Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1904-10-27
HORRIBLE ACCIDENT AT
WINSTON-SALEM.
Bursting of II Reservoir Over
WHcIns Houses With Their
Sleeping Occupants. The
Scenes Of Terror Wit
messed in the Early
Part Of the
Morning.
Morning.

| III "Ol5l Al AN ADND ~
| Winston-Salem occurred at five
| O'Clock this morning when the north
| side of the old city reservoir in North
Trade street collapsed, transforming
| the street into a veritable river of
death, which bore nine persons to a
watery grave, caused the serious in
jury of eight others, and washed
| away a number of small houses in its
path.
Six tenement houses were more or
less damaged.
1t was 5 o'clock this morning
| when persons residing near the old
| reservoir heard a mighty crash, as of
| falling walls. Rushing to the scene,
| they found almost the whole of the
| north side of the reservoir collapsed,
utterly demolishing the barn and
| doing some damage to the house OF
Martin Peoples, both OF which are
near it, and emptying the contents
| of the reservoir, about 100000 gal
Ions of water, into the street. 1t
was soon found that several persons
were engulfed in the flood, which
was carrying them on the way to
the railroad junction, a distance OF
| five hundred yards or more. The
alarm was given and by 6 O'Clock a
large force was at work in the effort
to rescue the bodies. Several Of the
bodies were carried to the edge of
Belo's pond and a force of men was
at work all day in the effort to find
some who were thought to have
been drowned therein.
The ringing Of fire bells awakened
the entire town and hundreds hur-
ried to the reservoir as quickly as
possible. Here they, were greeted
with a scene of agony and d~esolation.
Anxious relatives hurting to and fro
in the search for loved ones, the
heart rending cries Of the desOlate,
the utter ruin of several houses in
the path of the flood, these are some
of the details Of the scene which
greeted the eyes of the On lockers.
AS soon as the extent of the catas-
trophe was fully known undertakers
and others were summoned and the
work of recovering the bodies of the
dead and preparing them for burial
was begun and continued during the
greater part of the morning.
Measures have been taken by the
city for the relief of the homeless and
suffering.
Although most of those who came
within the path of the river of death
were carried to a Watery grave, there
were some miraculous escapes. A
notable case was that of William
Adams and wife, colored, who wele
asleep at the time the reservoir
burst. Their house, whichis situated
northeast Of the reservoir, was
flooded and they were carried in
their bed to the railroad junction, a
distance of five hundred yards. Both
+ of them escaped without a bruise. A
white Msn who was i'll the street a
+ the time the collapse occurred es
capped unhurt by climbing a fence
after being carried a few feet by the
flood. A colored boy, who rushed
to the street upon hearing the crasl
of falling walls had a hard ace fol
life, barely missing the flood in time
to escape unhurt.
j, John Poe, janitor at the cour
house, left his home and went to thu
court house about 4 o'clock thi
morning. Hearing Of the disaster
:. he fastened home, arriving on tn
scene in time to see his wife an,
daughter in the embrace Of death.
There were some scenes in con
nec5ion with the affair horribl
: enough to rend the heart of the mos
unimpreasionable. Mrs. Marti
Peoples, whose house next to til
- reservoir, was damaged, was pinne'
~ under q mass Of brick and mortar
crying lztifuIly for release from he
re fate, bus death relieved her agonies
HSaye nae, save met" cried a DO
who WIS being carried onward b
the dosd; but he cried for relief ths
could come only too late.
id People who live near the reserve
d say that they thought at first tn:
tho aM1oL faIf in that iobhorh