Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-04-23
ANOTHER CALAMITY.
ELEVEN PERSONS KILLED AND
STILL OTHERS MISSING.
100000 Damage Done by the
Breaking Of a Dam.

PITTsFiELD, MASS, April 20.-At
6 o'clock this morning the village of
East Lee was inundated and devast-
ed by the breaking away of a dam
at Mud Pond reservoir, Mountain
Lake, about two and half miles
from the village. The pond covered
many acres of swamp and was in
creased from its original limited size
by extensive dams built by club of
manufacturers as a storage place for
water. East Lee village, whose half
dozen paper mills are situated on the
stream, received its first news of the
accident when the flood came pour
ing down the streets, the water being
from four to six feet deep, and bring
ing with it trees, portions of houses.
barns, fences, wagons and every form
of movable property. People fled 10
the steep places of the valley, along
which the torrent was pouring, and
saw houses moved and toppled about
like chips OH a river. 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 sscertained Mud
Pond dam gave away at 8 80 this
morning. 1t had shown signs of
weakness for some time. Parties
responsible, or 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 fifty to 200 feet wide, and
while the evidences OF its terrific
power are plainest as the pond is APP
preached, the most serious loss of
life and property occurred three
miles from the lake in East Lee Viii
lage. The water reaches a stream on
which manufactures are built by
brook running through the woods
and thinly settled farm lands, and
there was not much of life or many
buildings to be lost until the village
was reached.
Here it wrecked Edwin Sturgis'
barn, swept away bridge 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 Il Oakley's millwright shops,
John Dowd's mandatory of paper
machinery, and A. N. Whites car
riage shops were all destroyed.
Whites family, consisting of himself
and wife, aged forty-eight and forty
five years, respectively, their daugh-
ter Ida, and an infant son were in
bed when the floods 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 re-
NAMED in the house they would have
been saved, as the building was not
destroyed. Simeon Dowd, aged so
years, 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
Garfeld's mill, and Farmer, Decker
u Sabin's mills were all ruined. The
boilers and all the basement machin,
cry were taken out by the flood and
carried away like so much WOOD
work. John Vernon's paper mil
was also igutted. These disasters
throw great many hands out o.
employment and literally paralyzt
all East Lee industries. The loss il
property is fully 100000. Charles
King, before reported dead, is aliv,
but badly injured, and it is though
he will recover.