, 1874-05-17

NORTHAMPTON, Mass, May 16.-Not far frou
8 O'Clock this mo rning the peaceful residents 0
| Williamsburg we re- startled By the appearance o
horse dashing madTy through the streets
while his rider shouted to tho peopl
| to escape for heir lives, for the res
ervoz had given away, and th'
comprehending the dreadful tidings, but witt
| the instinct OF aell-preservation strong within
them, the people began to rush from their homes
while the toau-fecked animal that had 80 gal
lantly brought the messenger saDl
tho message was bone 10 other Villages, but but
the alarm WAS 90 sudden TINT all did not here it,
and scores we're
CAUGHT BY THE SWIFTLY ROLLING
waters. and aged granddames, innocent children,
and strong men were alike overwhelmed by the
flood, or crushed beneath the falling walls OF
their houses.
Up among the hills of Goshen there was q
large reservoir Of about 104 acres III extent,
whcro the various mill operators Of Williams
burg, Spinnersvllle, Haydcnsville, and Leeds
we're wont to store their summer eupply of
water. People living in the vicinity OF the dam
say that it has been
LEAKING MORE Oh LESS
for several weeks, and it is believed that hay-
ing thus gradually undermined the dam, the
water acquired strong headway, and suddenly
the dam gave way, and the immense body Of
water poured out in its strength, carrying every
thing before t..
The torrent
RUSHED UPON TIE Doo1tED VILLAGES
With q loud roar. apparently = large advancing
bilow Of underbrush and debris issuing rapidly
through the deep gorge to the height Of 40 feet,
and again spreading over wide expanse OF
seethlnG, sngy waves as it reached the more
open country. Reaching the beautiful village
Of Williamsburg, some two and half miles dis
tant, it
STRUCK SHALL BuTToH FACTORY.
sweeping it out OF existence. Next, q saw and
g11st-mlll WAS attacked and melted,-no YES
t1go remaining. Houses, barns, and shops fol-
lowed, Like grass before a scythe, and men, wom-
on, and children v;ero caught and borne away
struggling and ahriekins in vain. One Of the
waves
SWEPT TO 5KINNERsynLE,
two miles distant, elk factory being hurled
down, and huge iron boiler being carried nearly
tlAn mile and landed high and dry.
m HAYpESv11E
about one milo further On, the bank building,
three-story brick structure, WIS swept away,
scarcely one brick being left upon another, the
money in the vault sharing the same fate
Tho smaller village Of Leeds, between ono and
fer, and the scenes at Williamsburg and Hay
iensyilie were here repeated.
A short distance below Reeds we're
TWO BRIDGES.
one oI iron aud one OF Btone, both noariy so !
|eet above the bed Of the stream. They we're |
both swept away. the former being carried |
bodily and q considerable distance down |
he stream. Here tho greatest destruction |
appears to have stopped, although along the |
liver, until it emptied into the Connecticut,
hort distance below Northampton, the banks
re covered with all manner Of debris-timber, |
rees. pianos, tables. chairs, and other furniture
It ia estimated that
NEARLY 100 BUILDINGS
'ere destroyed, and the total loss is from ono
million to million aud half Of dollars, al
hough Of course it is impossible to accurately
stin1ate the damage
THE sADDE5T FEATURE
t the 1ho}s affair is the great loes Of life. 1t
rst It Was thought not more than forty or fifty
res were lost, but 4 more careful can
ass OF tho villages visited gsvea the
otal number Of missing persors at nearly 100
ersons, as follows: At williamsburg, ~;
4ieds, 80; at Haydenvilie, 34. There have been
etwesn 50 and 60 dead bodies already recovered.