Year: 1876

depot. The spectators who were stand
ing near the depot say the


water was thirty feet high when
it approached the track. With
one tremendous crash the railroad en-.
bsnkment gave way, opening gap 4oC
or 500 feet long and 20 feet deep. The
coal sheds were carried away, but the
passenger and freight depots were lef'
standing. Just before the water noun
tain struck the railroad embsnkment al
GAINESVILLE, 3 section Of the stream
forced its way Into the line OF The
road and passing on both sides OF the
depot rushed 10 feet high down the track
carrying devastation before II. The
grade being quite steep at this point =
new impetus was given 10 Il and the
water in its course lifted rails and ties
bodily from the road bed and turned
them topsy turvey. For more than 4
mile it rushed head long aud at last, just


before reaching the stone arch bridge
at Curtis Pond it bored hole down
into the road bed, and made q gap about
eighty feet long and forty five or ffty
feet deep. The water then found its way
into Curtis Pond. The devastation al
this point will be as costly as any slong
the route The two long and deep gaps
will require much time and great ex-
pense to repair them. A mile Of rails
and ties are piled upon in every conceiv-
able shape, and the road bed under the
north track lie washed out in places three
and four feet deep. The branch
railroad track was taken up bodily
and carried over on to the main road.
Trees, stumps and shanties were also
thrown down and washed away. The


food reached Leesville about two hours
after the dam broke and struck q sstinet
mill owned by Albert Curtis with terrific
force. Il gave way and crumbled into
runs and the dam was CARR ed
away. Three hours after the dam
broke the out the effect was felt At
New Worcester. The course OF the
water through the other villages is nine
miles, showing that the water advanced
at the rate OF three miles an
hour. Tho first mile. however,
was made in three minutes


The first indication Of trouble at Cur
tis Pond was the rise Of water. At nine
o'clock the situation was critical, the
water had cut hole through the dam.
The Boston and Albany Railroad en-
bsnkment Is saved as the dam and Web
ster square was rapidly converted into a
reservoir. At few minutes past nine
o'clock one end of Curtis & Marbles
large brick shop fell in the stream. By
this time the gain in Curtis Pond dam
had increased TO 20 feet and coon after
the Arcade building tipped over and was
left standing on ono end. About ono
fourth of the double arch bridge on the
Boston and Albany Railroad below Curtis
and Marbles shop gave way, section Of
embsnkment seventy feet long and
twenty feet deep with it. An outlet
was made and danger at New Worces-
ter was averted After 3 second break
in theB. * A. X. r. the mill ofthe Wicks
manufacturing company, at South Wor-
cester, WAS destroyed. The water then
spre.d out over series OF
meadows and in the south part of
city there was general inundation.
The water is rapidly subsiding No turth


er damage is feared. The Boston and Al
bsny railroad will not be open for travel
for several days, but their trains will run
rs usual, via the Ware River and Boston.
and Barre and Gardner roads. 1t is i'm
possible 10 estimate the loss tonight.