The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-03-27
ANOTHER DAM DISASTER!
The Willimantic Valley a
Horrible Wreck.
Immense Loss Of Property. Estimated
at Over Two Millions.
No Lives known To Be
Lost.
LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THROWN
OUT OF WORK,

STAFFORD, Conn, March 27.-The dam
of the Staffordville reservoir gave way tils
morning, causing, in this village, fearful
damage. The railroad freight house and
all cars were washed away leaving only the
passenger depot. The Stafford National
bank, the Congregational church and about
l5 other buildings have been washed away.
The damage to the railroad track is heavy.
LATER.
The flood came upon the village sudden
ly and its effects have been very disastrous.
Three miles of railroad track are washed
away, also two Howe truss bridges between
Stafford and TOllan1. The food has caused
trouble all along the line OF the railroad.
The telegraph was brought into requisition
and nelghbOring towns warned of the
mighty rush of waters that was causing
great destruction of property and threat
ening loss of life,
HARTFORD, March 27.-NoON. -Partic-
ulars of the breaking of Staffordsville dam
are wanting, as are also details of damage
done. Enough, however, is known to show
that everything in the path of the flood has
been cleaned ont.
HARTFORD, March 27.-Partlculars of
the disaster by the breaking Of the Stat
foudille dam, are still wanting. The only
thing certain Is that the dam has gone
and the damage is very great.
The following is a description OF the
dam and surrounding country; The reser-
voir belonged to the Reservoir Company,
owners OF the mills in the stream below.
The dam was raised 6 feet, the past win
ter, and the storm last night filed it for the
| first time. Close by the reservoir stood
the satinet mill of E. A. Couye; next the
sho1dy mill Of Jacob Bosch then the
machine shop of Samuel A. Midon; lower
down was the Phoenix Manufacturing
| Company cashmere mill at HydesvlIle
| three miles below, the Glen Mills cotton
warp factory stood At Glenviile the Con
versevile Manufacturing Company cassl-
mere mill and q. NJ. lvess granite mill fol
making cotton goods were in the stream a.
Stafford Springs about five miles from the
dam. The reservoir was about a mile and
quarter long, and averaged quarter o.
a mile in width, The dem was ab0u
twenty feet high but short, the stream bee
being narrow for some distance below
| The water is the head of the Williamantit
river. Six years ago dam in a tributary
=
great damage. The only wire to Stafford
vile is own, d by the New London North
err Railroad Compeny,
PROVIDENCE, Z. l., March PA Hart
ford dispatch to the Bulletin says Stafford
vile reservoir dam gave way this forenoon
sweeping every hing along the valley iron
Staffordville through Old Furnace t
Stafford Springs. The National bank a
! StdffOrdville, the Congregational church
L. W. Crane store, the freight depot an
all the houses on the island at Staffor
Springs were destroyed. All the bridge
between the scene of the disaster an
Tolland were washed away. The prot
able loss in Stafford alone is $2.000,O0(
No loss of life is reported. Los
, in Staffordvile is very heavy, th
heavy mills suffering more or less damag
and work will have to be suspended
them until the reservoir can be rebuil
E. w. Converse & Co.'S mills have fou
sets cards and a thousand spindles, an
employ a large number Of hands; tt
Home Co., Home Mfg. Co., and Hon
4 WOolcn Co, are also situated there. II
latter runs 1850 spindles. The StafforC
10 vile Woolen Company has three sets
t. cards The exact loss of these comp
MES is unknown. A Stafford Sprln.
: are the mills of Charles Fox & G
six sets of cards, of Converse company wi
seven sets of cards and 1900 spindles
Ellis, Converse & Co; the Univers
O Springs Manufacturing Co., six sets
y cards, l74O spindes; in the Stafford D
Valley Co, S mills, 1000 spindles GRAM
d. mills $500 spindles; Valley Manufacture
- Co., Phoenix woollen mills. and Rossit
CO., each with four sets of cards; t
Granite mills and tenement hors
at Stafordviile were all swept away a
also stores and store houses. State Sen
tor Julius Converse teIegraphs that all Il
dams on the stream from Staffordville tC
point below the Springs, with all t
: bridges, are gone. Probably not less th
80 houses were destroyed aud the loss W
be very large. The dam was consider
- safe but heavy rains on Monday afterno
eff and evening filled the reservoir to ov
ic. flowing. The breaking away was who
ID le unexpected, but the reservoir being
nd some distance above the village the ALA
es' reached the people in time for them
d. de- escape 1t is thought that or . Ii,
were lost. The valley is made compile
wreck.