New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-28
THE VALLEY OF THE wILLIMANTIC.

The scene of the disaster is the Valley OF
the Wilimanc one of the two fine mill streams which
have made Eastern Connecticut hive OF manufacturing
industry The stream rises the Massachusetts ne
flowing southerly, and uniting with the itlnihepaue
the other stream referred to- to form the shetucke not
many miles above the busy city OF Norwich Conn FROM
the broken reservoir 10 miles south OF the state he III
the Township OF Stafford Toand County, the "iliiantc
flows down with rapid current to the Shetucket through
@ region chiefly remarkable for its romantic NILS It's
factories and enterprsing population Every rev mics
dams have been built across the stream ana co''on
wooen sewing silk and other factories and busy ana
prosperous villages have sprung up by them' Ine
amount OF money invested in milling property along the
stream immense. At Wnantc alone where the great
thread mills and where there are some very oa
cotton mills aud several sewing silk and other factories
the capital invested amounts to several millions. lhe
principal manufacturing villages going North are sonh
Wndhan, Willimantic, Eagevie, with large sheetihS
mills; South Coventry, Mansfield, with seVerai
companies engaged In making sewing BLK
Stafford Springs and Stafordvile, In the township Vi
Stafford in which the broken reservoir Is sitna'eu
without this stream and the Quinebaug Eastern Connect
icut would be almost unnhabted because the land does
not repay cultivation. or would not without manu-
featuring population to consume its products.
Stafford Springs is village OF about 5000 Inhabitants
bult partly in the gorge OF the Wmantc the hills
which cluster about the spot IL derives Ito prosperity
from the half dozen wooden, cotton and shoddy mills
by reason of these mills. The place is however, also
known for its mineral springs The waters are imregnated
with IRON been pronounced the best chay
waters in the United states huge wooden hotel has
been erected the springs in parkke inclosurc near
the New-I,ondon Northern Railroad station, and has
been something Of a resort for the fashionable world
An elegant residence, built and occupied by
State Senator Julius Converse stands on beautiful
slime inst outside Of the village The houses OF the
village are generally the nights, and the majority OF
them were necessarily out Of harms way as FAR as Tie
food was concerned. The property most exposed to
damage here was the mills, which occupied the valley
They are sufficiently mentioned in THE TRIBUNE dis
patches The Granite Mill in this village is an old
and interesting establishment The agent OF 1t is fond OF
showing to favored visitors receipt proving that he had
maid about 81 900 for bale OF cotton for manufacturing
purposes back in tmes when gold was 200 ana YES
sells began to wear linen sails because they were cheaper
than cotton The wooden mills here have been built largely
through the eAerons of the COnyerses old and enter
prisng family.
The mills and shops scattered along the stream above
Stafford Springs the reservoir are generally OF mod
crate size The reservoir like all Others OF its dcscrp
ton in Eastern Connecticut. have from time TO tme
especially since the Mill River and Lynde Brook disas
ters been the subject of Inspections but it was so stu
atcd naturally as be thought safe against thing OF
this kind.