The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-01
A GREAT TORRENTS TRACK.
THE LTFE or 4 THRIYING TtLLEY
SWEET dWiY ~ Az HOUR.


a48 A. NJ. hundreds were wandering along the
tortuous and terrible track Of the food, stand
ing, a. II spellbound, on the tlfted bank Of tho
reservoir and gathering relics in the dry bed OF
the torrent. At a later hour the roais were
Rlltterng with cirriiRes like city boulevard3,
and along the field paths rhled long lines of
foot passenger, among whom were old
and women hobblinR on crutchsa and children
IN wondering groups. II seemed as II all the
residents of Worcester and OF the surrounding
country hai taken o holid w and drawn by one
attraclio sou Int a common centre Many
Thousands thus wandered along the edges OF
the broad, barren track OF the inun alton, while
bund eos OF poor working girls and msn stood
gazing dly at the rains NJ the great mills upon
whose existence their livelihood hld dope ended,
and many others were looking for the sites of
their homes, which d be sn swept away by the
resistess waters. A few trod In the footsieps
Of the monster food through It's whole ten
miles OF rough meadetin-.
The Lvnde Book Reservoir IA situated about
i've miles from Wore 'sier, AMI II Occupies
pear shaped hollow NJ II ths summit Of swell
Ing range that distanty overlooks the town. Tho
teways were at tho southern and broa Ter
base Of the reservoirs outline. ana directly in
line with steep, narrow, rocky gully running
straight down through the heart OF the little
manufacturing hamlet OF Cherry Valley.
THE WATER COURSE.
Through this gully, which after passing Cher
nv valley, widens httle, tutaS abruptly to the
left, and punces down series OF r,ckv de-
scents, every vantage Of whch h IS been seized
tor a mill site. the water mains from the rcser-
v,ir 70 Worcester city wcre lld. Tls nitle
strcln Of waste water bnboin. through tn,
clly T. kn.wn "a Lynlc brook. but below IL
lo'es its name by mtrryin: a mpr, powcrfIl
stream called Kettle brook. Kettle brook Ia
one Of the cr,ox'dcs lf'tie s.reams In tn
world. Nv making nlmerou' elbows, zigz g,
AM rr cefu h N ci cl l,s, a. wDrk' ia " " down
he nils IN soltherlv diret in, cri,sas tao
Boston and Albany Rliirold. sw,a's mol ily out
AZ INIT as,u'harn emhlnN'nent Il bluff. makes
almost a lnop three or foHr mll,s long. crosses
the railroad AZ in qulrter OF IN Is lst OF
OF where IL FIRST meets II, MAKES another short
loop. eI br cling the viii 60 Of New Worcester.
crosses the tiroad once more. and then winds
eastward around the southern skirt OF wcrces
ter ci'v md. q length after th~cs or four rclnc
NJ twists AMI turns, trrbles into tn. Bl ok
stone RIVER. me nrea. nIod ot last MINT fol
only u could not keep its grst' h,dy IN the mar
row confines OF tne brooks or iinlry current
ami u sweltd over the banks, tore way pro-
jecting points. and leaped downwlri In snorter
ana mcre tmpefuo IS ways. The nrold, green
meadows through which the brook wound
with gravel and bowldes, ard tue heavy mills
I, at were perchcd ON the oserhansins banks 1t
riudled IKE ri houses.
AT THE RESERVOIR.
The reservoir this morning looked Ike tho
holl " OF grsat hand. Is b ttom vas incrust-
ed In w unduiaiions with what wns yesterday
| Il sting ic'. little blle water snow II In the
lower corner, forty feet low the roo # the en-
| D. nsment: rough the g.eat s.apins, mound-
lke wall, l1ccd nti one side with ~ al masonry
and on the other with cinsc-clinped tn 7, wns a
| tremendous rent 80 lcet Niir. ~ f'et lont. .ni
~ iret 'p' y 81 tpelese "e" u D.ich I'D Ik' j
oniv N rse familiar vith iht features . { the dam
! c'uld poin; out thn place Is ellie st-ont Iowa r
/ gate house Il q riom', i"r"t rod. down @
ravine l.V q ricce OF en- 81 IN 4 inch IRON
| mars, taf covered N.in sanG; and tarthcr
down other huge pie ~ mmn tipes were
| lmbedded In the peEuiy ground. In it,
rn-h through its steep on,c ths water b d
! fairly rolled the surface 81 the ctOuui lefnre
| IL like c rOet, torn up Cerp r1otei tress.
