New Berlin, Chenango Co., NY Dam Breaks
Chenango Union, November 12, 1885
It is well known to the citizens of this village [New Berlin], that there is--or rather was--a body of water on paper mill hill known as Woodruff Pond, from which in former years was obtained a portion of the motive power of the old paper mill. This body of water was kept in place by a dam until Sunday night first, when it took a notion to push the dam over and with a rush it came down upon us sweeping everything before it. The first warning that we had was the roaring of the water as it came river-like down Genesee street, bringing with it logs, barrels, wood, boxes and pigs--filling cellars, gardens and dooryards with mud and rubbish. As good luck would have it, the water soon ran out and went down, leaving the streets in as wretched a condition as any one could imagine. The damage in the aggregate was considerable, and commenced at the wagon shop occupied by Willis Eaton, which it took off from the foundation, carrying it a number of feet and leaving it in the road. It swept away Jerry VanDeusen's winter pork and gave John Simonton a bridge view of the old original flood. It filled the tannery vats with water and mud as well as the cellars of J.L. Dykes drug store., Fuller Brothers store, Biers' basement and many other cellars along the line of the street. It also made bad work with the ditches for the water pipe and caused a large amount of extra work in filling in and cleaning up. The old dam to this pond has been considered unsafe for some years, and it was expected that at some time the old thing would go out, and we are not sure, but after all, this was the best time that it could have taken, for if it had been in the spring when the pond was filled with ice and water it would probably have made it a great deal worse for us and added greatly to the damage. As it is, there will be no fear of the Woodruff Pond Hereafter.--Gazette./
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