The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-18
II from Williamsburg depot - Williamsburg
village distance Of probably o mile and q half

was literally SWept away uOuScs u every &c.
scription disappeared. The boiler belonging TO
the immense mill OF Hayden 3 Gere was noated
IKE cork into the yard Of what was the dwelling
Of the late Governor Hayden. Only small part OF
the mill itself Is standing. The savings bank ad-
Joining it-one OF tine finest structures and
among the stanchest In this part Of the State
was so completely demolished that only few OF
lts stone slabs remain. What Ii remarkable about
this building Is the TACT that number Of persons
entered IL to see the food coming, and laughed at
the fears OF those who sought safety on the high
grounds above. or course all Of those VINO entered
we're crushed by the monster whose approach
curiosity had tempted them to view.
BOILER AFIoAT.
little higher up the stream. quietly lying In the
placid current, Is another boiler, which was car.
r1ed down from the Skinner mill This mill was an
immense structure, but now nothing remains OF
it-scarcely so much as the ground upon which il
stood. Mr.. sknner's fne manson near by was
also much damaged. The lower moor was SO COM
pletey Quilted that the piano fell into the ce liar.
At Leeds, below Haydensville the destruction also
was very great as also at Florence. the nearest or
the three villages to Northampton. Indeed. the
Mood did not Lot 20 ts work OF destruction till 1t
entered the Connecticut River and there. strange
to say, It made so little impression that Its effect
was scarcely noticeable. II was only In the valley
that the Embossed hoods Of Mil River were dan
gerous, and there they wrought their direst upo n
whatever cnanced In their way. a T., l IA
THE DEATH STRUGGLE. M .st 81
As said before, / never saw . sadder sight
than the scenes beheld this day. In my journey
along Mill River l had not gone far beyond
Florence when / saw two men approach from
the marsh with the body Of . boy on two
poles between them. He was Q little fellow
Unexpectedly and in such terrible form that
could not fail being deeply moved At the sight OF
his distorted face and the many marks the monster
mood had put upon his lileless body. II was the
first sight had of the fearful death struggle which
only yesterday had gone on In this valley, and 1t
prepared me for the still sadder sights was
to see.
STRANGE AND SAD SCENES
Before me. for part OF my way up the valley. q
light wagon was driven with body over which q
blanket was thrown. stretched on the moor OF the
vehicle. Again saw that two nearses, on their
way to the cemetery were in advance Of me in
the line of vehicles. No mourners accompanied
the hearse, and indeed there Is singular
absence OF all the outward signs OF mourning. The
men in the wagon carrying the body were as
mirthful as men well con be with the signs OF
death and destruction all around them. There are
no grapes and scarls OF mourning, and though the
entire valley swarms with men and women there
are no wet eyes, for these are mere curiosity
seekers: but II there grapes and scarfs there
would be no places to put them, for the houses are
generally gone with the inmates. In some in
stances whole families were swept away together.
THE UNKNOWN DEAD.
In other cases the dead, when found, are not
recognizable by the living. Near the spot where
saw the men carrying the dead body OF q boy q
little child was found yesterday completely naked.
It happened in many cases that the clothing was
torn nom the bodies OF the Victims and in nearly
every case the Disagreement was very great.
Sheds by the roadside became the receptacles for
the dead, and tho churches and public buildings
sheltered tine living. Everything that could be
done to relieve the sorrow and suffering was
done, but that was little in comparison with the
distress.
THE RUINS.
The appearance Of the shattered buildings still
standing was OF such diversified character as
almost to banie description. huge chimney
sometimes indicated the site Of q great min.
Some OF the largest mills OF the valley, as have
already said have left no sign OF their existence.
Many houses and shops were completely shattered
to pieces and scattered to no one knows where.
Such complete devastation is not more remarkable
than the partial destruction OF buildings to which
just now referred. Some houses were com.
pletey ridded by the flood, leaving only the Frame
work. The foundations and walls OF others were
swept away, leaving the frame structure very much
awry. Some were half swept on, leaving the other
half where 1t stood before; some were carried
down the stream and stranded. Some were
turned over on their sides, and l saw one which
now stood on its roof. The wrecks are OF every
description, but the frame buildings were not so
completely demolished as those or other materials.
When brick or stone house ieit the force of the
food 1t was almost certain to yield completely.
Had Mr. SINNERS elegant mansion been OF brick
instead OF boards the whole house would have
gone as his mill went.
TREES SWEPT AWAY.
When the Hood was at Its highest trees, as well
as houses, were swept away, and IN many places
the underground lay crushed like nelds OF rye
nattened by storm. eH-
The valley itself in many places is almost COW
cred by the nood. and wherever the nood touched
there Ii ruin.
THE POETRY OF THE FLOOD
From the reservoir In the basin Of the hills
through tine narrow gorge at Williamsburg, from
Williamsburg through Haydensvtle, Leeds and
Florence, to the Connecticut River, was the
course OF the hood. Thers Is nothing OF its kind
in history, or in fiction even to equal It. Charles
Reades story OF the Hillsboro' hood falls below 1t
in it's terrible reality. There was dramatic In
tensity in the foaming mass OF water which
Reade's picture would not adequately describe.
Words fall short OF depicting scene at once grand
and terrible. which only the Imagination can con-
ceive The disaster was like q nightmare which
ended In death. the rushing foods came, sweep
ing everything before them. and In few hours
the sober brook was placid again, only the track
OF desolation marking the course OF the angry
waters and Of all the sorrows growing out OF this
disaster, that which is saddest is the death OF SO
many little children, babes whose lives were a.
sweet as the babbling brook which suddenly arose
and swallowed them. er-@1 .t & ,o
FROM RICHES 70 POVERTY.
The spirit rejected by the disaster from those
who loaf most by 1t Is another marked feature OF
the calamity. Many rich men who are penniless
to-day laugh and almost MOCK at 1t. "Ihave lost
all had said young Hayden to me this morn
ing; but up and at 1t again." There was
however, o tone OF sadness beneath the