The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-04-30
FEARFUL WATERS.


teAHfUl WATERS.
The Bursting of Dam In Nlassaeh asetas
Causes the Death OF Many Persons.
PnTsFIELD. Mass, April 2o.-At an
early hour this morning the great dam at
Lee, ten miles below, gave way and swept
the town out of existence. The noise
sounded like an explosion. and mes.
sengers were sent ahead of the food to
arouse the village people. Sixteen lives
are known to be lost The water is running
rapidly. The torrent runs twelve miles an
hour. The destruction to property is inn
mensa The population of Lee was 5000
Eleven bodies have been recovered.
PITrsyIELD, Mass. April 2I.-Another
dispatch, giving further particulars Of the
terrible dam burst, SAYS: At six o'clock
yesterday morning the village of East Lee
was inundated and devastated BY the break
ing away of the dam at the Mud pond res
srvoir, Mountain lake, two and one-ha'f
miles from the village. The pond covered
many acres of swamp, and was increased
from its regular, limited size by extensive
dams built by a club of manufacturers as .
store place for water. The flood came
pouring down the streets, the water being
from four to six feet deep bringing with
it trees. portions of houses, barns. fences,
wagons and every form of movable prop
erty. The people fled to the slopes of the
valley along which the torrent was pouring.
The flood passed East Lee and went Oh
down the road, destroying gardens, lawns
and fences and moving the smaller build.
ings. 1t he'd not the power. however, to
wreck utterly the larger houses, though the
damage done will amount to many thousands
of dollars,
the line of the flood. Fortunately, the
track of the food was in spars-iy inhab-
tied country, but what destruction there
was for it to do in wrecking three or four
houses on its way was thoroughly accom-
piished. Much stock besides property, vas
lost. Explorers found the bodies of six
persons by ten O'Clock a. M. and weIe
searching for others. The scene is one of
terrible desolation, and the town of Lee
was wild with excitement Up to noon
eleven bodies had been found, and
it was then expected that several
more would be discovered. The bod
les recovered and identified thus far are
rs follows: Mr.. White, wife and two young
daughters; Mr.. King and wife: young Mr..
King and his wife; three persons who Were
living in the track of the food are still miss
ing. Whites carriage shops We're destroyed
Harrison Garfleld'S paper mill undermined:
Decker's paper mills also damaged, and
John McLaughlin's machine shops totally
wrecked.
As near as can he ascertaned Mud pond
dam gave way at $50 O'Clock yesterday
L.l Of KIN
for some tine. and parties responsible for
aud owning the privileges of its water sup
ply had been notified, but nothing had been
done. The ca Iamity is tie result of care
lessness. The channel quilted by the rush
ing water IS from 55 to $50 feet wide. aud
while the evidences of its terrific power are
plainest as the pond is approached, the
NEST serious loss of life and property &C.
CURED three miles from the lake in East
Lee village. The water reaches stream
on which manufactures are built bJ
brook running through the
woods and thinly settled farm land, and
there was not much of life or many build
ings 10 be lost until the village was reached.
There it wrecked a barn, carrying OFT
bridge spanning the brook, which is but
small as il runs naturally from a smai,
pond and then rushed down the channel of
tiie skIcssin GU WHICH UNeiIifiCS anu USi:u'
factories are located. Couch & Oakieys
miiwright shops. John Dowd's manuiac-
tory of paper machinery. and A. y. Whites
carriage shop were all destroyed.
Whites family, consisting of himself and
wife, aged forty-eight and fOrty-five years re-
spectively, their daughter and an infant son
were in bed wien the flood struck the house
and We're all killed by the building crashing
in. / Il the bodies except that of the baby
have been rescued. Theodore King and
wife and Mis- Charles King rushed from
their house and were carried Off by the
food and drowned. Had they remained in
it they would have been saved, as the
building was not destroyed. Simeon
Dowd, aged sixty, is known TO have been
drowned but his body has not yet been
found. Further down the stream John Nc
Laughlin's machine shops, Harrison Gar.
fields mill and Farmer, Decker & Sabin's
mills were ali ruined. The boilers and all
the basement machinery were taken out by
the food and carried away like so much
wood. John Nernnn's paper Mill was also
Quilted. These disasters throw q great
many hands out of employment and liter.
ally paraiyze all East Lees iadustry's. The
loss in property is fully S2C0, 600, while the
expense of repairing roads. etc, will reach
SEC. 900 more. Charles King. before re-
ported dead, is alive, but badly injured,
and it is thought he will recover.