Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-04-13
The bursting Of the Worcester MASS. }
Reeeryoir.

0CUDT Vie
wozcxsrxs. Mas. March 40.
The great reservoir, which Is tie MAR,
water supply of this city Of 5000 people.
burst this afternoon at os55, In spite Of the
most desperate exertions TO stop the i'm
pending disaster during the day The
760, OOO, 900 gallons Of water stored in the
reservoir rushed down the ravine with a
terrible roar in solid mass twenty feet
high. First In the line Of the weeping
flood was the stone waste gate house.
When the food struck this 1t toftered,
then the keystone OF the arch dropped out.
A corner OF the building next gave way,
followed by the wooden root, which was
swept onward until drawn into q whiri-
pool. when il was crushed to match wood
and thrown into the air. The gate-house
was tipped over bodily, and not even
stone Of il remained. Down through a
narrow ravine 1G0 feet wide and one
mile long the Hood swept on. The sides
were fairly dug out clean in an instant
fr fifty feet, until the edge Of
the embankment was almost perpendicu-
lar. Through pine woods on one side Of
the ravlne the waters tore. The largest
trees were twisted around like straws,
pulled np by the roots, and carried on
ward down the decline. The food tore
out everything in the rayine and rushed
round toward the highway below. Alarge
barn was taken up bodily and carried
about fifty feet when it struck a tree and
was broken into pieces. Next was ID. w.
Dlney's dwelling house. one of the finest
in the village. The rushing mass struck
this broadside and completely cleared out
the rear and front walls. The ends stood,
and strange to say, supported the
roof under which the water poured
in a solid stream twenty feet high and
thirty wide. When the dam first broke the
gap was about twenty feet in width. This
Increased rapidly aftertbe water had once
gained passage through 1t, and continued
To increase till nearly the entire section,
which was eighty feet in width, had been
destroyed The ravine being narrow,
however, held the water back, and the
water continued TO run for three hours
before the reservoir was exhausted, and
the worst of the danger at Cherry Valley,
the fifsl village encountered, was over. A
small cottage house stood on the opposite
side of the road from Mr. Olney's. This
was taken up whole, whirled around on
the surface, like a top, tor astlnle, and then
down into the water. Three or four other
small dwelling-houses were taken up and
borne along until they crushed together
and sunk out OF sight. 4n i9 ,(s5
The waters from the reservoir now
reached Kettle Brook, and a vast amount
of water swept across pond, struck line
beyond, and was turned down towards
Cherry Valley, GAINESVILLE, Leesville,
Stoneville and New Worcester. j. A.
Smith g. Co. g wooden mill stood at the
head of this pond. In front of it was a
dam which had withstood many severe
test, but crumbled under the immense
pressure brought upon ii, and the waters
of the pond were added TO the already un-
controllable mass. The mill, a substaH-
tial brick structure, was next struck, and
crumbled until three fourths of the build
ing were in ruins, and the water was
sweeping through what was left standing.
A short distance below was Bottomly
mill, operated by A. Il. Smith. This was
a wooden structure about fifty feet square,
and stood below dam which held the
waters of pond above. When The water
struck this ii gave way, and the waters
of the pond served to still further increase
the vast amount which was already sweep
ing destruction before it. The mill was
next struck and lifted bodily to the top of
the rushing waters. On it was swept at a
terrific rate, whirling and turning in all
directions, until II struck Ashworth 81
Jones mill. This was the best mill on
the stream, and one of the best in the
country. 1t was substantial brick struc-
ture, four stories high, with an ell for a
boiler-house. The Bottomly mill struck
this ell with terrific force. knocking
it to pieces. The Bottoply was as com
pletely demolished by the shock as though
it had been blown up with dualin, and
nothing more was seen which could be 4
recognized as the mill standing but mo-
ment before. The boiler house of Ash
worth 81 Jones' mill was ruined in an in
slant, and one end of the main structure
was swept away. The boiler was carried
along as though it was shingle In
mill stream. Soon an explosion was
heard above the roar of the floods and
stream of water was thrown several feet
above the surface of the current. Another
explosion followed, and another, until five
had occurred, and the boiler was blown
to pieces. MIR. Jones also lost large
barn, which was crushed like an egg
shell
AtsStonevifle, the dam gave way, and
the course of the food was through mar.
row valley, and the roar of the rushing
water was distinctly heard for mile.
The flood next passed over a small dam
and the Boston & Albany Railroad, just
above the GAINESVILLE depot. Spectators
who were standing near the depot say the
water was thirty feet high when it APP
preached the track With one tremendous
crash the railroad embankment gaveway,
opening a gap 400 or 500 feet long and
twenty fee, deep. The coal sheds were
carried away, but the passenger and
freight depots We're left standing just
before the water mountain struck the rail.
road embankment at GAINESVILLE, section
OF the stream forced its way on TO theline
OF the road, and, passing on both sides Of
the depot, rushed ten feet high down the
track, carrying devastation before it.
The grade being quite steep at
this point, a new impetus was given
the water, and in its course 1t lifted
rails and ties bodily from the read bed
and turned them topsy-turvy. For more
than a mile it rushed headlong, and at
last, Just before reaching the stone arch
bridge at Curtis Pond il bored A. hole