The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-06-06
AN APPALLING oALAMITY.

The bursting of the reservoir dam at
Johnstown, Pa, with its attending loss
Of life, makes il the most appalling ca.
lamity ever occurring in this country.
1t can hardly be said that the disaster
came without warning, for at O'Clock
Friday afternoon the people Of Johns
town were notified that there was ipm mi
nent danger of the reservoir dam giving
way, but with few exceptions they re-
fused to recognize the danger, and those
who did take refuge in the mountains
were branded by their fellows as foolish
towards. When, however, the break
came escape was impossible. The rush
of angry waters carried everything be-
fore them. The entire town was speed
lily submerged, and the heart-rendiDg
scenes that followed can far better be
pictured in the Imagination than pot
trayed by pen. Over eight thousand
men, women and children are thus far
reported to have persisted. The path of
the torrent is slrewn with the dead and
with the wreck of dwellings. Thousands
have been rendered homeless and penni-
less. Immediate relief is needed and a.
though no formal request has been made
for aid subscriptions have already been
started throughout the country. The
loss of property will run up into the mil
Ii )ns and the devastation seems almost
beyond repair. The most horrible feat
ure of the disaster was the burning of a
hundred or more persons who had taken
refuge on bridge, which caught fire
from one of the burning dwellings, be
ing carrId down the stream. At another
bridge floating dwellings and buildings
were blockaded to height of seventy
five feet and for three fourths OF a mile
up the stream. There were hundreds OF
people who had been carried down on
the buildings, and when the mass of in
flammable material caught fire, they too
were roasted to death before the eyes OF
spectators along the banks who were
powerless to aid them.
Among the similar disasters that have
occurred may be enumerated the follow
ing
On May IS, 1874, occurred the Mil
river break when the village of Hayden.
vile, Mass. was swept out of existence
and 140 persons were drowned. A guard
was watching the dam, and about eight
o'clock in the morning he discovered
that an enormous leak had developed
out of small one. He started to give
warning to the village OF Leeds, just be.
low, but the reservoir broke away before
he could reach the village, and the wa
ter from pond ia acres in area CANT
down like a wall, carrying away nearly
the whole village. Haydenville wa'
swept away and several other towns on
the Connecticut river were inundated
Over 800 families were rendered home.
less, and 81 900, 900 worth of property ir
dams, dwellings, factories, etc., wac
lost. Roads and bridges we've damaged
to the extent Of 100000.
At Lvnde Brook, near Worcester, on
March 30, 1875, thirty feet of the reser.
voir wall, which had been leaking, gave
way and over 100000 900 gallons OF wa
ter were emptied into the valley. Only
one life was lost, but property was dam
aged to the extent of nearly 81 900, 900
On March 81, 1877, the Staffordvi'l,
reservoir, on the east branch of the Will
limantic river, gave way and a torrent
of water rushed down the valley at the
rate of five miles an hour, destroying
mill dams and railroad bridges in III
course. The people were warned by {
man on horseback, who kept ahead o.
the flood, and all except two of the resi-
dents of the valley escaped. The loss o
property on this occasion exceeded 81,
100000
By the bursting of the Huron mil
dam, near Houghton, Mich, on January
2, 1884, six lives were lost those of Chas
L. Raymond, bank teller, his son snC
servant, and Howard Raymond Of the
Alloutz mine, wife and son. The money
lost was not great.
A similar disaster near East Lee. Mass
April 20. 1886, destroyed nine lives, anG
the damage to mill property. privat,
dwellings and roads and bridges exceed
ed $3.50, 900.
One reservoir calamity, that at Shelf
field, England, has been made famou.
by Charles Reade in Put Yourself in
His Place" On March II, 1864, the EN-
bankment of the Bradfield reservoir gave
way and flooded Sheffield and the coun-
try for twelve or fourteen miles around
About $50 lives were lost and property
valued at over 81 900, 900 was destroyed
Late reports last night give details oil
damaging floods in other sections Of tn,
country, Elmira, in this State, being
among the principal sufferers. Storm
were raging and great floods threatened
at many points, and disaster bids fair t
follow disaster unless the storms speed
ly cease,-,Sunddy Budget.