The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-12-31
BUILDING HIGH.

AWFUL Mill River Flood and the Flood
of Intemperance.
A little more than twelve years ago,
in the western part of Massachusetts,
there occurred, as many will remem-
Der, the sad and terrible Mill river
flood. A peaceful little stream, known
as Mill river, had found its source
among the hills, and had wound in and
out through lovely valley, doing no
harm and not very much good, until
shrewd business men had said to them
selves that that stream, small as it
seemed, contained a force, which, if
pent up and controlled in the proper
manner, could be used to good advan-
tage, and assist them in becoming
rich.
And SO massive dam, forty feet
high, was built across the upper end of
the valley, from side to side, thus
throwing the water back into what
seemed like huge basin, from which
it could be drawn at the will of the
mill-owners. As business increased,
the town along the banks of the
stream grew and throve. From morn
ing until evening, the busy whirl of
machinery in motion might have been
heard, and no one appeared to think of
danger, unless, perchance, some of the
older and wiser who shook their heads
and built their homes upon the side of
the hills, ito be out of danger" they
said. Others only laughed at them,
and said there surely was no
danger" and built their houses by
the side of the river and near the mills,
for the sake of convenience.
But one morning in May. 1874. the
gate-keeper of the dam, while sitting
at breakfast. heard loud rumbling and
cracking; his father, standing near the
window, exclaimed: George! George!
the dam is giving awayr' 1t was but
the work of an instant for George to
rush to the dam, and, at the peril of
his own life, open the gate which let off
the surplus water from the reservoir,
and then saying to himself that the
people of W must know that the
flood was coming, he threw himself
upon his horse and rode for dear life
toward the town. And then through
the quiet village rang that awful warn
ing cry: 1.-THE flood is coming; flee to
the hills for your lives p"
A milkman, hearing the words, said:
" If the flood is coming, the people in
S. must know it" and in moment
he was driving at full speed for the
next town. Another, hearing the cry,
carried the warning to the village of
H, and from there it was carried in
like manner to the towns beyond.
Hardly had the gate-keeper's voice
died away, when the people living
upon the side of the hills, and those
who, hearing the warning, had fed to
the same place of safety, saw monster
wave twenty feet in height came roll
ing with terrible rapidity down the
valley, completely sweeping away
every thing which lay in its course.
Massive rocks and trees were torn up
and whirled around like mere feathers.
Mills and houses were crushed into a
thousand fragments and then buried
deep underneath ground. Through
village after village the flood swept on
with undated force, and finally rolled
on into the Connecticut river; and peo-
pie living along the shores wondered
at the noticeable rise in the river I'M
til the next day when there came with
the sad news an explanation of the
mystery. But what a terrible spec
tacle! Where few short hours before
there had been happy homes, now all
was desolation.
Words would fail to describe the
heart-rending scenes; neither would we
wish to dwell ON them if we could. The
utter darkness of that day was only
lighted by the heroism of devoted son
or daughter in trying to rescue an aged
parent, or an invalid who insisted upon
being left to his fate, in order that the
strong might escape. Can we imagine
for an instant that any one hearing
the warning cry and knowing that those
within his own home knew nothing of
it, could save himself without first re-
ipeating the message to his trends?
The voice of the rider, as he sped along,
could be heard only by the few, who
must, in turn, repeat the warning to
those beyond the sound.
: But what lesson can we draw from
lthis marathon
First, that we are living in an age
when the terrible dangers of intemper-
lance, immortality and ungodliness, are
walled up around us, ready at any mo-
Iment to break loose and engulf us, with
"a force we are unable to resist.
Second, that we should take the adj
vice of those older and wiser than
ourselves and ''build high How
necessary it is in this day, when intem-
perance stares us in face, that our
young people build high, safe beyond
the reach of the terrible wave, which SO
remorselessly sweeps away the happy
homes and bright youth Of our land.
How many man with lettering steps
tries to flee to the hills when it is too
late. The flood is upon him, and he
can not resist its force.
Third, we can not all be great agita-
tators. There are some few, who, by
Divine Providence, are appointed to
sound the warning note, and then it is
nur blessed privilege to carry that mes
sage to our friends. Do we do it? Can
we not think of some friend who,
though associating with us every day, J
we have never spoken to in regard to
the safety of his dwelling? We per-
haps feel secure, having heard the
warning in season to escape, but have
we warned others?
Oh, that we could throw of rnore of
our selfshness, and try to save those
who are in danger! Is there not some
young person exposed to the evil of in
temperance TO whom 2ls yet no word
has been spoken2 Standing upon the