The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-04-13

Conn.,, to-day, i've men were drowned by
the washing away of dam -embankment
which they were Strengthening. The
aggregate loss in New England is enorm-
GUS.
The Bursting of the Worcester (Mass.)
Reservoir.
WORCESTER, Mass, March 30.
The great reservoir, which is the main
water-supply of this city of $1,000 people,
burst this afternoon at 5 :55, in spite of the
most desperate exertions to stop the i'm
pending disaster during the day. The
76O, 900 900 gallons of water stored in the
reservoir rushed down the ravine with
terrible roar in a solid mass twenty feet
high. First in the line of the sweeping
flood was the stone waste gate-house.
When the flood struck this it tottered,
then the keystone of the arch dropped out.
A 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-h house
was tipped over bodily, and not even a
stone of it remained. Down through a
narrow ravine leo feet wide and one
mile long the flood swept on. The sides
were fairly dug out clean in an instant
for 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 up by the roots, and carried on
ward down the decline The flood tore
out everything in the ravine and rushed
round toward the highway below. Alarge
barn was taken up bodily and carried
about fifty feet when it struck tree and
was broken into pieces. Next was D. W.
Olney'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 solid stream twenty feet high and
thirty wide. When the dam first broke the
gap was about twenty feet in width. This
increased rapidly after the water had once
gained a passage through it, 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 first 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 top, for a!tlme, 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.
The waters from the reservoir now
reached Kettle Brook, and vast amount
OF water swept across a pond, struck line
beyond, and was turned down towards
Cherry Valley, GAINESVILLE, Leesville,
Stoneville and New Worcester. J. A.
Smith & Co.. wooden mill stood at the
head of this pond. In front of it was a
dam which had withsto0d many a severe
test, but crumbled under the immense
pressure brought upon it, and the waters
of the pond were added to the already un-
comfortable mass. The mill, a substan-
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. E. Smith. This was
wooden structure about fifty feet square,
and stood below dam which held the
waters of pond above. When the water
struck this it 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 it struck Ashworth &
Jones' mill. This was the best mill on
the stream, and one of the best in the
country. 1t was a 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 Bottomly 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
recognized as the mill standing but.a mo-
ment before. The boiler house of Ash
worth & 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 q shingle in a
mill-stream. Soon an explosion was
heard above the roar of the foods 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 large
barn, which was crushed like an egg
shell
At Stoneville, the dam gave way, and
the course of the flood was through mar
row valley, and the roar of the rushing
water was distinctly heard for a mile.
The flood next passed over small dam
and the Boston 6 Albany Railroad, just
above the GAINESVILLE depot. Spectators
who were standing near the depot say the
water was thirty feet high when it ap-
preached the track. With one tremendous
crash the railroad embankment gave way,
opening gap 400 or 500 feet long and
twenty feet deep. The coal sheds were
carried away, but the passenger and
freight depots were left standing. Just
before the water mountain struck the rail-
road embankment at GAINESVILLE, section
of the stream forced its way on to the line
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, new impetus was given
the water, ana in its course it lifted
rails and ties bodily from the road-bed
and turned them topsy-turvy. For more
than mile it rushed headlong, and at
last, Just before reaching the stone arch
bridge at Curtis Pond, it bored hole
down into the road-bed and made gap
about eighty feet long and forty-flve or
fifty feet deep. The water then found its
way into Curtis Pond. The devastation
at this point will be as costly as any
along the entire route. The two long
and deep gaps will require much time
and great expense to repair. A mile of
rails and ties are piled up in every con-
ceivable shape, and the road-bed under
the north track is washed out in places
three or four feet deep. The Branch rail-
road track was taken up bodily and car
ried over on to the main road. Trees,
stumps and shanties were also thrown
down and washed away. The flood
reached Leesville about two hours after
the dam broke, and struck the satinetmill,
owned by Albert Curtis, with terrific
force. 1t gave way and crumbled into
ruins, and the dam was carried away.