Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-05-22
The Disaster in Western Aassaehusetr,


, IN Goshen, fourteen miles above N0rthamp
ton fms held the waters OF a pond Of Z,
acres. which were suddenly let loose ans
poured into the reservoir. below. which
IN turn burst away One Of these was q
new one. covering / 900 acre. and had not
been considered altogether sale. Below
these. on the banks OF Mil River. are the
manufacturing vi.lages OF Williamsburg
{ Havaens7ille and Leeds Williamsburg j.
a rooi-sizsd village of over 2.O0n inhabi
tanrs Tie main street runs along the
bank Of Nil River ior nile or more. and
the houses and factories are directly on tho
river. the water comiur mp close 20 the
foundation Havdeurllo also large
village. lies low on thc bank Of the stream
Leeds lies on hat ground &; HavGenyil.s
The country commences O. be level anu
continue So t.Hthe Connecticut. IN these
Villages were sixteen mills. Of various
kinds. Among them were me Aonotuck silk
mills. employing 800 hands brass works
empiovinr 800 hands. cutlery factory en-
uiovins poo. basket factory 100 hands. Two
cotton mills Of . 900 suindles each, with 50
hands anieao. ana smaller mills ior making
buttons. tools. gold pens. etc. These gave
empiovme-r 10 some 500 hands. the cap
Il. invested invested ~ them i- estimated
81 I'VE millions. and me population afflicted
nv the disaster is about 5000 Inc food
began about eight Cd clock 10 the morning
I- struck the southeastern portion o.
Williamson village carrYlr away
large uumner uf Dwelling thence g. Hay
. ucuvl-le. where Dc swept away Skinner
large sl.E -l... and ms large boarding and
dwelling house Continuing on il struck
tua large brass mauuIaCt1ry %. Hayden
. tee- 81 lo.. sweeping % away 70 az lustaut.
4 Large Staue- ana MACHINERY swept through
+ the main streets % g Ieariu. ra-l. The
E Havdouvl G. Savings BANK. Will large
amount funds a1l ais. Looms
Hole we-a swept away Ne-- built
houses Wc- Instant Crusle-. not
giving the inmate moment warning
The u1ol then struck tle village % Leeds
wnora large number I'd shops. dwelling
etc. were swept away. leaving. DO l- s-l-.
nu- rnree l-Iu--- lu rneI- original l8lu-
da1l0u-. II Leeds all the factories save he
silk mil nave gone Inc smaller nll1Inrs
u the lrIic1.1w button WORKS were washed
away. ana tne emuluYc~ la- o. tll r- ck
mil toy safety. when tua- with some sixty
inmate was carried INTO the Whirlpool o.
warer NJ amer button factory was swept
entirely away. taxing the railroad bridge ll
It's cour-e Is stopped az South bridge
Whole block o.: tenement houses. 1lled Win
women and children. were swept down the
streams ana the inmate. ot c0urs5. were lost
Inc force % the water ar Northampton wa
s0meW nat aba1e-. yet % swept away the
oam az the noe factory. the IRON bridge near
t1c Lunatlc Asylum ana the CANA I.alirOa1
bridge There Us ua communication VIII
W ililmsou-r brl1-s and track are
washed away.
Inc river running through Northampton r
tells the story ot tie devastation above III
floating ulaud-. household furniture. and .
bodies of COWS ana horses. ST N1rlnEmptul. T
SO closely linked o. these J0wn- rv friendly .
and bushes ines. the bells toAel- calling .
the citizens O. G. meeting 90 devise means OF f
aid. Dead bodies are beng picket up along .
the river hank. SATURDAY noon. twenty
three bodies had been Tins recovered. aul .
the loss Of lie was estimated O. ner over
Sky
JILL STORY .r -EE 1YEEWlElNIS1 l4L4E--l
The catastrophe originated 10 the Drsas-
arg away o. q reservoir 40 @ hollow u the
hills north Of the village Of Williamsburg.
built hy tae c1rporated owners o. mil pro-
perry ou tue banks Of Nil river ~ a00u;
eight @ elock 40 the morning tle break Gee
curre1 the eate-keepsr III hot haste fore
-au. 1n horseback. the racing food O. WI
there thence another ran before It through
skinnervile 10 Hsydenyile. ana still d
third bore the news on % Leeds. warning
Oil 10 escape. The time oi opportunity les
'erec from village o. village. and the zen
MINUTES chance 90 Williamsburg was hard
Y two az Leeds little more Khan four nile ,
,el0v
All these are Ianliact1rlug Villages. but !
