Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-04-07
Flood ut Nvorce.ter. Ma...


The disaster which Worcester, Mass,
had been seriously contemplating for sew
eral years and so anxiously fearing for about
"a hours, occurred soon after o'clock last
Thursday night, when the pent-up waters
OF the Lyndo brook reservoir tore madly
down the Cherry valley ravine, spreading
terror and destruction IN their path. OF
course, with such ample warning, there
was no loss Of life, but tho damage TO prop
erty is serious enough. 1t was at hall-past
five Thursday afternoon, when n stream
not larger than mans finger was seen
bubbling through the earlhwork of the
dam back of the waste gate house. 1t was
the portent OF disaster, and an alarm was
given. The men who had been at work in
vain attempt to prevent tho flood, fed to
the hills their teams were driven TO places
of safety, and messengers were sent in hot
haste down the valley to warn the people
that the dreadful disaster was upon them.
Meantime the stream at the break had rap
idly grown, being, within Two minutes of
the first discovery, rs large as barrel.
Foot after foot of the solid ombankm ent,
now thoroughly honeyconbed by the ac-
tlon of the water, began TO cave in. Then
sections, varying in width from two to five
feet, began to drop, until the embankment
was gone, way back TO the face of the dam.
I he cement spiling wall held for moment
alIer the earth had been washed away.
Then hole appeared in the centre of the
wall. Gradually its size increased until
with one grand crash the spiling wall
crumbled, letting OF 100000, 900 gallons of
water stored behind. The water rushed
down the ravine in a solid mass twenty feet
high, flirting and rushing at the same time,
and the roar was terrible.
The first building TO fall was the stone
gate-house. Solidly built, it resisted the
torrent for moment, but only for mo-
ment, crumLling 10 pieces so completely
that not one yestige of it remains. On
swept the food through the ravine, only
100 feet wide, and with almost 100 feet de-
scent in the first mile. On one side were
pine woods, whose largest trees were up
rooted in a twinkling and borne on with
the flood. or course everything in the ra-
vine was swept sway, and The earth was 50
quilted out as TO leave its sides in some
places almost perpendicular. The next
building to fall was a large barn which rode
the waters for some distance before 1t tot.
tered and fell in ruins. Then the waters
surged broadside against the house of Geo.
W. Onley, one of the finest in the village of
Cherry Valley, and carried away the front
and rear walls, the end still supporting the
roof, while the waters 20 feet deep, poured
beneath. Opposite Mr.. Onley's was a small
cottage, which was taken up bodily, twist
ed like a top and finally sunk. Three or
four other small dwelling houses were TAX
en- up and borne along until they crashed
together and sank out OF sight.
Eucountering now Kettle brook, the flood
was turned toward GAINESVILLE, Leesyille,
Stoneville and New Worcester, while its
volume was considerably increased by the
contents Of ]. 4. Smith e Co.'S and the
BottUmly mill ponds, whose dams, although
strongly built, were swept away as though
they bad been 50 much paper. Smith &
Co.'s wooden mill, n brick structure, and
the Bottomly mill, a wooden building, were
fairly pulverized, although the latter was
itself first made an instrument of destruc-
ton. Ii was picked up and carried whirl-
ing with the torrent until ii struck with
frightfu force the l. Of TIE Ashworth &
Jones mill, which was instantly demolish-
ed, while the Bottomly mill could not have
been more thoroughly annhilated by nitro
glycerlnc. One end of the Ashworth &
Jones mill-a line four-story structure, the
| best on the siream-was knocked out, with
the boiler house, whose boiler, queerly
enough, exploded after ii had started down
stream. The dam at Hunts mill was the
next TO fall, but all the mill buildings, ow-
ing TO a fortunate location, were saved.
Just as John Kneeland OF Jonesvile was
| driving across q small bridge on tue Rock
dale road il was lined by the flood Knee
land managed to paddle out, but his horse
was drowned.
Alter carrying away the dam at Stone
vile, the flood rushed through a narrow
valley, and. poured with rush and a roar
| which could be heard for q mile, down up
on the little village Of GAINESVILLE, where 1t
came plumply against the Boston and AL
bany railroad, cutting through the solid
cmbankment az II il were but snow, carry
ing away the outbuidings, but surging
around and leaving the passenger and
freight depots. Tho railroad for some 400
feet was annihilated and vacancy 20 feet
| deep left in its place. At the same time a
branch of the torrent of great volume tore
| along the road-bed passing both sides of
the depot and playing Titanic tricks with
the track for mile, burrowing into tho
earth just before reaching the stone bridge
at Curtls's pond and opening guch about
| so feet long and more than half as deep,
and then entering the pond.
At Leesville, about two hours after the
break, the flood came and swept of the
dam and satinet mill of Albert Curtis. The
dam at Curtis pond began TO yield about o
o'clock. Tho escaping water was held back
| by the embankment of the Boston and AL
bany railroad, and Webster square was in
undated. New Worcester seemed fated.
Tho gap in the Curtis pond dam grew larg-
err. The brick shop of Curtis & Martin was
undermined, and part OF it fell into the
seething flood. Then the Arcade building
| toppled and turned over. At Il little be-
fore 10 huge section of the embankment
of the Boston and Albany railroad, and
| with 1t part of the double arched bridge,
| gave way. The mass of waters rushed
through and New Worcester was saved.
Tho torrent fastened on TO South Woices-
ter, overwhelming in its course the Wicks
manufacturing company's establishment,
and finally dispersed itself over the nu-
merous meadows, flooding but not destroy
ing all the southern section of the city.
|
| How TO ADvERTIsE.-People pay very
i liIIln albanian 10 Ihn nrnl Hing of nlunr.