wr nchei messy rocks from tneir beds in tic
eer,h' md levelled knobs Of ground Ike haaps
rhe bursting Of tho dam Is said by eve wilt
ncsses to have been fearf .ly sudden. Ii was
almost sunset. and the Efforts male to save tho
| dam seemed to n,ve aim 81 prevailed. Mos Of
| the aDxiOGs watchers OF the 0ay hal gone hope
| fullf hOmeward. anl only few cay ollic ~,
| slneei = ara a.out hitv ointr prrau, tenihnod
waicnins t1e lex. Jlst fer o'ci, cS "a ,hlh
| the coJs,e stones between the foo. ~ the Il m
ana the lower gate house. Like ma.ic the sur
| rounding ground began to sceth wth moi-t re,
| ard then wn,er boiled OUT oi It's pores, driven
| by the ter ihc pressure b1hnd. Tao Worsmen
threw down their tools anu fed up the b ns,
| , nd horsemen were sent nenilU . down the val
| icv to spre d TIE dreJded news that tae hood
vas ,9u.ing. Fortunately, everyooiy n.d re-
! reisoi ample warning. nj II not already IN
l. css of sfoty we're a ii ky bIe to Il 20 t1ers'
IL Is sald, however, tlat In one Of thc mills ue-
tow Cne.,y valley tae oper~iives were oil at
WOrA tcu minutes Del re- tho IN bu. ST.
the TORRENT LIT Loose.
As soon as the beginning had been made by
the water, the fan OF the dam followed swiftly.
! au the lDWer - fn a
| eau Z back pldl into tue en- oaIikmeBt. Which
| caVed In In great masses. lhe lower tie house
was split ana tumDed into ru nS IA few MN
| utes. In laif all nOur there was an open ch all
nrl throuln the whole .dspth OF tho dam. md
| then the rpightY mass Of W ter behind seemed
| TO g. ring through tue opening In twenty
| minutes the water In the Reservoir, spectators
| gate house stood un II the water had lowered
yerd feet, ana then suGueniy having become
undermined II reelcd, swung haf around, and
cracked aud tell. ILis was an hour aud a bslf
| after the break began.
Ihe torrent made straight. brosd road over
| tho haf mlie OF ground be tween the oam and
| Cherry Valley, roaring, dashlny, growing ike
| Leavy thunder "a II bore Immense powders and
| great trees along Ia Is current. IL spiead A
| thiok iayer of mud, gravel and great s.ones
| over acres Of fertile ground in its course. The
first obstacle Ia the way Of the mood was the
tate. Inis barn, with the handsome residence
just under It's lee. stood aoovo the bend In the
| narrow valley where Lynde brook jo 4 Kettle
| brook. IL was torn from is foundations IN AN
| instant and hurled In pieces down the stream.
| EJdVing around prOJ sctlng point, Lh0 wafer
| poured through the lower 1oor OF Mr. Olney q
| residence, crushing 10 tine doors ana sweeping
| every article OF furniture away except the pic
| lures hanging on the walls, besides tearing out
| some OF the walls and founda ions, q irrying
| away the fences, and turning the beautifI gar
| dtn into q waste of muddy stones. Mr. Olney =
| loss may reach 5000 or $4,000. The family had
fled TO the hills ~ dressed the nignt previous,
| ana had not returned except to remove their
| silver. Tnev thought the Danger not sufficient
| to warrant the removal OF their other household
| goods.
TnE FLOODS HAVOC.
| Two highways we're torn up for rods and the
| 1ood swept around tho sharp bend, lashing
against che op 1Osigg bluffs at the elbow ana re-
| bounding DOWN. ard over j. a. Smiths twenty
| feet dam, whicn was swept away In twinkling.
| Smiths wOollon mill, n large tnree-story bIick
| building, partially spanning the stream, was
| struck by the mass Of water AS II II had been u
| solid shot from a cannon, and the heavy brick
| walls melted out OF sight IN a cloud Of spray and
| foam. A small part only Of the structure.
| cracked through ana through, tOtterng on half
| demolished formations. remains. The engine
| Hnd q house were swept away. One side OF
| two or three roo was torn away by the wat eT,
| leaving the other side untouched ana looking
| through the tantled mass OF cardlng machinery,
| broken beams aud hanging rdlters one sees u
| clock ticking on wall pegs hung with articles
| OF clothing and large safe standing la one
| corner which nobody dares venture To rescue.
| Tho loss at this mil 10 at least SlOO.OO0. Two
| small wooden highway bridges, and Two tene-
| ms nts that had been occubied by six famill 3