The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-03-31
BREAKING OF THE DAM.
Seven Hundred and Sixty Mil.
lion Gallons of Water Let
L0ose-Great Destruction OF
Mill PrODertY.

Loose-Great Destruction O
Mill Property.
WoRcEsrER, March 30.-Later advice
from the broken dam are Of 4 more assul
ing character. Large tree trunks, bale
OF hay and loads Of dirt are being throw
into the gap, and the rush OF water
lessened. A channel to connect the res
ervoir with the stream to the eastward
being dug with haste. The water in th
reservoir Is rapidly lowering, and thoug
the gap in the dam is widening, it !
thought the main structure will stand
There is Iess OF panic along the expectet
path OF the food, and the efforts to lessel
or avert the danger are still in progres
throughout the entire Kettle Brook ant
Blackstone river. There is large crowC
at the scene Of the trouble, which i
growing constantly. A large police fore,
is keeping order in the crowd, and pro
tecting the goods on the hills removed
from the houses and manufactures.
WORCESTER, March 30.-2 P. Nit il
now decided the only means OF safety il
in cutting through the eastern part Of the
dam and diverting the water from thu
breaks. This will carry the stream dowr
Parsons Brook to Valley Falls, and
thence to New Worcester by the highway
Parties living along the line have beer
warned, yet there is great danger Of the
loss Of life and property. The city engi'
neer thinks he can control the food.
La,er-6:30 T. M.-Thirty feet OF the
dam gone away. The widest rumori
prevail.
WORCESTER, March 30.-About 9!
o'clock this evening the reservoir dam
gave way with great crash, and the
spiling crumbled, letting of 760,000,000
gallons Of water stored behind. The
water rushed down the ravine with ter.
rible roar in a solid mass twenty feet
high.
First in the line Of the sweeping food
was the stone waste gate house. When
the food struck this it tottered; then the
keystone Of the arch dropped out. The
corner Of the building next gave way
followed by the wooden roof, which was
swept onward until drawn into whirl.
pool when it was crushed TO match
wood and thrown into the air. The gate
house was tipped over bodily, and not
even a stone Of il remains.
Down through narrow ravine one
hundred feet wide and mile long the
food swept, and the sides were fairly dug
out clean in an instant for fifty feet, until
the edges OF the embankment were almost
perpendicular. Through the pine woods
on one side Of the ravine the waters tore.
The largest trees were twisted around
like straws, pulled up by the roots and
carried onward. The food tore out ev-
erything in the ravine, and rushed on.
ward toward the highway below. A large
barn was taken up bodily and carried
about fifty feet, when it struck tree and
was broken into pieces. The next build
ing was G. W. Olney's dwelling house,
one Of the finest in the valley. The rush.
ing mass struck this broadSide and com.
pIeteIy cleared out the rear and front
walls. The ends stood, and, strange 10
say, supported the roof, under which the
water poured in stream twenty feet high
and thirty wide. Where the dam first
broke, the gap was only about twenty
feet in width. This increased rapidly af-
ter the water had gained a passage
through t,and continued to increase until
nearly the entire wall, which was eighty
feet wide, had been destroyed. The raw
inc being narrow, however, it held the
water back and the water continued 10
rush for three hours before the reservoir
was exhausted.
The first building encountered was q
small cottage house which stood on the
opposite side OF the road from Mr.. o.
neys. This was taken up whole, whirled
around on the surface like a top for
time and then down into the
water. Three or four other small dwell
ings were taken up and borne along IN.
Ill they crashed together and sank out Of
sight: The waters from the reservoir
now reached Kettle Brook, and a vast
Vmount Of water swept across a pond,
struck line beyond and turned down to.
ward Cherry Valley, GAINESVILLE, Lees.
vile, Stoneville and New Worcester. J.
Smith & Cos wooden mill stood at the
head OF this pond. In front OF it was a
dam which had withstood severe test,
but crumbled under the immense pressure
brought upon it and gave way, and the
waters OF the pond were added TO the
uncomfortable mass. The mill, brick
structure, was next struck and crumbled
till three lourths OF it was in ruins and
the water was sweeping through it. A
short distance below was the Bottomly
mill, operated by A. E. Smith. This was
wooden structure about fifty feet square
and stood below a dam which held the
waters Of pond above. When the water
struck this It gave way and the waters OF
the pond served still further to increase
the amount which was already sweeping
destruction before 1t. The mill was next
struck aud lifted bodily to the top Of the
rushing waters and on it was swept At q
terrific rate, whirling and turning in all
directions until it struck the Ashland &
Jones mill. This was the best mill on
the stream and one OF the best in the
country. It was substantial brick
structure with an ell for boiler house.
The Bottomly mill struck this ell with
terrific force, knocking it to pieces. The
BottomIy mill was as completely demoI-
ished by the shock rs though it had been
blown up with dynamite, and nothing more
was seen which could be recognized
as a mill standing. But q moment before
the boiler house OF Ashworth & Jones
boiler house. was ruined in an instant, and
one end OF he main structure was swept
away. The boiler was taken up and car
ried along as though it was shingle in a
mill stream. Soon an explosion was
heard above the roar OF the Hood, and a
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. Mr.. Jones also lost q
large barn, which was crushed like an
egg-hell.
The first indications Of trouble at Cur.
tis pond was the rise Of water. At Q
o'clock the situation was critical, and the
water had cut a hole through the dam.
The Boston & Albany Railroad embauk.
ment served as dam and Webster Square
was rapidly converted into a reservoir.
A few minutes past 9 O'Clock one end Of
Curtis & Marbles large brick thop gave
way, falling in the stream. By this time
the gap in Curtis pond dam had in.
creased to 20 feet, and sOon after the Ar.