The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-04-05
RECORD OF TIE NEWS.
Another Great Dam Disaster, but no Loss of
Life.


Life.
The dam Of the Staffordsville, Conn,
reservoir gave way on the morning OF the
Goth, causing the village ie.rtul damage. The
railroad freight house and all the cars were
swept away, leaving only the passenger depot.
The Stafford National Bank, Congregational
church and about fifteen other buildings have
been washed away. The damage to the rail.
road trac| is very heavy. The flood came
upon the village suddenly, and its effects
have been disastrous. Three miles Of rail-
road track are washed away. The damage
was at fit estimated at TWO million dollars
bat later reports indicate that &35O, 600 viii
cover the loss. The reservoir was about
mile and one quarter long, and averaged q
quarter Of \ mile in width. The dam was
about thilty feet high, but shors, the bed OF
the stream being narrow for some distance
below. The water is the head OF the
Williamatic river Six years ago
dam on the tributary stream above here
gave way and caused kreat damage.
The recent addition Of six feet to the height
OF the dam was never liked by the residents
of the valley, and it is said the owners had
doubts OF the safety OF the work, for they
have never siuce it Was flushed allowed the
reservoir to raise to its full height. They put
IN immense cast iron waste pipos four feet in
diameter to carry of the surplus, and the
filing of the reservoir was owing to heavy
fall OF rain; and not because OF any intention
0: the owners to fill the reservoir. The body
Of water covered about 200 acres. At the first
test the dam went to pieces, as had ben
prophesed by those who said it was made of
frozen gravel and built too hastily. A leak
was discovered on Monday. Workmen were
busy all day and night filing in about the
waste pipe. Their efforts were useless. At
half past five o'clock in the morning the work
was abandoned. The water then gained so
rapidly that in few minutes the pipe was
shot out of its place, the
dam opened and the flood started
Z. C. Pinney, of the Chenille Manufacture
ing Company, mounted horse and rode at
the head ofthe flood to VAIN the Inhabitants
in the valley. The water, which grew greater
by absorption OF the successive ponds as each
lower dam wac carried off, moved at the rate
OF five miles an hour, and from the time OF
Pinney's waning up to the arrival OF the
water cople were busy in moving their pro-
relty. But little was rescued. When the
wafer burst ont OF the reservoir it stuck and
carried off the side OF building owred by
Converse, the mill and dwelling house of Otis
Holbrook, and two bridges. 1t lett Basch'S
mill unhurS. Turning With the channel it
destsoyed Amidon's machine shop and sew
eral tenement houseo. Then the dams of the
Phoenix company, Howe company and
the Valley company wee tom away, though
the mills were not huls Growing
greater, the volrme Of water reaching
Stafford Hollow, tore away the iron
bridge, list mill and several old bridges,
Making a new chappe', i; cut through the
Highway pass &c 25 feet deep, spi eadirg
over the meadow below there, bet was gather
cred a.: in at hall nile above tie borough of
S:aford's Springs Here it carried off the
Glen compary's dams, but the mills and
tenements escaped. From here mass
about thi-ty ieet high, made up Of debris
as much as OF W~ter came rolling down to
the dam OF the Conversevil'e company. The
people, who hid gathered in very large num-
hers, ected like crazy per~ons, and in some
cases had to be carried to places of safety.
The Converse mill Was not destroyed, but the
dam went, and also the Gam Of the Granite
mills. The accident is terrible blow upon
the valley. About one thousand hands are
thrown out Of worn. and the industries are sad
lycrippled.