Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1874-05-22
A Great Calamity in Massachusetts,

lamities coming like peal Of thunder
from clear sky-occurred in the vii
lagos of Williamsburg, Leeds, SINNERS
vile and Haydenville, Mass, Saturday
morning of last week, caused by tn,
breaking away of a reservoir pond and
precipitating upon them large body OF
water, sweeping in its resist'ess current
everything in its way. These villages
are situated on Mill river, stream which
empties into the Connecticut at North
ampton. The distance of the line OF
this catastrophe from Northampton to
the reservoir pond in Williamsburg, is
some nine miles. The stone work of this
pond which gave way, is said to have
been about 40 feet high and but 8 feet
thick at the base. This will give some
idea of the tremendous pressure and
volume of water which started on its
course of destruction and death through
the little valley to Florence and North
ampton.
1t appears that the dam had been the
subject of some anxiety before and that
George Cheney, the gate keeper, who
lived near the pond to tend and watch
the gates, had expressed his fears more
than others, and it was he who gave the
first alarm.
As the pond gave way the torrent
swept through the villages above named,
covering the entire south half of Will
liamsburg village, including the build
ings, factories, shops and people, many
of the latter being drowned for want of
sufficient warning. Thence the torrent
swept over Skinnersville, Haydenville,
and Leeds, destroying all the principal
factories, ana great number of dwell
ing houses. The disaster was so sudden
that hardly anybody had time to get out
of its path. The flood poured through
the narrow gorge formed by the hills on
each side of Mill River, demolishing ev-
erything before it, and carrying down an
awful debris of shattered timbers, broken
machinery, uprooted trees, and mangled
corpses. AT Florence, five miles below
Williamsburg, the country becomes more
open, and there the torrent spread itself
over the meadows, and SO spent its force.
At Northampton, however, three miles
further on, the swollen current of the
river demolished several bridges and in
terrupted railway travel. The amount
of property destroyed is one or two mil
lions but is very insignificant to the de-
struction of human life.
We will begin the details of this aw-
full calamity with the
GATE KEEPERS STORY.
His report is as follows: " A little be-
low the reservoir on the western bank,
but out of range of the food, stands a
small, dismal-looking dwelling, in which
lives the gate-keeper. This is George
Cheney, man of about 35, apparently
an honest and well-meaning individual
of little education and no more than or
binary intelligence. He has held th,
place nearly three years, his duty being
to attend to the opening and shutting o
the gate, keep close watch of the condi
ton of the reservoir and report to hi
employers anything which seemed to de
mand attention. 1t had been his prac
tice upon rising in the morning to go on
and inspect the condition OF affairs. III
went out as usual Saturday mornin;
about six o'clock. Everything looke'
all right. The reservoir was full, as
had been for several days. Water wa
flowing out the waste.way on the ives
side past his house, the gateway havin
been closed fortnight. There was II
sign of the impending catastrophe, an
Cheney returned to his house. The fam
lily, including his wife, several chiIdre
l and his father, sat down to Breakfast
They were just finishing the meal whe
e great noise was heard and the old mai
r who was standing at one of the easter
= windows, exclaimed: "For Gods SAX
George, look there +" About forty fe
: in length of the bottom of the dam re
t ervoir, on the east side, just beyond Il
:. gate, was shooting down stream.
y Cheney seems to have realized the 81
l. uation and the emergency at once. Wi
G a single eye to the discharge of his du
snd.almost, as one would infer from hea
L ing him tell the story. without stoppir
t. to consider the danger involved, he rus
IS ed down to the gate and let ON the wat
q full head, in the hope that this mig
~ possibly afford relief and avert t
y threatening danger this done he paus
r moment to investigate the condition
I'd the wall where the break had tax
IN place. A glance showed him that
'g could hardly fail in few moments to q
ng way entirely. Streams of water as lar
ne as a mans arm were forcing their "