The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-07-15
BURSTING RESERVOIRS
Cause a Harvest Of Death in Two
New York Towns.
EIGHT LIVES PROBABLY LOST.
Five Bodies Recovered and Three
= Others Missing-One of the Victims
Was Rescued From the Johnstown
Flood, and Married Her Rescner.


Poughkeepsie, N. Y, July 15.-The
two large reservoirs IN the Fishklll
mountains which supplied water to the
towns of Matteawan and Fishkill
burst their walls at o'clock yester-
day morning, and the water that was
released swept through the Duchess
valley. causing ruin and death. Five
bodies have been taken from the
wreckage left in the wake of the food,
and there are known to be two and
probably three more lying somewhere
beneath the piled up debris, which is
nll that remains of three houses that
were swept away by the mighty tor
rent. The names of those whose bodies
have been recovered. as officially given
put by Coroner II. B. Bevier, OF Mat
teawan, are:
Mrs. John Conroy, aged So, wife of the
Engineer in Timoney's brick yard. Her
body was badly bruised by contact
with trees and wreckagc, and was COW
Fred with mud.
Mrs. Mary Ferry, aged 2S years,
widow. Her body was in the worst
condition of all the victims, being COW
bred with mud and bruises.
William Ferry, aged years, son of
Mrs. Ferry. The body was in good con-
dition, except for bruises about the
head.
John Sruka, a Hungarian, 2S years
Did.
Phiameua Deuka. an Italian girl, 6
years old. The body was unmutilated.
The missing are: John Conroy, aged
years. son Of Engineer Conroy:
pulia Conroy, aged years, daughter
Df Engineer Conroy; an unknown Hun
garian, whose brother declares that he
was drowned.
y There were two floods. The first was
not disastrous, but alarmed the inhabi-
lants, most OF whom left their houses.
"a short time later The second dam
burst, pouring the flood down the
mountain, carrying with it great
mass Of debris, parts of buildingfz etc.
This struck the buildings in the rear
of Tlmoney's brick yard. One was u
boarding house, conducted by Patrick
Murphy This building contained five
families. A short distance from the
Murphy boarding house was a building
occupied by about 25 laborcrs, mostly
Soiafs Win u lew lttildlS. rIom llle5e
Two buildings the victims were taken.
The BODY OF Mrs. Mary Ferry was re-
covered yesterday afternoon, dug from
mud and debris 10 feet deep. Thirty
1--we men worked all day in the ruins.
Mrs. Conroy. one of the lost. before
her marriage lived at Johnstown Pa,
where the great flood occurred several
years ago. She was rescued there by
Dohn Conroy, who afterwards married
her.
There are three of the Timoney brick
yards. Two of them are badly dam
Hged. The north one. managed by
Frank Timoney, Jr.. is a total loss.
The flood swept directly over the val
4y, carrying away everything but the
sheds. The brickmaking plant. wag-
ons. carts etc, were swept across the
0ailroad track into the river.
At the northern yard were 60 arches
X green" brick, $4,000 in each arch.
Rhe water softened these. and let thu
whole down In a mass of clay. A 12-
erch kiln was burning. The food put
out the fire and partially ruined the
brick.
Most of the ruins have been searched
pver, and it is possible that some bodies
have been swept into the river. The
water still runs through the yard,
(which Is covered to depth of several
feet with gravel, mud, trunks of trees.
parts of wagons and like material,
finding It's way thence through a cul-
vert into tbe river
The three buildings In which the la
horors had c,,.rters wnro tatom,,
SvronI,od Tbora 10 b,rd,,, ,iaoa -
WOOD two foot 1,ne anv,horo ~, ~
s,,,r,,,a ,horo oro rroot roa,.s $685., ~
tho,,, ,,oirh;,r e,,a ~ to,, ,,an aD',s "