SERIOUS RIOT.- A serious riot occurred at Ireland- the 'New City' at Hadley Falls- last evening, between seven and nine o'clock. On Monday week, the Irish laborers, three or four hundred in number, employed by Boody and Stone in constructing the great canal, in consequence of reduction in wages, refused to work. Yesterday a small number, a dozen or more, concluded, on pledges of protection, to go to work, at the terms offered. The other Irishmen in consequence threatened vengeance upon them. Fearing that their shantees might be torn down as threatened, the chief engineer, Mr Anderson, accompanied by a constable and a number of other individuals, repaired to the ground, to protect the few who had gone to work from their infuriated compeers.The latter soon came upon the constable and his associates, armed with clubs and other weapons of Irish warfare; and commenced an attack. The constable, Mr Theodore Farnham, in attempting to arrest some of the leaders in the riot, was knocked down with a club, the blow of which gashed his lip to the bone, and he was then trampled upon, by the maddened crowd, until he was almost senseless. Mr. Anderson, the Engineer, was struck with a rail, and one cheek badly gashed; and an Irishman, who aided to suppress the riot, was hurt upon the head. The windows in a temporary grocery store, owned by a Mr Day, were also broken in. One of the leaders of the riot was arrested, brought to Northampton in the evening train of cars, and lodged in Jail for safe keeping. This morning he was taken to Springfield, by sheriff Wright.

As soon as possible, after the evening train arrived in Northampton, an extra train was fitted out, and despatched, with about twenty-five men, armed with muskets, accompanied by sheriff Wright, to the scene of disturbance. All, however, being quiet, the men returned about two o'clock.

No further disturbance had occurred this morning at 9 o'clock. Sheriff Rice of Hampden was on the ground this morning, and it is presumed that the prime movers in the affray will be arrested in the course of the day.-
Hamp. Gaz. Jan. 11.
(c) Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, Deerfield MA. All rights reserved.
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In 1848, large numbers of Irish immigrants were employed working on the dam and canals in Holyoke, Massachusetts; here referred to as the "New City." The company in charge of the construction reduced the wages it was paying and the men refused to go to work. When some workers said they would work if they were protected, and the chief engineer, constable and a number of other men accompanied the workers. The men who had refused to work then attacked the protectors with clubs. Several men were hurt and windows were broken. One of the leaders was arrested and brought to the jail in Northampton. About twenty-five armed men accompanied the sheriff, but when they arrived at Holyoke, all was quiet and remained so.

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