The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-05-21
A Terrible Disaster.
Bursting Of the Reservoir
at Haydenville. Mass.
-Four Towns Engulphed by
the Flood !
One Hundred and Fifty Lives
Lost and Four Thousand
People Homeless!
A Mutton and G-hGLf Dollars of
Property Destroyed.

A special dispatch from Northamp-
tou, Mass, dated the 18th, to the New
York Herald, says:
Not far from eight O'Clock this NOR.
ming the peaceful citizens of Williams.
burgh were startled by the appearance
of q horse dashing madly through the
streets. while his rider shouted TO the
people to escape for their lives, for the
reservoir had given away and the wa.
ters were coming down upon them
Scarcely comprehending the dreadful
tidinos. but with the instinct of self.
preservation strong within them, the
people began. to rush from theiI
homes, while the foam fecked animal
that had so gallantly brought the mes
senger, sank to the ground utterly ex-
hansted another horse was quickly
secured. and the message was borne
to other villages. But the alarm was
so sudden that all did not hear it, and
scores were caught by the swiftly roll
ing waters. and aged grand DANES
innocent children and strong men
were alike overwhelmed by the flood
or crushed beneath the falling walls
VI tnCtE AOAoCrs
Up among the hills of Goshen there
was a large reservoir of about E04
acres in extent, where the various
mill operators of Williamsburg, Skin
nersVille, HaydenYille and Leeds were
wont to store their summer supply oi
water. The people living in the vi
cinity of the dam say that it has been
leaking more or loss for several weeks
- L tCf ssrr =. ,o.l
ly undermined the dam, the water ac-
quired strong headway, and suddenly
the dam gave way and the immense
body of water pourad out its strength
carrying everything before it. The
torrent rushed upon the doomed viii
Iages with loud raoF, apparently q
large advancing billow of underbfush
and debris, issuing rapidly through
the deep gorges from a height of forty
feet again spreading out, wide ex.
panse of seething, angry waves as il
reached the mUre opeu and level
country. Reaching the beautiful viii
Iage of Williamsburgh, some two and
a-half miles distant. Itstruek small
button factory, sweeping il out of ex-
istence next a saw and grist mill was
attacked and melted. not vestige re-
manning, houses, barns and shops fol-
lowing like grass before a seythe, and
men, women and children were caught
and swept away struggling and shrek
ing in vain.
On the waves swept to SINNERS
Vile, two miles distant. silk factory
being hurled down, huge iron boiler
carried half mile and Landed high
and dry,
In HaydeDyilIe, about one mile fur
ther on, the bank building. three
story brick structure, was swept away
scarcely one brick being left on top
of another, the money in the vault
sharing the same fate. The smaller
village of Leeds, between two and
three miles distant, was the next place
to suffer, aud the scenes at Williams
burg, and Haydenyille were here re-
peated. A short distance below Leeds
were two bridges, one of iron and one
of stone, both nearly fifty feet above
the bed of the stream. They were
both swept away, the former being
carried bodily and q considerable dis
tance down the stream.
Here the greatest destruction ap-
pears TO have stopped, although all
along, the river until it empties into
the Connecticut short distance be-
low Northampton, the banks are. COW
cred with all manner of debris-tim-
ber, trees, pianos, tables, chairs, and
other furniture
It is estimated that nearly one huH-
dred buildings were destroyed, aud
the total loss is from 81, 100000 to 81,
100000, though of course it is iInpos-
sible to accurately estimate the dam
age.
The saddest feature Of the whole
affair is the great loss oflife. AT first
il was thought that not more than
forty or fifty lives were lost. but a
more careful canvass of the villages
visited gives the total number of per-
sons at nearly one hundred and TWEEN
ty. as follows: AT WilIiamsburgh 80
at Leeds 80, at Haydenville 81
There have been between fifty and
sixty bodies already recovered, and
on Sunday morning, organized search
ing parties are to go over the course
of the flood in search of others.
There were many narrow escapes.
A butcher named Michael Hernigan
was caught, horse, wagon and all, and
carried along until he managed to get
into the top of tree and thus escaped.
Thomas Finnessy was carried some
two miles floating on some timbers,
until he finally escaped. Ira Dunning
was in like manner carried over half
mile. Charles Brady after riding in
imminent peril for mile. escaped to
a tree. DIR. johnson warned his wife
in season to permit her to escape in
safety, but in trying TO save his three
children he was caught by the flood
and they all four perished in sight of
the agonized wife and mother. The
bodies recovered were terribly man
gfed, and many of them were stripped
of every particle of clothing, but most
of them were identified by friends.
The scene of the disaster has been.
visited by hundreds of people this
afternoon, and tomorrow hundreds
more viii undoubtedly go thither,
but it is doubtful if any trains are run
from Springfield to accommodate the