The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-07-17
NO ! sss OF LIFE
vs. 5 REPORTED;
DAMAGE LARGE
Many People We're Forced
To Take Refuge in the
Upper Stories Of Their
Houses - One Woman
Suffered Shock from the
Excitement


definite assurance had been obtained
at Q o'clock this morning that no
loss of life had resulted from the /
| bursting of two dams on Willimansett
brook at 1870 o'clock this morning
that sent twenty million gallons Of
Water rushing down the valley Of the
brook, considerable section of Will
hmansett, large residential and man
ufacturing district on the easterly
bank of the Connecticut river which
constitutes an outlying section of Chic
opee, being inundated.
Estimates of the damage to proper
ty vary from S5OO,00O to 81 900 600
Property loss win be heavy as .
score or more of dwelling houses were
swept from their foundations and
many were carried considerable di
tance while Others were tilted on their
foundations. Dozens Of smaller build
ings, many Of them containing i've
stock, were swept away and demol-
ished and their occupants drowned.
The disaster was caused by the CIV
ing away of cement dam at Lang
walds pond, situated between two and
three miles from the center populated
district of Willimansett. The crest Of
the dam remained in place but a
lower section was pushed out and the
released water rushed down the val
lay for half mile, entering Rob-
erts pond. The water tore out tie
wooden dam at the lower end of this
pond and high wave swept on down
the valley spreading out into resi-
dental district and in places reaching
a depth of seven fee..
pHh ponds were formed for ice
cutting purposes by The building Of ]
dams. The dam az Lsngwalds pond
WAS about 300 feet long while the
wood structure at Roberts pond was
ssrs Her.
Residents of the locality were panic
stricken. Mary rrshes out il an cf-
FOR: to escape bit were forced tn tut
back and began removing children. ed
erly persons and cifes.s TO upper sto.-
les out of reach of the .ss.er.
Contrary TO early reports, a summer
camp Of the Holyoke, Y. w. c. A, ON
the bank of Langwald's pond, was not
swept away. The camp is some 25
feet above the edge of the water and
the 25 girls occupying it slept until
O'Clock this morning, awakening to
ind their boats stranded on what had
been the bank Of the pond.
The tracks of the Connecticut river
hvision of the Boston and Maine
aflroad served az barrier and to
arge extent diverted the spreading
water away from the larger part OF
he village which lies between thest
racks and the Connecticut river.
Near the Willimansett ssilroad sta
ion at the northerly end of the viii
age, the water poured through an un-
erpass and swept south~zrd, flooding
he main north and south street from
hicopee to Holyoke and spreading
ut into side streets to depth Of sew
raj feet, but quickly drained away
Deep deposits OF mud we're left in all
he streets for nearly half milo
outh of the railroad static and both
rolley and automobile traffic was vir.
nally suspended.
The tracks OF the Boston and Mains<
ere heavily damaged. The water cut
Ito the embanknrent and for a lime
9th tracks were out Of commission.
he southbound White Mountain ex-
ress from Montreal to New York was
etoured at Northampton and sent
YER the branch TO New Haven. Conn,
nd thence TO New York. Other trains
ere held up temporarily. Shortly aft
daylight one line of he railroad
as in operation.
Had the food occurred in the day.
zht hours when many would have
zen in the streets. the casualties
'uld not but have been aeaNy. The
arrest instance reported TO ioss Of
Ie was when Mrs. Albert Sordingiy.
reed to take to the second story Of
y home by the rising water. suffered
shock. the result Of fright and over
ertion.
Though the water reached TO the
cond story Of houses in lower To-
lities. and a score were moved On
cir foundations or carried entirely
raw from them. in no case I'D any
rellinv coliapse and this tact also
attributed largely 70 prevent casuai-
e
Train Raced With Flood.
n j. reported that a southhound
ston and Maine freight train ran =
-e VITA the rising water Reaching
: fo,d area bui = few Dcmcuts bc-