The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-04-22
THE new ENGLAND FLOODS
Streams Cut of Their Banks and
Doing Great Damage.

Railroad ard Trolley Traffic DemOr-
aIizci-BrcakinE of Reservoir at
Huntington Causes Havoc in sew
eraI Townsville Waters Subsi,3ing
NEW HAVEN, Conn. April 22-The
worst flood recorded in southern New
England in ten years is raging ali along
the Connecticut River from Hoiyoke,
Chicopee, and Springfield, Mass TO
Hartford and Middletown. Conn. Resi-
dents ar preparing 10 fee in case the
torrent overtors the banks. which it
now almost covers. Up the Nausatuck
and the Hcusatonic Valleys in Connec-
ticut, the rivers have flooded meadows
and entire towns, have blocked street
car traffic, and have made washouts
which viii delay trunk and branch line
passenger traffic all day today.
The worst catastrophe from the flood
along the Connecticut happened last
night in Huntington, Mass, when the
reservoir on the Middlefield River,
tributary of the West6eld River, broke
away. precipitating an immense volume
Of water down the valley through Ches-
ter and Huntington, destroying a large
amount of property and completely de-
moralizing the Boston and Albany
Railroad system between Westfield and
PittsfieId. Large sections Of the double
track of the railroad are washed out
and a stone arch bridge between Ches-
ter and MiddlefieId was swept away.
Telegraph and telephone service is Grip
pied and reports from the flooded dis
r5rt inc
No loss Of life has been reported
The reservoir was located two miles
up the valley from Middlefeld Railway
station. It was built originally to fur
nish reservoir power for the woolen
mills Recently the power had been
used to drive the machinery of a quartz
mill located near the site of the old
wo0len mill Damaged oy a rain, the
reservoir dun gave way Near Middle
field depot. the torrent joined the larger
stream coming down from the village
of Beckett. Before reaching this larger
stream the tributary, swollen to a
mighty torrent. came to the high road
bed Of the Boston and Albany Railroad
The railway crosses the river many
times bctwee., the Mfddlefield station
and Chester and great damage was
done al all those points. The stone arch
bridge two miles west of Chester, on
which occurred the railroad disaster Of
September 1, 1S93 was torn up, leaving
a yawning gap which it VIII require
days to repair even temporarily. Large
sections of both tracks were washed
between Chester and Middlefeld, and
between Chester and Huntington there
are several big gaps.
Chester was given a frightfuI scare
as the torrent came tearing down upon
it The food picked up oUtbuHdiags
as if they were paper boxes and swept
them down the stream. J. c. Game
wells storehouse, containing wagons
and sIeighs. was swept away The
basement Of F. B. Mason's drug store.
near the bridge, was flooded and he
moved a large quantity Of his stock to
the Congregational Church William
GameweIl's grist mill was undermined
The guests at White Hotel packed up
and made haste to get on higher
ground. Their fears proved groundIess.
however. for the hotel was not Hooded.
The flood at Chester reached its
height about 7:30 and then began to
recede and at 9:2G the river was be-
tween its banks. The Otis Wait Bridge
on the MiddlefeId Road, about mile
and half north Of Chester. was carried
away
The WeestfieId River overfowed its
banks for several miles in the vicinity
Of WestfeId, submerging the ground
floors Of papers mills and Gripping
them for days. The Hoosac River did
the same at Adams and North Adams.
The North Adams streets were under
water ali night and the street cars ceas-
ed to run.
1t is believed that because of large
number Of washouts on the Central
New England Railroad no trains be-
tween Winsted and Hartford will be
able to run before tomorrow The train
leaving Winsted at 4:45 yesterday aft
ernoon was unable TO reach Hartford
as a result of two Iandslides which
have covered the tracks with sand and
rock.
At Satan's Kingdom, a few miles from
Winsted. tons Of rock have fallen to
the tracks and loco men were at work
this morning TO clear the way. They
viii be obliged to use dynamite to re-
move the debris. The tracks of the
Naugatuck division Of the Consolidated
Railroad and also those Of the Winches-
ter street railroad are completely sub
merged and travel has been suspended
Trees on the river bank have been up-
turned at Naugatuck and small houses
near the river have been carried awav.