The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-03-28
A DfLCGE IN CONNECTICUT.
THE ByRSTIVG or the STfFFORD-
yILLE RESERrOTR'S DAM
~. x,u,.c. s,xept by the TiDod-A Church,
/. Hank, and Thirty Dwellings washed
! Ays,-Mii Property Damaged aud Many
n, t,,y,. pe.troyed-I Loss about 81 100000

Two villages swept by the Fiood-A Church,
/. Hank, and Thirty Dwellings washed
Avsy-Miii Property Damaged ana Many
Is, idgcs Destroyed Loss about 81 'OoO'ooo.
UNrpoRp March 27.-The Stnffordville
.,snr,,,r dam eave way about o'clock this
,norrip, sweeping everything along the valley
fr,p, S,nford,ill through Old Furnace to Staf-
ford Strings. The reservoir belonged 10 the
Reservoir Company. composed OF owners OF
mills on the stream below. Tho dam was raised
al. feet the past winter and the storm last night
flled IL for the first time. Close 10y the reservoir
stood The satinet mill Of L. A. Converse. Next
wis tho shoddy mill Of Jacob Basch; then the
machine shop OF samuel A. Midon. A mile lower
down was the Phoenix Manufacturing Com
panys cashmere mill at Hydcvillc and three
miles below there the Glen Mills Cotton Warp
Factory stood at Glonvile. The Convcrsevillo
Manufacturing Company's ssmero mill and
c. NJ Ivcss Granite Mill for making cotton
goods were on the stream at Stafford Springs,
about five miles from the dam. The reservoir
was about about mile and quarter long. and
averaged a Quaiter Of mile in width. The
dam vq.s about twenty feet high, but short the
strean l~,d being narrow for some distance be-
low The water IL the head Of the Willimantic
riyvr. Six years ago dam ON tributary
stream above here gave way. and caused great
damage.
Tho nood came upon the village suddenly,
and ts effects have been very disastrous. Tho
Stafford National Bank. the Congre gational
Church and about fifteen other buildings have
boon washed away. Three miles OF the railroad
and two Howe truss bridges between sta 1or1
and Tollnnd were washed away. The mills
suffered more or less damage, and work will
have to be suspended in them until the rescr-
voir can he robu III.
" T.n.,,.. r. =, ,,,fii. I,,., f,,,r .,t. -,
cards and 1000 -pndles. ami employ large
number oil hands The Homo Company. tho
Home Manufacturing Company, AMI 'he Homo
Woollen Company are also situated there. The
latter runs $500 spini-s. The Stafiordvil,
Woollen Company has three sets OF cards. The
ehhi loss ~ th's" comp1ni.~ - not known. In
Stafford Springs are the mills II MesSrs. Chnrles
Fox y CO, six sctS of cards: tho Couvrrsr Com
pnny. VIII scVcn sets ~ cards and l.sOp spin
dice. In Ella are the millsot Converse q Coz
and the Mineral springs Manufacturing Com
pany. WIN sN sets Il cards end l.ii9 spindles
In Stafford are the Valley Company- Mills tho
Gynn Mills. 1000 spinil,s; the Granite VI lis
$500 syindles the Valley Manufacturing Com
pany tie Phpnix Woolcu Mills and the RoSsi-
t'r Com pdny each with four sets Of c9ris. The
Grant" Mills and tenement houses at Stafford
vlllo we're all swept away, anu also the stores
State senator Julius Converse tlograrhs that
al the dams on The stream rom stan rlVllle 10
point below the Springs, with AL the bridges
arr g9ie: Prohaniy np' i"-- ihpn thlrly houses
v =. ! stroyed and the loss ~ % he very large
JnH uttn WAS con~iiNrNt ~lit. Nuf fue nrANy
tho rctervoir to OVERT 1Ning. The hrcakin.
hwey was wholly unexpected. hui the reservoir
b"ing set some distHnre al 0ye the village. the
alarm reached the leopl" IN time for thcmto To If
fet their escape; The loss hyth" N sastrr is os-
tmatrd at from $500. 100 10 81 ,Ono.0oo. One per-
ron, Richard Speeding. a wpli-hnown citizen o
Stafford Springs. Is thought to have beeI
Like every other stream in Come tcut th'
FurnA'r brook. now called the Last Branch 90
the W liinmantle river. hNs l,ng been used fo
4 a.a IlfFH
other. nearly all for the manuiaetur Of woollei
goods. has boon built ON is 'nnN-. On nccoun
OF the re -nnt drou gif- i'm New England. the man
uinrurcrs decided. last year, t. make their re-
eerye supply q water greater by adding six fee
severe o. ~,r % Ioss to ali II the nies- on The stream
Ever since the addition WIS Tut on there have
it, iir-l test. In spite 20 open gatewtys and
other precautions, leak began about tht
vast" pips Tue water instantly male is WAY
hat been pred ctel. the wall hayInS been made
Of iroz' 2 mgtrrial. which tAe nIprqArt ol rprin.
lo0senel. Men wrro a work AL day Mnniu
irving 10 patch up the holes. AMI stopped Tues
d. morning only wacr certain oi iaiiur"
plare. tore the dam O. piec'.- at about O'Clock
and started down the valley. A. j. usual IL
sueh cn-es the water chose queer and unac
countab., paths sparns some buildings Ill
r,ctly in liz way while 10 tore others 10 l.ece
which seemed sure to stand. Or twelve mills q
Tie stream. on two We're carrie away; a "a RI
thc Granite Mil. was damaged, while tn
rest esaped. Icnemonis AMI N. msr'antll
community that has grown up IN the husiu ~
Senirr OF Stafford SEngs suiier most OF III
The -troam beginning at stafroriyinc low
through hydevllle, Glenvlle and Converseyille lle
and cntrr- the Willamtntir river at Staifur'
sprlngs This place. with its three thousanl
Inhabitants has become a summer resort "a
account Of it, mineral springs. IL hu.i
n"-- L. all in, irnud t. the iatnuiaturln n'
iuierr-tS. Tie tlu0d asiel about t"nth pur
OF the villn2" out of existence, including iil
most central anl % tv" husln"-s portion. From
tn moment tire hood s,ru , thr L wn 10 H. sui
BltHl there lf IifHH time. vel i