The Indianapolis journal., 1886-04-21
OVERWHELMED BY A FLOOD
Shocking Disaster in Massachusetts, a
Result of Criminal CarelessnesS.
The Town of East Lee Inundated by Water
from Burst Dam-Eleven Lives Lost and
Heavy Pecuniary Damage Inflicted.

PIrTsFIELD. Mass. April 20.-A terrible ac-
large loss Of life and much damage to property
At o'clock this morning the village of East
Lee was inundated and devastated by the break
ing away of dam at Mud Pond reservoir,
Mountain Lake, about two and 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
q club of manufacturers as storage-place for
water. East Lee village, whose half dozen pa
permits are situated on the stream, received It's
first news of the accident when the flood
from four to six feet deep. and bringing with it
trees, portions Of houses, barns fences. wagons,
and every form of moveable property People
fed to the slopes Of the valley along which the
torrent was pouring and saw houses moved and
toppled about like chips on river. The flood
passed East Lee and went on down the road, de-
stroying gardens, lawns and fences, and moving
the smaller buildings It 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 food toward the pond and found
the river worse as they approached the starting
point of the torrent. Fortunately the track OF
the food was in sparsely inhabited country, but
what destruction there was for it to do In wreck
ing three or four houses along its way was thor
oughly accomplished Much stock, besides
property, is lost. The explorers have already
found the bodies of six persons, and are search
ing for others. The scene is one of terrible des-
olation, and the town of Lee is wild with excite
ment.
LATER.-News just received from East Lee
says that nine bodies have been found, and that
IL is expected that several more will be discov-
cred The bodies recovered and identified are
thus far as follows;
Mr.. White and wife, and two young daughters.
Mr.. King, 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.
As near as can be ascertained the dam gave
way at $50 this morning. It had shown signs
of weakness for some time Parties responsible,
or owning the privilege of its water supply, had
been notified, brt nothing was done. The
calamity is the result Of carelessness. The chan
Eel quilted by the rushing water is from fifty to
two hundred feet wide, and while the evidences
of Its terrific power are plainest as the pond is
approached, the most serious losses of life and
property occurred three miles from the lake, in
East Lee village. The water reaches a stream
on which the manufactures are built by small
brook. and no damage was done until the
vii wnonhad ,rp<,
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 Of the stream, on
which dwellings, and manufactures are located.
Couch & Oakley's millwright shops, John
Dowd's manufactory Of pape- machinery, and
0. III. Whites carriage shops. were all destroyed.
Whites family, consisting Of himself and wife,
aged forty eight and forty-five years respect
lively, 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 beer recov
cred. Theodore King and wife, and Mrs.
Charles King, rushed from their house, and
were carried off by the food and drowned. Fad
they remained in the house they would have
been saved, as the building was not destroyed.
Simeon Dowd, aged sixty years, is known to
have been drowned, but his body has not yet
been found.
Further down the stream John McLaughlin's
machine shops. the Harrison Garfield mill, and
Decker, Varran & Sabin's mills were all ruined.
The boilers and all the basement machinery
were taken out by the flood. and carried away
like so much woodwork. John Vernon's paper
mill was also gutted. These disasters throw
great many hands out of employment. and liter
ally paralyze all East Lee industries. The loss
in property is fully 5000 O00 while the expense of
repairing roads and other costs that must fall on
the town will reach $4,000 more Charles
King, before reported dead, is alive, but badly