The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-04-28
A TOWN SWEPT AWAY.
East Lee, Massachusetts,, Inundated by the
Collapse Of Mil Dam.
People Flee for Their Lives-Great Destrue-
tion to Movable PrOperty-Eleveu Dead
Bodies Found-A Scene of Ter
rible DesOlation.

PITTsFIELD, Mass, April 20.-A terrible ac-
cident has occurred at East Lee, resulting in
large loss of life and much damage to prop
erty. AT o'clock this morning the village
of East Lee was inundated and devasted by
the breaking away of dam at Mud Pond
reservoir Mountain Lake about two and a
half miles from the village. The pond COW
cred many acres of swamp and was increased
from its original limited size by extensive
dams built by club of manufacturers as a
storage place for water.
East Lee village, whose half-dozen paper
mills are situated on the stream, received
its first news of the accident when the food
came pouring down the streets, the water
being from four to six feet deep, and bring
ing with it trees, portions of houses, barns,
fences, wagons and every form of movable
property. People fled to the slopes of the
valley along which the torrent was pouring,
and saw houses moved and to0pled about
like chips on a river
The flood passed East Lee and went on
down the road, destroying gardens, lawns
and fences and moving the smaller buildings.
1t had not the power, however, to wreck ut
terly tlfe larger houses, though the damage
will amount to several thousands of dollars.
As soon as possible the people went up the
line of the food toward the pond and fo1nd
the river worse as they approached the start
ing point of the torrent. Fortunately, the
track OF the flood was in sparsely inhabit--
ed country, but what destruction there was
for it to do in wrecking three or four houses
along its way was thoroughly accomplished.
Much stock, besides property, is lost
The explorers have already found the
bodies of six persons and are searching for
others. The scene is one of terrible desola.
iauon, and the town of Lee is Wild with ex-
element.
Later-N ews Just received from East Lee
says that nine bodies have been found, and
it is expected that several more will be dis
covered. The bodies recovered and identi-
fed tn US far a1e as follows:
Mr.. White and wife and two young daugh-
ters
Mr.. King and wife, and Mrs. Kings son
and wife.
Eleven bodies have so far been found, and
three persons who were living in the track of
the flood are missing.
Whites carriage shops are destroyed. The
Harrison Garfield paper mill is under water.
Decker's, Warrants and Gilmore's paper mills
are also badly damaged. John Mclaughlin s
machine shops are totally wrecked.
Near as can be aSce rtalned Mud Pond dam
gave way at 1:30 this morning. 1t had
shown signs OF weakness for some time.
Parties response BILE, or owning the privilege
of its water supply, had been notified, but
nothing was done. The calamity is the re.
suit of carele ssness The channel quilted
by the rushing water is from 80 to POO
feet wide, ahd while the evidences
of its te- dt1ic power are plainest
serious losses of life and property occurred
three miles from the lake in East Lee vii
/ lage. The water reaches stream, on which
manufactures are built by small brook,
and no damage was done until the village
was reached. Here Edwin Sturgis' barn was
swept, taking bridge with it spanning the
brook which is but small, as it
runs naturally from a small pond
and then rushed down the channel
Oh the stream on which dwellings, anu
manufactures are located. Couch and Oak
leys millwright shops, John Dowd's manu-
factory of paper machinery, and A. NJ.
Whites carriage shops, were all destroyed.
Whites family consisting of himself and
wife. aged fortyeight and forty-fve years re-
spectively, their daughter Ida and an infant
son, were in bed when the flood struck the
house, and were all killed by the building
crashing in. All the bodies except that
OF the baby have been recovered.
Theodore King and wife and Mrs. Charles
King rushed from their house. and were car
ried of by the flood and drowned. Had they
remained in the house they would have been
saved, as the building was not destroyed.
Simeon Dowd. aged eighty years, is known
to have been drowned, but his body has not
yet been found. Further down the stream
John McLaughln's machine shops, Harri-
son Garfied's mill and Farmer Decker and