Year: 1874

whole tract Of land had been covered with sand and


debris from the food doubt his loss would reach


large figure. The Greenvile Cotton manufacturlng


Company at Florence he understood bad not sustained


any serious damage, had the Florence sewing Ma


chine Company tho works OF the latter being COM


paratvely high land.


VIM. b. Hale, President OF the Florence SewingMa-


chine Company and q resident OF Northampton. who


left that city Saturday evening" said that the Goshen


reservoir was literally natural basin, and no


danger could possibly be apprehended from that


quarter. The Williamsburg reservoir artificial In
every respect At the time 1t built there was con-


siderable anxiety expressed to its strength The late
Gov. Hayden fearful that IL would not stand the


test that gwen when the waters were first turned
in. But during the past year two a great deal OF
work had been done upon IT, aud those interested IN II
expressed themselves perfectly satisfied with its Sc
curity The Of the contract for the building Of


the provided that it should be built OF solid granite
masonry the foundations be six feet below the bed
Of the stream The masonry was to be eight
feet IN thickness at the base and two feet
at the top. and the whole to have hight
Of 40 feet The masonry TO be protected on both
sides with embankment OF earth 20 extend above and
cover the top 10 depth OF feet On the Ouside there
be slope 45 and inside Of 800 and this
embankment was TO DO broad enough at the top Tor
carriage drive. Complaint was made during Its con
structioD, especially the material used, but the
matter closely watched afterward by the persons
interested that ne thought the ful terms the
tract were carried out. Al any rate said Mr. Hale. 1t
would be cruel 20 contractors OF having
failed 10 carry out this work. after IL had been accepted
by those who had everything at stake, and also
approved by theiCOunty Commissioner. In Mr. Hale's
opinion tt fault in plan rather THAN IN construc
ton. The story current in Northampton when he


left that last Ar. Wurtz civil engineer OF that
city. by request, made examination OF the Williams
burg reservoir and reported 10 the mill owners that 1t
was in very insecure condition, and that no time
should be lost in gthenng it. The establishments OF
yden OF the largest and most complete brass
factories in the country They make speciality OF
plumbers goods He understood from good authority
that Hayden's cotton mills had been entirely
destroyed. Many OF their tenementS had been
swept away, but the factories had been
saved. The destruction OF Warner's silh factory
enailed loss OF at least $4,000. The loss TO Williams
burg overwhelming, and unless state aid gwen
them IL would be- years before they recovered from H.
All the bridges gone and the gOads scarcely recOg
niZable. The village OF Florence would probably sus
tain loss OF about 100000. and Leeds about S30OOo0
The damage Ia Northampton confined 10 the wash
away OF the iron bridge connecting the road leading
% the Lunatic Asylum, and which cost about $4,000;
the destruction OF railroad bridge the canal rail
road, ana that done TO the meadow land which was
most serious The Mil River ran through
a tract Of about 10000 around North
amptOn and great damage done there IL
two ways. The farmers had just prepared their
land for planting, and sl this work thrown away.