Evening journal., 1897-07-15
RESERVOIRS BURST.
Death and Disaster Caused by a
Rush of Water.
SEVEN KILLED AND MANY INJURED.
The Montreal Express Train Has Mar.
row Escape From Plunging Into
Washout--Houses Swept
Away by the Flood.


narrow valley east of FishlIin yesterday,
tearing down trees. lifting powders in
Its flood and bearing to destruction
everything in its course.
Seven persons lost their lives in Its on
set and $50 were rendered homeless.
House after house was swept away in
the van of the water, which left in its
course a furrow like river bed.
Millions of gallons Of water, set free
by the giving way Of two reservoirs
high on the mountain side. went down
IN the flood laden with debris of all de-
Ecriptions.
The reservoir which caused the disas-
ter is known az the Melzingah. 1t is
situated high Up on the hifs about two
miles south Of Matteawan and about
mile east of Fishkill. It was built in |
two parts, an upper and lower, and
was about 500 feet long, 300 feet wide
and S5 feet deep. The Fishkill and Mat
teawan Water company used it as an
auxiliary supply to its regular water
works system, the main source Of which
Is several miles distant.
The reservoir collected its water main
ly from the north side Of South Beacon,
and its overflow ran into the Hudson in
a small stream known as Tonawanda
creek, running through a narrow ravine
for about a quarter of a mile, which
opened into a plain between the river
and the foot of the hills. The reservoir
was 500 feet above tidewater.
Breaking of the Dam.
1t was through this ravine that the
mighty flood of water swept on its way
to the river. The flood was pent up
in the narrow confines of the little val
ley and gathered resistless force before
he ha1oUy
carrying death and destruction in its
path. What houses there were in its
way were picked up bodily from their
foundations and either dashed to pieces
or whirled along in the torrents like
chips on an angry sea.
The heavy rains Of the last few days
had swollen Melzingah reservoir to the
brink. Every little rivulet that fed it
had become a rushing stream. If the
dams had been strong enough. the res
ervoir would simply have overfiowed,
and the only result would have been
that Melzingah creek would have be-
come an angry little river.
The dam between the upper half Of
the reservoir and the lower gave away,
and the full weight and volume of the
water that had been confined in the
upper part was precipitated against
the lower dam.
OF course the lower dam couldn't
stand the strain. The down coming
rush Of water swept 1t away as COM
pletely as though 1t had been a wall
of cardboard, and with terrific roar
the mighty torrent leaped down the
ravine on its way to the river.
Houses Swept Away.
Between the ravine and the river lay
the New York Central and Hudson
River railroad tracks. on the edge of a
little plain. Between them and the hills,
on the lowlands, were about dozen
buildings, chiefly dwellings, and the ex-
tensve brick works of Van Buren &
Timoney. Two Of the houses were oc-
cupied as boarding houses for the em-
ployees of the brickyards and contained
large number Of persons. The dwell
lngs were also occupied mainly by work.
men.
When the flood poured out OF the fun
nellike ravine and spread over the fat
lands, II had gained an awful impetus in
its downward rush. 1t picked up each
house in its path and hurled 1t onward
In a smashing, grinding wreck. 1t de-
molished the brick works utterly. Not a
vestige of the extensive building was
left II carried away a big bridge
across the roadway and flung 1t in
pieces into the river. It tore away a
hole in the railroad tracks 100 yards
wide. 1t hurled one Of the workmen' s
big boarding houses bodily into the
Hudson.
Some Of the people living in the path
OF the torrent got to the higher ground
In safety. Many did not. One family,
Perry by name, in its Wild flight, left
the baby behind. Most Of the killed
~. hoo h1ftqac
The names Of those whose bodies have
been recovered, as officially given out by
Coroner II. b. Bevier. are as follows:
Mrs. John Conroy aged 36, wife of the
engineer in Timoney's brickyard.
Mrs. Mary Ferry, aged SS years, a
widow
William Ferry. aged years, son OF
Mrs. Ferry.
John Sruka, Hungarian, 2s years
old.
Philamena Delul1a, an italian girl,
years old.
The missing are: John Conroy, son Of
Engineer Conroy, aged years; julia
Conroy, daughter of Engineer Conroy
aged years. and an unknown Hunga'
rian, whose brother declares that he wa'
drowned.
Express Trains Narrow Escape.
The Montreal express from New Yori
had a narrow escape. 1t was due a
the place where the washout occurred
lust about the time the flood came.
A watchman at the brickyard hear'
the roar of the torrent and thought o
the train. He snatched up sigma
lamp and ran wildly up the track. A
he heard the whistle Of the locomotive
II was drowned by the crash of tn
flood striking the buildings behind him
The express rushed on, and in an in
stant the glare OF the headlight was II
the watchman's eyes. He waved hi
lantern frantically, and the enginee
put on the airbrahes and reversed hi
lever. Before the train could be stop
ped the forward trucks of the locomo
tive were in the water In another sec
Ond or two the train would have plunge
into the washout.
4 The damage to property is estimate
at 100000.