The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-01


The bare news came to Springfield by a
brief dispatch 1.-THE dam went at 6.30.'
AS far as can be learned at this time, all
railroad connection being cut off, no lives
have been lost. The news got to Spring
field just as the Boston express from New
York arrived. Other trains have since ar
rived, and the city Ia thronged with way
bound travellers. The hotels are crowded
and excitement runs high, but no news
whatever directly from Worcester or the
valley above it is received. Railroad dis
patches received last night state that. the
Boston and Albany railroad is washed away
in three places between GAINESVILLE and
New Worcester, and one or two heavy
stone bridges are carried off. In all five
or six hundred feet of railroad is demolsh-
ed. Construction trains are already at
Worcester, and one left Springfield last
night for the spot carrying supply of
timber to build any temporary trestlework.
Passengers for Boston will be taken to
Palmer, then up TO Winchendon by the
Ware River road. and then back to Wor-
cester by the Boston, Barre and Gardner
road and on to Boston by the Boston and
Albany roads. -SprinAdeM Republican Fri
day morning.
TERRIBLY GRAND soENE.
The scene increased in its awful gran
deur, From out the lake poured a resist
less torrent of water, murky from the mix
turc of loan and gravel which continually
crumbed from the embankment and fell
into the seeihing waters. AT 54j the great
boJx, of fha aoriL foll and ,ninn1;nn ,y;tl
the now larger volume of water, was swept
in great ridge with the velocity of To-
connective down the narrow gorge of the
valley. The roar of another Niagara
rolled up from these turbid and turbulent
waters, broken by the sharp cracking of
trees as they were Tended from their roots
and swept away. The torrent cut for itself
a wider pathway than lis natural bed and
washed away the base of the hills on either
side. The bulk of the water. after cscap-
ing from the reservoir struck the lower
gatehouae, which divided the current.
A REMARKABLE SCENE.
just as the clock was striking ten there
was a sudden CULVER, and then the Boston
and Albany railroad bridge crumbled and
sank below the murky tide. This released
vast volume of, water which had backed
up, and three-quarters Of an hour later the
east side of the Curtis dam behind it began
to break up. Then was presented won
derful sight. Instead CT the dam ;umbling
away the solid earth bank was Quilted out,
as il 1t was 90 much plaster dissolying and
gradually the water encroached upon the
foundation of large two and half story
dwelling. 1t tapped this under an |. part,
and almost as rapidly as it can be told the
building was undermined. Then the end
of the house on the street lifted slightly
rocked like ship. For a moment it SEEM
cd on pivot, ard then it swayed so that
the l. broke off and tumbled into the
stream. That instant the detached por-
ton went in pieces as if it had been an egg
itself stood on end some yards from its
old site.
Eusn or sIGHT-sEERs.
The road leading from Worcester to the
reservoir, five miles distant, among the hills
of Leicester, was crowded all day with VIC
hicles of every description going to and re-
turning from the scene of the threatened
disaster, impelled by curiosity and the ex-
pectation that the dam would be swept
away.
THE EVIDENCES OF pAKIC.
The writer visited the locality at noon
avert the impending calamity all along the
valley. After passing South Worcester
signs appeared indicative of the terrible
Ia, IA, ,l,I>
NAMED since the first note OF alarm was
sounded. On the slopes of the hills were
piled the household goods Of the factory
operatives, many of whom were seated 10
the midst of all they possessed, as they had
been dong for many anxious hours. In
the factory yards were seen bales Of wool
and other stock, which the owners had tenn
porarily moved out of the mills.
A FAITHFUL DOG.
When people could gain admittancc to
Mr.. Olney's house, near the re\ervoir, a
dog was found to be the only occupant
He was just crawling out of flour bar
rel which had been tipped upon the t,>p of
pile of brush and rubbish, and seemed to
have quite recovered from his fright, nor
could he be coaxed from his old home BY
the strangers.
The milling property and the settlements
IN the Chery T"liey and Valley Falls and
New Worcester will be saved from ruin.
but Worcester will doubtless suffer water
famine the coming summer. This alterna-
tive is lamentablc, but the relief from what
might have been makes il most welcome.
HISTORY OF THE DAM.
The original dam on Lynte brook was
built in 1868, and ra-built in 1S70-1, under
the supervision of Engineer PAinehas Bail.
who has just finished Springfiolds Ludlow
reservoir. By this rebuilding the original
dam was raised nineteen feet, and the CA
pacity of the reservoir to maximum of
1919, 900 gallons. The main dam across
the ravine, down which the water broke
away, was very strongly buik faced with
a heavy wall Of masonry, with several spill
ing walls parallel with the face wall, the
spaces between being filled in with puddled
clay. So confident were, It's builders. in
deed, of its staunchncss, that Mr.. Ball be-
lleved it would be entirely secure if carried
up five feet higher, that beag the plan
it was desired to increase its ca
pacity. But the famous Mill river disaster
of May, 1874, called especial attention
to the condition of dams and |
It was discovered that the water collected |
IN front OF the embankment of portion of
The dam-as had been the case in the VIII
amsburg dam-and also that leal, had
become apparent IN the arch OF the reser-
voir dam. Engineer james B. Francis of
Lowell was accordingly asked to make an
OF the reservoir, which he did,
'ut, aside from some unimportant sugces.
ions, declared 1t to be perfectly safe. This
elieved the Immediate fears, but Mayor Jill
ION in both. hismessages of 1885 g, while sur-
resting that the dam should be raised to
uitaby increase the city's water supply.
lso expressed serious doubts of the safety
If the dam, and recommended adequate
precautions be taken TO secure it. II seems
lmOst incredible that the diacoveyad o,,J