The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-04-28
R S
The VILLAGE Of East Lee Destroyed BY
aSuiaen Deluge.-Sad Loss
Of Life and Property.

GreenWater roma, Oh tuc Jus VI
nike. II is about four miles from
Lee Village. and fifteen years age
this little pond, then covering about
twenty acres, was damned to give
additional power to the mills at Lee.
II had two outlets, int toward
Greenwater Pond, and at the West
End a small brook running into
Greenwater Brook, which flows
southwest. These two streams have
their junction at East Lee, and
thence flow to the Housatonic River.
a mile below the village. The val
lev from the fat below East Lee Is
a narrow defle, say twenty rods
wide. and a little more than a mile
east the turnpike turns up Green
water Brook, and another goes east
to Lake May.
Mud Pond is isolated and but in
frequently visited. The dam was
ten feet high across the mouth OF
the valley. All the mill owners on
the stream contributed to Its cost,
including Nathan Gibbs, Harrison
Garfield, John Dowd, and Others.
For nearly two miles before Green
water Brook reaches the Otis Turn
pike the stream runs through fields
and farms. There is little popula-
ton along the line. The descent is
very rapid and confined in a narrow
valley through East Lee or Cape
Street. as it is called. There are
three houses from Sturgis' Bridge to
East Lee and the dam-those OF
Gonsey, Gardner and Baker.
About $50 o'clock this morning
Gonsett heard the roaring and saw
that the dam had broken, and he
alarmed John Bakers family, and
Dwight Baker went Aving down the
stream to alarm the people, who
were Just getting up. He IN turn
sent one Shultis farther down the
stream. The progress Of the flood
was slow. presenting a wall ten feet
high, as some say, destroying every
thing in It's way and gaining veioci-
ty all the time.
DESTRUCTION OF THE WATERS.
In thirty minutes all was over.
The stream was full Of logs, trees,
stones and debris, as it struck the
bridge twenty feet long over the
stream on the Otis turnpike and the
upper end Of East Lee. 1t carried
away Edwin Sturgis' marble shop,
involving a loss Of $4,000. Next 1t
attacked John Dowd's grinding
shop, undermining it and filling 1t
with earth. The food then swept
the houses Of James Fletcher and
Mrs. Isaac Gardner down stream,
the family barely escaping with
their lives. Next John Dowd's fac
tory, 90 by 40 feet, was completely
wrecked. The loss there will be
$4,000.
The waters advanced on A. \.
Whites carriage shop, a three-story
building on the bank of the stream,
80 by 30 feet, with a wing three sto-
ries high. He lived on the third
floor with his family, and a lone boy
Of 10 is the only survivor, and he
went through three raill dams, and
was rescued from a tree by Deputy
Sheriff Cutting. The boy says that
the family were just getting up. He
saw what appeared to be a drove of
sheep coming and the family all ran
together into the kitchen. Mr..
White advised the family TO stay to-
gether. Soon the floor rose, the
building parted in the middle, and
that is the last the boy knew. MI.
White, ms wife, his daughters, Alice
Irene. aged 9, and Ida May, aged IL,
were killed. The bodies ofthe fam
lily, except one daughter, were found
soon after. Mrs. White was carried
nearly half a mile away, her remains
being found in the machine room OF
the Garfield Mill. The body of one
daughter was found so bruised thst
it was impossible to identify it by
name. The boy was but slightly
bruised.
AN AGED VICTIM.
Next 20 the Whites lived Simon
Dowd, aged 60. His house was
turned around, but not carried away.
He went to let out his hens, was
swept away and the body has not
vet been recovered. Mrs. James
White next had her house under
mined and filed with debris, which
is six feet deep in the basement.
She fled TO the garnet and saw Mr..
Dowd floating away, bidding him
farewell. The food then reached
the store OF P, NORM, just appointed
postmaster. His building was brok-
en- and tipped over into the stream,
and he loses $4,000. Books and
postofiice records were swept away.
Couch & Oakley, ~millwrights, across
the stream, had their building, 80.
by 30, crushed like an eggshell. the
boiler being carried away several
rods into T. /. Foote'S dam loss,
$1,000. In all the above factories
the dams were also carried out. Fur
ther down Theron Foote'S grist mill
was partially undermined, the dam
lost, grain carried away ana damage
done TO the extent of $4,000. Several
rods below Foote's is a row of tene-
ment houses in which lived four
families. In the one nearest the
brook lived Theodore King and his
wife and child of two years. They
rushed out when the food came. hut
were too late. Mrs. Charles King
aud Theodore King went down the
stream together until a log struck
her and they were separated. Mrs.
Charles Kings body was found near
Neran's mill. Theodore was rescued
from an apple tree near the same
place. Mrs. Theodore King was
swept away later, as Mr.. King SAYS
when he started his wife was on the
bank. Charles and his child escap-
ed. The other families in the block
were uninjured.
THE TRACK OF THE FLOOD.
At the junction of the Greenwater
Brook with Goose Pond Brook, John
McLoughlin's machine shop and
sawmill is completely ruined. and
part Of the sawmill east was carried