Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-03-31
The Dam Of the Worcester Water Sup
ply Breaks and Carries Destruction
to a Wide Extent of Country.
A Wall Of Water Thirty Feet Deep and
Twenty Feet Wide Sweeps Mills
and Dwellings Away in
Breath.
The Most Appalling Calamity that has
Ever Visited New England-Im-
mense Destruction Of
PrOperty-Ete., Etc.

WORCESTER, MASS, March 3U.-La-
ter adVices from the broken dam are of
a more assuring character. The trunks
of large trees, bales of hay and loads OF
dirt are being thrown into the gap, and
the rush of water is lessened. A chan
Rel to connect the reservoir with stream
to the eastward, is being dug with all
haste. The water in the reservoir is rap
idly lowering, and though the gap IN
the dam is widening, it is thought the
main structure will stand. There is less
of panic along the expected path OF
the flood, and the efforts to lessen or
avert the danger are still in progress
throughout the Kettle Brook and Black
stone river district. There is an inn
mense crowd at the scene OF the trouble
which is growing constantly, snd 8
large police force is keeping order in the
crowd and protecting the goods on the
hills removed from the houses and man.
ufactOries. 1t is now decided that the
only means of safety is in cutting
through the east part of the dam, and
diverting the water from the break.
This will carry the stream down Par
sons Brock to Valley Falls, and thence
to New Worcester by the highway.
Parties on the line have been warned,
vet there is great danger of loss OF life
and property. The CITY engineer tnlnks
he can control the flow.
WORCESTER, March 30.-Thirty feet
of the dam gave way at half-past Blk
o'clock. The widest TumOrs prevail.
At hslf.past six O'Clock this evening
the reservoir dam gave way with a
great crash. The spiling wall crumbledI
letting off seven hundred and sixty mill
lion gallons of water stored behind, The
water rushed down the ravine with a
terrible roar, in q solid mass twenty feet
high. The first in the line Of the sweep"
ing food was the stOne waste gatehouse.
When the flood struck this 1t tOttered,
then the keystone OF the sTch dropped
out. A corner Of the building next gave
way, followed by the wooden roof, which
was swept onW ard until drawn into
| whirlpool, when it was crushed into
matchWoOd and thrown into the
| sir. The gatehouse was tipped
over bodily, and not even
| stone of it remained. Down through
| a narrow rayine a hundred feet wide and
one mile long the flood swept on. The
| sides were fairly dug out clean in an in
slant for fifty feet, until the edge Of the
: embsnkment was almost perpendicular.
! Through the pine woods on one side OF
| the ravine the waters tore, and the
| largest trees were twisted around Ike
straWs, pulled up by the roots, and car
| ried onward down the decline. Ihe
flood tore out everything in the ravine,
| and rushed onward toward the high way
| belOW, A large barn was taken up bod.
ilv and carried about fifty feet, when 1t
| struck q tree and was broken into pieces.
| The next was G. w. Olney's dwelling
house, one of the finest in the village.
The rushing mass struck this brOadslde
and completely cleaned out the rear and
front walls, but the ends stood and,
strange to say, supported the roof under
which the water poured in sclid stream
twenty feet high and thirty feet wide.
When the dam first broke the gap was
about twenty feet wide. This increased
rapidly after the water had once gained
a passage through it, aud continued TO
increase until nearly the entire section,
which was eighty feet in width, had
been destroyed. The ravine being mar
row, however, held the water back and
the water continued to run for three
hours before the reservoir was eX'
hansted and the worst of the danger at
Cherry Valley, the first village encoun-
tered. was over. A small cotIage-house
stood on the opposite side OF the road
from Mr.. Olney's. This was taken up
whole, and Whirled around on the sur
face like q top, for a timeI and then
went down into the water. Three OF
four other small dWelling.houses were
taken I'D and borne along until they
crashed together, and sunk out Of sight
Tne waters from the reservoir reached
Kettle Brook, and a vast amount o,
water swept across q pond, struck line
bayoud, and was turned down
; toward Cherry Valley, James
VILE. Leesville, Stoneville anC
Worcester. Smith & Co.'s wooden mil
stood at the head OF this pond. Iu front
of il was q dam, which had withstOOC
MANY a severe test, but crumbled under
immense pressure brought upon it, gav'
Way, and the waters of the pond wert
added to the already uncomfortable
} mass. The mill, q substantial brieE
structure, wa3 next struck, and crum
bled, until three-fourths OF the building
} was in ruins, and the water was sweep
J ing through what was left standing. 4
short distance below was Bottonly'!
mill, operated by A. E. Smith. Thi
was wooden structure, about fifty fee
{ snuare, which stood below a dam
I which held the waters Of pond above
When the water struck this it gave way
. further increase the vast amount whicl
!, was already sweeping destruction befOr
0 It. The mill was next struck and life
/ bodily to the top Of the rushing waters
= On it was swept at terrific rate, Whirl
4 ing and turning in all directions, uDtl
; il struck Ashworth & Jones's mill. Thl
Il was the best mill on the stream and on
: | of the best in the country. 1t was sui
q stantial brick structure, four stories
2 hight, with an l. for boiler-hOus
s The Bottomly was ss completely demo
d ished by the shock as though it hs
y been blown up with dualin, and nothin
Is more was seen which could be recOi
10 nized as a mill, that was standing but
Is moment before. The boiler-hOuse
1t Ashworth 81 Jones's nnill was ruined
b an instant, and one end Of the ma
ID structure was swept sway. The boil
le was taken up and carried away
e. though 1t vtre q sbingle In a M
stream Soon an explosion was hea
| e oF-A rkr