he three upper onc- We're especially lt M
neat and inviting aspect. be- .
ween and IL them lav fertile tracks Of ale
uvlal lan1. Inc portion Of " ilnamsbarE 3
AIKEN 1v the immense FOOD III ITS way was J
he s0uthc1 a large Touring mil on ,
ns reservoir stream was the rrs- OBJECT of >
Z fury ana when tine water reached the !
zuey instead of following the course of =
ne stream at the base of the hill, % rushed !
ladiv forward across 20 the Nam street. n
y o.
-ntIur course every house DO struck and d
esrruyInr tweT1v-hve il all before reach n
~ the ion ui SkInnervlle. "a mile below a
o thus rl0tInr ncross the meadow. u cut n
ew. vide channel. dIverIIng the river from 4
5 former bed. carrying the bulk Of lis cur -
snt 20 me other SIDE OF the valley. leaving ar
hereby. u. l. james large mil without =,
ny water-power and quite useless and 81,
lyerInE the intervening flats with sand =,
1cks and rubbish. % their almost newt "A.
bic ruin. This last IVES the case also \.
SkInnervI.-e. where the large and =,
silk factory of William SKIN
sr. IN HIch were employed 81 hands. Wa
lmpleter destroyed. ms elegant house
amazed. and rwenty-one houses carried ~
TEy. at naydenvlllc. two miles further IL
lie chief loss. and the largest Of the whole N N
l0d. was that Of the extensive brass works ~
Hayden. Gere i Co. employing $50 ~ ~
-nds, with q building attached containing ~
e savings bank and Masonic Hail: and al
ere were also destroyed q small tobacco
n and y houses OF differing sizes and
luss. The village of Leeds was utterly III
lnec as 10 It's main street, and l. houses W
re carried on. besides an ola wooden mil I na
nusodl q chapel. and the large button NJ
rory Of George J. warner employing So ne
nds. many OF them girls The damage IN de
oreuce WIS 20 the SIX and brush works, IN
II slight 10 comparison with the larger DE
80 above. and 30 the fats opposite the n
iage, which were ruined hy the stuff no
ched upon them The injury To high ne
- WAS enormous and almost Irreparable sta
!, ne resources OF the towns. The iron tn
doe At the foot Of Hospital hlli ID North "a
pton Wa carried away, and dashed sta
INST the Canal Railroad bridge. which wa
pped IN q moment and iosted down. The say
y road from Eaydenyill TO Leeds was so gI'
riv all destroyed thaf II 3 Imur0bHb bic ms
I il viii be rebuilt. fhi
,ur the circumstance that dwarls all these the
n OF mechanical ruin 10 tine veriest wi
les. the appalling los of life. Is what cer
racferizeS this disaster above ali Others 1
I are recorded IN tins eastern region. Mir
rerce. sudden onset struck these viz daI
Is al an hour when all the population wa
at work mad X come IN the night. no WI
can calculate the numher Of lives that sch
81 nave been lost. a. 1t was. II cannot nor
be wondered al that. Eith 50 immediate sur
momenfa-y z notice. the large factories WEI
Id nave been - eieaniy emgtIed an
HOW TuE DIsAsTER BEG.N chi
little below the reservoir on the western Isf-
X. bat out OF rang,' OF the food. stands I
all. dis1nal-looking dwelling. IN which yer
the gate keeper. tItOrge theasy- Ii mas stal
I, ms practice upon rising IN the morning dis'
% ont and Inspect the condition OF bic
m lie went ont rs usual Saturday OF I
-uir,g. about SIX clock. Everything wel
Eed all right the reservoir WIS 'ull as Ma
mad been for several davs. water was stea
ring ont the waste-wsy-thcre was no whs
} OF she impending catastrophe. and rus
.ney returned 10 ms house. and ms fam 4
sat ioza 10 breakfast They were lust Ma
shing the meal when a great noise was secC
I'd, and mas tsrher, VINO was standing at ala,
of the eastern windows, acclaimed, ed {