The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-03-28
NEcTIc
A Dam Disaster.

thS AS ~eS Wey
this morning, causing fearful damage.
The railroad freight house and all the
cars in that vicinity were washed away,
leaving only the passenger depot. The
Staffordsville national bank and Congre-
gational church and about fifteen other
buildings were washed away. The flood
came upon the village suddenly and its
effects have been very disastrous. Three
miles of railroad track are washed
away also two Howe truss bridges
between Stafford and Tolland. The
flood has caused trouble all along the
line of the railroad. The telegraph was
promptly brought into requisition and
neighboring towns warned of the
might, rush of waters.
Following is a description OF the
dam and surrounding country. The
reservoir belonged to the Reservoir
Company, owners of the mills on the
stream below. The dam was raised six
feet during the past winter, and the
storm of last night filled it for the first
time. Close by the reservoir stood "a
satinet mill, next a shoddy mill, then a
machine shop, lower down a cashmere
mill, at Hydeville, and three miles be-
low a cotton warp factory, then another
cashmere mill, a mill for the making Of
cotton goods, all Of which were on the
stream. At Stafford Springs, about
five miles from the dam the reservoir
was about a mile and a quarter long,
and averaged a quarter of a mile in
width. The dam was about twenty feet
high. The water is the head of the
Willimantic river. Six years ago a dam
on a tributary stream above here gave
way, and caused great damage.
sEcoND DISPATCH.
S~taffordsville, March 27.-By the
the granite mills and tenements were
and s~tole-houses.
State Senator Converse telegraphs
that all dams on the stream, from Stat
louisville to a point below the springs,
with all the bridges, are gone, and that
probably not less than thirty houses
were destroyed, and the loss will be
very large. The dam was considered
safe, but heavy rains on the mountains
in the afternoon and evening filled the
reservoir to overlooking. The breaking
away was wholly unexpected, but the
reservoir being set some distance above
the village, the alarm reached the peo-
pie in time for them to escape. 1t is
thought that not more than two lives
were lost. The valley is made a COM
plete wreck.
All the dams ON the stream from
S~taffordsville, and all bridges to below
the springs are swept away. AT this
place the Congregational church, Ma
tional bank, Howe insurance building,
l.. w. Cranes store, VIM. Smith u
Co.'s warehouse and five dwelling
houses of the Granite Mill Company,
the freight depot and several freight
cars and other lesser buildings were de-
stroyed, making n complete wreck of
our valley LTt l-e
The losses by the Converseville dis
aster are estimated at from $500, 900 to
81, 900, 900.
Richard Sheldon is thought to have
been drowned. The dam broke about
6 o'clock this morning, after the work.
men had been engaged all night in try
ing to prevent the disaster. The
machine shop of Samuel Amidon, and
two houses were destroyed.
The dam at Stafford Hollow, an iron
bridge, one tenement house and grist
mill were washed away and the road
way cut out for 80 feet.
The dam at Chenille went out, but
the mill stood firm. At Stafford
Springs the dam was carried off and
the Granite Mill Co.'s dam was also
carried away. Eight tenement houses
belonging to this mill were swept away.
The Granite mills were damaged by
being undermined, but will stand. The
Stafford National bank, Gerry's stables.
the block of Baker & Head, %storehouse
and granary of G. o. Cleveland, ware
houses of A. w. Smith & Co., Shoddy
& Flock, dealers in lumber, the coal
yard of G. j. Holmes and an engine
house were all swept away.
Among the losses are the Granite
mill, $50, 700; town of Stafford. $50, 600;
ten dams, about $50, 900; Smith & Co.,
$40, 900; G. o. Cleveland, $40, 900:
Thompson & Wheton, $4,000; L. w.
Crane, $4,000; Congregational church,
S25, 900. Most of the others lose from
SIC, 900 down. The whole region is
devastated. The damage below STAFF
ford Springs, if any, is not included in
the estimate of this dispatch.
VERY LATEST.
Hartford, March 27.-The disaster
at Statfordsville is not so destructive as
first reported. A later estimate puts
the actual present loss at S350,00O. A
leak was discovered on Monday, and
workmen were busy all day and night
filling in about the waste-pipe. Their
efforts we're useless, and ut $50 O'Clock
this morning the work IA abandoned.
The water had then gained so rapidly
that in a few minutes the dam opened.
E. c. Perry mounted a horse at the
head of the flood to warn the inhabi-
tants of the valley. The water, which
grew greater by the absorption of sue.
cessive ponds as each lower dam was
carried off, moved at the rate of five
miles an hour, and from the time Of
Perry's warning up to the a~rrivalo OF the
water people were busy in moving theil
property. But little was rescued.
OHIO.