler passed over the road early this
| morning with his train from williamsburg
for New Haven just ahead of the flood tina,
swept away his wife and child. Engineer
Roberts, who was to start out on the next
train, lost his wife and child. The flood
swept away SINNERS factory, just below
Williamsburg, with several women opera
tlves who had just begun work.
At Haydenville, Samuel Miller lost his
wife and three children. Hayden, Gere
g. Cos. factory, including their office and
the Haydenville Savings Bank with a large
amount of funds, and also LoOmis Hotel,
we're swept away. A Leeds, MIR. Warmers
button factory was swept entirely away
taking the Canal railroad bridge in its
course, it stopped at the South street
bridge.
The morning train from New Haven il
stopped at East Hampton.
The flood is now snbsiding.
The Goshen reservoir covered one hun
dred and fifty acres of ground, at an aver
age depth OF thirty feet. 1t was drawn
upon in dry times to supply the mills a
Williamsburg, Haydenville and Florence
The reservoir was constructed about twelve
years ago in order to afford reliabl,
Mill River, which is one of the most tickl,
and uncertain of streams. liable alike tt
floods and almost utter drought.
| The reservoir was built by a company O.
capitalists who were interested in the
various manufacturing enterprises on tn,
stream and has caused them apprehension
of disaster several times. Last year, how
| cNtI, IL was TtpdiF0u cdU d E6HVy t8ptubt
and since then has been supposed to be tOl
erably secure, although known to be leaky
The loss Of life by the flood is estimated
at sixty.
Further Particulars.
BOsTON, May l6-HOn. Stephen M. Cros
by, OF Williamsburg, now in Boston, fur
nishes the following description Of localitie
and property visited by the overflow: Th'
villages which are affected by the disaste
Florence, and are situated on Mill river
which is tributary of the Connection
river, running into the latter at Northamp
ton. In the village of Williamsburg, Mil
river divides into two branches, one o
which has its rise in Goshen, and the Othe
about the edge of Conway.
Two large reservoirs are situated on tbt
Yonkers branch and on the Conway branch
containing a total depth Of not less than si,
feet, the reservoir dams were all most sub
stantially construc ted, and built by skilliu
engineers in the most approved moderI
method, and large sums Of money hav.
been expended IN the last year in putin!
them in what was supposed to be mos
| perfect condition.
| One Of the reservoirs is at least twenty
five years old, and is on Goshen branch.
was carefully rebuilt within the last tw.
| years. Above this a new dam was bull
| Il
six or seven years old.
The mills on the streams, reckoning from
Williamsburg down to Northampton, are a.
follows: William Thayer's tool factory, TWEEN
ty-fve men, and two button factories, to
gether employing thirty hands, men and girl
the tour set wooden mill of Henry Jane
employs about fifty hands; the large bras
works at Hayden, of Gere d Co., emplo,
about 300 hands, and IS, perhaps, the Iarges
and best appointed factory OF the kind il
the United States. IL was formerly tn
property of the late Lieutenant Governo
Hayden; the Hayden Manufacturing
Company, 5000 spindles, employing sev
enty-f five or eighty hands; the Dia
mond tobacco works, employing ffteel
or twenty hands; the two extensiv
silk mills of the Monotuck Silk Company
employing thirty hands in all; the larg
brick mill of the Northampton Brush Con-
pany, employing about sixty five or sevent
, hands; the cotton mill OF the Greenvill
Manufacturing Company, 5000 spindlet
employing seventy-fve or eight
hands; the Northampton, formerly Ba
State Cutlery CQmpany's mill, en-
ploying probably two hundred handl