The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-04-05
Dam Disaster IN Connecticut.

PROVIDENCE, Z. l., March PA Hart
fort dispatch to the Bulletin says that the
Stafordville reservoir dam gave away about
seven o'clock this morning, sweeping every
thing along the valley from Staffordville
through the old furnace to Stafford Springs.
The National Bank at Staffordville, the
Congregational Church, L. w. Crance's
store, the freight depot, and all the houses
on the island at Stafford Springs were de-
stroyed.
All the bridges between the scene of the
disaster and Tolland, both on the railroad
and highway, were washed away.
The probable loss in Stafford alone is
50, ,OOO,0 600. No loss Of life is yet reported.
The loss in StsffordvilIe is very heavy, and
the mills suffering more or less damage.
Work will have to be suspended in them
until the reservoir can be rebuilt.
E. w. Converse & Co.'s mills have four
sets of cards and one thousand spindles, and
employs large number of hands. The
Home Company, the Home Manufacturing
Company, and the Home Woolen Company
are also situated there. The latter runs
1850 spindles. The Staffordville Woolen
Company has three sets of cards. The 'ex.
act loss of these companies is not known.
In Stafford Springs are the mills of Charles
Fox & Co., with six sets of cards, the Con-
verse Company with seven sets of cards and
! !, 800 spindles, in Ellis Converse & Co., the
/ ,
with six sets of cards and ], ,740 spindles.
In Stafford are the Valley Co.'s Mills, the
Glenn Mills, 1000 spindles, the Granite
Mills, $500 spindles, the Valley Manufac-
turing Co., the Phoenix Woolen Mills, and
the Rossiter Co., each with four sets of cards.
The granite mills and the tenement houses
at Staffordville were all swept away, and
also the stores and the storehouses.
| State Senator Julius Converse telegraphs
that all the dams on the stream, from Stat.
fordville to point below the Springs, with
all the bridges are gone. Probably not less
than thirty houses were destroyed, and the
loss will be very large.
The dam was considered safe, but the
heavy rains of Monday afternoon and
| 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 effect their safety
1t is thought that one or two lives were lost
The valley is made complete wreck.
The accident is a terrible blow upon thi
valley. About one thousand hands ar,
thrown out of work and industries are sadl,
crippled. The loss down as far as through
Stafford Springs is estimated at from $780,
600 to 81 ,G00, 600. Much of this is in small
sums. The damage below Stafford Spring
is not easy to get at. 1t consists of injur
to bridges and roads, but no other mills ar
thought to be destroyed. IEe Superln
tendent of the New London and Norther
road states that the track is all gone fror
the Stafford passenger depot, half mil
south, and with the track, freigh
cars and freight houses and two Howe trus
bridges. Two miles sonth of Tollano tn
track is washed away and the. Wellinto
bridge is probably undermined South {
that another piece of track is washed OF
and another bridge endangered. Tw
bridges atSouth Coventry are in great dal
ger. The water is now up to their floor, an
is reported to be still rising. No damage
: reported on the other railroads in tt
: State