St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-21
Dreadful Disaster at Massachusetts, Vii,
lage Through the Breaking
of Dam.
East Lee Inundated, Number of Lives
Lost and Much Valuable Property
Destroyed.
terrible Death OF Three Quincy, Ill.,
Children While Digging Cave
In Sand.
Ruin wrought by the Explosion of q
Large OIL Tank in Pennsylvania
--Forest Fires.
A Terrible Tragedy.

SPRINGFIELD, Mass, April 20.-An aw-
full calamity, the result of carelessness, took
place this morning at the village of East
Lee, In Berkshire county. The dam at Mud
Pond reservoir gave way, causing the deaths
or eight people, and Wrecking proDertv
valued at $50, 600 or 5000, 900. The dam,
which was situated two and One-half miles
from the village, had shown signs of weak.
ness for some time. The persons respon-
siDle, or owning the privilege of its water
supply, had been notified, but nothing
was done. The pond covered many
acres OF swamp, and was increased from
us original size by an extensive
dam built by club of manufacturers as a
storage place for water. The torrent, when
the dam burst. gushed forth in a resistless
stream and rushed down the valley, gully
ing channel from so to 200 feet wide. The
villagers got their first news of the accident
py seeing the flood pouring down the street,
the water being from four to five feet deem.
and bearing with it trees, parts of houses
and barns, fences, wagons and every form
OF movable property. The people fed to
the slopes of the valley along
which the torrent was pouring, and saw
the houses moved and toppled about like
chips on the river. There was not mnch of
life or many buildings to be lost till the
Edwin Sturgis' barn, swept away bridge
spanning the brook, which is but small as
lt runs naturally from small pond, and
then rushed down the channel of the stream
on which the dwellings and manufactures
are located, destroying everything in it's
route.
THE CALAMITY IN DETAIL.
PITTsFIELD, Mass, April 2O.-A terri
BILE accident has occurred at East Lee, re-
sulting in large loss of life and much
damage to property. At o'clock this
morning the village of East Lee was inun-
dated and devastated by the breaking away
of dam at Mud Pond reservoir, Mountain
Lake, about two and one-half miles from
the village. The pond covered many
acres of swamp, and was increased from
its original limited size by extensive dams,
built by club of manufacturers as a stor.
age place for water.
Mud Pond dam had shown signs of weak
ness for some time and parties responsible
for owning the privilege of its water supply
had been notified, but nothing was done.
The calamity is the result of carelessness.
The channel quilted by the rushing water
is from so to 200 feet wide, and while the
evidence of its terrific power are plaineSt
as the pond is approached, the most
SERIOUS Loss OF LIFE
and property occurred three miles from the
lake, in East Lee village. That place re-
ceived its first news of the accident when
the flood came pouring down the streets,
the water being from four to six feet deep,
and bringing with it trees, portions Of
houses, barns, fences, wagons and every
form of movable property. Here it wrecked
SfnrcrnSc yoTaf hriH Hr-o
ming the brook, which is but small as ID
runs naturally from small point, and then
rushes down the channel of the stream
on which dwellings and manuractories are
located Couch & Oakley's millwright
shops, John Davids mandatory of paper
machinery and A. n. Whites carriage
shops were all destroyed. Mr.. Whites
family, consisting of himself and wife, aged
4S years, 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 carried
off by the flood and drowned. Had they
remained in the house they would have
been saved, as the building was not de-
stroyed. Simon Dowd, aged 90 years is
known
TO HAVE BEEN DROWNED,
but his body is not yet found. Further
down the stream John McLaughlin's ma
chine shops, Harrison Deckers mills and
Farmer Decker and Sabins mills were all
ruined. The boilers and all the basement
machinery were taken out by the flood and
carried away like so much wood work.
John Vernon's paper mill was also Quilted.
The flood passed East Lee and went down
the road. destroying gardens, lawns and
moving the smaller buildings. 1t had not
the power, however, to wreck utterly the
larger houses, though the damage done will
amount to many thousands of dollars. AS
soon as possible the people went up the line
of the flood toward the pond, and found the
river worse as they approached the starting
point of the torrent. Fortunately the track
of the flood was in a sparsely-inhabited
country, but what destruction there was for
it to do in wrecking three or four houses
along its way, was thoroughly accom-
plished. Much stock, besides property, is
lost. Eleven bodies have so far been found.
and three persons living in the track Of the
flood are missing. These disasters throw
great many hands out of employment and
literally paralyZe all East Lee industries.