Capitalism and calamity: The Mill River flood of 1874

On the morning of May 16, 1874, the Williamsburg reservoir dam suddenly burst sending one hundred million gallons of water roaring down the narrow Mill River valley in western Massachusetts. Within thirty minutes, the monstrous wave killed 138 inhabitants, devoured four mill villages, left nearly 750 people without homes, and destroyed one million dollars worth of property. As it rolled, the thirty-foot high avalanche of water crumbled brass, silk, and button mills, crushed boardinghouses, collapsed farmhouses and barns, and swept away bridges and roads. It left no trace of their existence.; Eleven local industrialists had built the dam in 1865 to increase their waterpower so they could stay competitive with newly developed national markets. To keep costs low, the reservoir company skimped on engineering expertise, hired local builders who proved more interested in profit than quality workmanship, and provided no project oversight. It was soon apparent that the design was inadequate, that minimal specifications were not followed, and that the massive structure was poorly constructed. The dam slumped and leaked heavily for eight years until it broke. With the exception of one, the mill owners responsible for the flood rebuilt their communities and suffered no loss of honor. A coroner's inquest returned no criminal indictments, and no one was liable for damages.; This disaster reveals the consequences of unrestrained capitalism, supported by statutory and judicial law, that granted industrialists so much power that they were free to raise an unsafe structure without expertise or oversight. The heavy price of industrialization was borne by all citizens who lived under the constant threat of such works, which were to ensure industrial progress but caused destruction instead. The Mill River flood was just one of many nineteenth-century disasters, and just one of dozens of Massachusetts dam failures. Capitalism and calamity went hand in hand as mill buildings collapsed, steam engines exploded, and railroad bridges gave way. The flood highlights the struggle between the rights of individuals to live safely and the state's protection of corporations so they would be unencumbered as they developed the economy. The Mill River flood served as a catalyst for change and spurred the Massachusetts legislature to require at least minimal government oversight of such structures. Public safety was becoming the responsibility of the state.