New-York tribune., 1886-04-21
A FLOOD FROM A BROKEN DAM
NINE PERSONS DROWNED AT EAST LEE
RAGING TORRENT SWEEPS THROUGH THE rowy
FILLING AND DESTROYING.

RAGING TORRENT SWEEPS THROUGH THE TOWN
FILLING AND DESTROYING.
LEE, Mass, April 20.-Tbe dam OF Mind
Pond Reservoir Mountain Lake. gave way this mornin,
at $50 O'clock. With . that heard for m,o.
tho poured through the breach and dashed down
the hill side. tearing up trees and bowlders and
ploughing gullies IN the eoL East Lee yIllass
two and . half miles away, received Its frs. nsvs
OF tho accident when tho food came pouring down thu
streets. with the water from four to Deep and
brin ging with II trees portions OF houses barns nccs
wagons. and every form of movable property The peo
pie fed to the slopes OF tho valley. along which tor
rent was pouring, and saw houses moved and topplsA
about like chips river. The flood passed East Lea
and went destroying gardens. lawns and fonoes and
moving smaller buildings but mad not utterly
wreck largo houses. though the damage done VIII
amount to many thousands OF dollars
soon as possible tho people went the line Of the
flood toward the pond and found the ruin thsy
approached the starting point OF the torrent Fortl-
natey the track OF the food along spa-sey IN.
habsed country out what destruction there was or n
To DO In wrecking three or four houses along way
was thoroughly accomplished. and much besides
property is lost. The IL Of terrible desola-
ton. and tho town Of East Lee Is wild with excite
ment.
Nine bodies have been found and from the knovedes
OF tho people who lived In the track OF the nooi
was worst It is expected tnat scycral more will DO found
Mud PondiorginaIy corered many sw mp and
was increased in size and depth by extensive dams bms
by club OF manufacturers storage place for waer
AS be ascertaned Mud Pond dam had shown
signs Of weakness for some time Persons responsible
owning the privilege Of It's water supply hal in
formed, but nothing done. Tho calamity Ia tbs
result Of carelessness tic part OF somebody.
The channel quilted by tue torrent OF rushing
water Is from so to 200 feet wide
and while the evidences OF Its power are
plalEes the pond is approached the most
Of life and property occurred three miles from IA, lsis
in East Lee village. The water reaches stream on
which factories are built by brook running through
the woods aud ;hny sotlcd farm land. ani thrs was
not much Of life many buildings to BE- lost ua;N the
village reached. Here IL wrecked EIwa stur ss
barn. swept away bridge spanning The hrO)k whica
Is small, and then rushed down the channel Of the
stream which dwellings ami fletor,,.
Couch OakIcy's m!llwrsht shops Joan Dowds manu-.
factory of paper maehEcTy, and A. y. Whites carriage
shops were all destroyed. Whites family consisted o,
himself aad wife, ages forty-elght apd ior,y-iyo
spcctivey their daughter Ila and . baby son. They
were in bed when the food struck tho Eousc all
Killed by tho building Crashing ill., and thcc bodies sunk
in the water All the bodies except tia. the baby h,ve
been recovered Theodore KIM and wife agd Mrs Charles
King rushed from the hou.e escape and carried
Oh by the food and drOwnci Hal they rcmaine, In
the house they would have been saved the bridns
was not destroyed Simeon DOwi. age sky. /, ilJya
to have been drowned. bat his Ooly as not BEEN iOI
Further down the stream John NJ Ian ,hlins mlcaias
shops wrecked, and still lower dJSn, Htrrisoa
Garleids Forest Ml aud Farmer Decker an s.jl's
mills. making fine paper. were rUiuei.
TIC boiler and all tho baSonea, machinery tlsn
out by the food. and. toJSh wei Ching TONS carried
away like ~ much vOo,-ycrs. Tho machinery .. John
yerran's paper mill was also swept away. Iness lis
asters throw great many hanGa out Ui employment Id
literally parayze all East LEO Industries Tie los, Ia
property fully 500 OOo. while the xrensc OF repair.
ng roads and other that fall the VII
reach 100000 more. Charles KGg II alive bus Ohlly
INJURED. 1t is thou yl: that 10 VIII recover