The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-04-07
A FEARFUL FLOOD.
Bursting of the Dam at Worcester
Terrible Destruction OF Properly.

] BuTSIlnS OF IHe ltalll at w NOTteSltF-
Terrible Destruction OF Properly.
At $50 o'clock last evening the reser
voir dam at Worcester, Mass, gave way
with great crash, the spiling crumb-
led, letting of 760,O00,O00 gallons OF
down the ravine with terrible rosT. in
soliG mass twenty feet high. FIr-t in
the line ofthe sweeping flood was the
stone waste gate honse. When the flood
struck this it tottered, then the keystone
of the arch dropped ont; corner Of the
building next gave way, followed by the
wooden roof, which was swept onward
until drawn into a whirlpool. when il
was crushed To inatch-wOod and thrown
into the air. The gate house WAS tipped
over bodily, and not even a stone of it
remain ed. Down through a narrow ra-
vine hundred feet wide and one mile
long the food swept on. The sides were
dug out clean in an instant for fifty feet,
until the edge of the emhanKment was
almost perpendicular. Through the
pine woods 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 ont everything in the ravine,
and rushed onward towards the high
way. a large barn was taken up bodily
nj 81, h. -
struck tree and was broken into pieces.
Next was q. w. Olney's dwelling house,
one of the finest in the valley. The
rushing mass struck this br0adside and
completely cleaned 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 TWEEN
~ feet high and thirty wide. The
width of the dam rapidly increased from
twenty TO eighty feet. The ravine was
so narrow that it held the water back,
and it was three hours before the reser-
voir was exhausted.
J. A. Smith & Co.'S wooden mill was
struck and crumbled until three fourths
of the building was in ruins. ard the
water was sweeping through what was
left standing The Bottomly mill,
wooden structure, a short distance be-
low, was struck and lifted bodily to the
top of the rushing waters. The mill of
Ashworth & Jones, was next struck.
This was the best mill on the stream, and
one of the best in the country. 1t was
a substantial brick structure, four stories
high, with an ell for boiler house.
The Bottomly mill struck this ell with
terrific force, Knocking it to pieces. The
Bottnmly was as completely demolished
by the shock as though it had been
blown up with dualine, and nothing
more was was seen which cnuli he rec
ognized as a mill standing but a moment
before. The boiler house of Ashworth
& Jones' mill was ruined in an instant.
and one end of the main structure was
swept away. The boiler was taken up
and carried along as though it was
shinele in a mill stream. Soon an ex-
plosion was heard above the roar of the
flood, 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 10 pieces.
The flood next passed over small
dam and the Boston and Albany Rail-
road, just above the GAINESVILLE depot
Spectators who were standing near the
depot say the water was thirty feet high
when it approached the track. With
one tremendous crash the railroad en-
bankment gave way, opening gap four
hundred or FIVE hundred feet long and
twenty feet deep. A section of the
stream rushed along the track, tearing
up rails and cross ties The food reach
ed Leesville about two hours after the
dam broke, and struck the satinet mill
owned by Albert Curtis with terrific
force. 1t gave way AMI crumbled into
ruins and the dam was carried away.
Three hours after the dam broke ont
the effect was felt at New Worcester
The course of the stream from the reSer-
voir through the other villages is nine
miles, showing that the water advanced
at the rate of three miles an hour. The
first mile, however. was made in three
minutes. Considerable damage was
done to the Boston and Amboy Rail.
road