42 THK KLOUD OF 1»43. 



the channel of the stream, and turned the whole body of the 

 current against the factories. These factories stood in a con- 

 tracted valley or pass, between hi.i,'h hunks — the bridge occu- 

 pying two-thirds of its entire width. Thus but a small space 

 was left to vent the swollen stream, until it rose so high as to 

 pass over the top of the bridge. Had the bridge given way 

 early, in all probability the factories would have remained. 

 As it was, the large factory did not sink until the water had 

 reached its highest point, and had begun to fall. When the 

 large factory went down, the roof remained entire while in 

 view of those who witnessed its fall, the undulations of the 

 current being sufficient to cause the factory bell in the cupola 

 to toll the knell of its own sad catastrophe.* The bridge at 

 this place was completely stripped of its guard-walls, but the 

 arches remain standing. 



The flood proceeded onward with uncurbed fury, uproot- 

 ing and carrying with it trees of a large size, and almost 

 every thing else within the scope of its resistless current. 

 The flour mill of J. & I. P. Button, which had stood the 

 better part of a century, was wholly carried away, with its 

 valuable contents of grain, 6cc. Their saw-mill, barn, and 

 wagon-house, with their contents, also shared the same fate. 

 Their dam was partly carried away, and their race consider- 

 ably injured. The flood passed through their dwelling house, 

 and cleared two rooms of their furniture. In fact, with the 

 exception of the dwelling house, this property was nearly left 



* More than fifty persons, most of them females, were employed at 

 Knowlton mills. The flood occiirretl on S:it\ird:iy aftt-riioon, after o])e- 

 rations had heen suspended for the week, agreeably to the regulations of 

 that establishment, and the hands had all retired to their dwellings. 

 Hail the sudden rise in the water occurred earlier in the day, or had it 

 occurred ujxm any other working day of the week, scarcely a doubt can 

 exist, hut that the lives of the whole number of jjcrsons eini)loyed in 

 the factory would have been lost. Even if time lu'ul been afforded them 

 to escape from the factory, the substantial character of the building 

 would have preventetl them from doubting the security of their situa- 

 tion, until everv i)ossible chance of retreat had been cut off. 



