Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-06-14
Etse aDrsS8-
GREAT FRESIIEr. AND LOSS OF
PROPERTY.

at four O'Clock IN The morning BEGAN Ia ,un
over the top Of the guard cate INTO III,
cana of the Kcnebec Locks and Canal.
Company on he west side. This however
would have cone no material injury, bu'
some part of the canal wall below The
dam and above he guard ra,c was so i'm.
perfectly constructed as ~ ADM, The winter
through II, ana the wa on the river side
having been battered down by the ice IN
the January fteshet, and thus len IN very
exposed condition, The water had made
such breach over and through the naked
bank OF the earth. before It was discovered
that It obtained the mastery over the few
persons that attempted to stop il. In
short time he cana wa was So under
mined as 10 lean side wnys towards the
river, and thus caused the water TO press
open The gates. in short time the water
was pouring with great force through the
breach into The main river. and thus the
breach continued TO widen tapdIv. until
before night the bank between the canal
and The tiver was swept away down to he
mills. The heavy stone walls on which
the mills were erocIrd seemed to lnrprposc
barrier to The current, but thew were
undermined in succession on Saturday,
and late in the afternoon the last section
OF the mills went down with n tremendous
crash, and floa'ed away. Meantime the
wafer had been wearing for itself a pro.
dlglous chasm into the west bank Of the
river, being turned ont of its course BY the
Dam, which still stands firm. and will soon
be high and dry. he river HAVING made
new channel around it. Not less than
four. and perhaps five acres of land, have
already been carried away by the river.
leaving PERCEPTIONS bank 10 some places
seveny-hve or eighty feet high. One
acquainted with the localities would be
as'onlshed to learn that the river has
actually undermined the old mansion Of the
late Judge Bridge. This once beautiful
place, surrounded by large trees gravel
walks, shrubbery, &c. with broad stree,
below It, and garden on the opposite side
between The street and The river, is NOW
dIsmanl Ied-a heap Of ruins, ovcrhanrIno
q huge preciplce near hundred feet hph,
win the wa or roaring and foamlnr q, its
base. The house of T. II. Bridge, E.o. a,
the foot OF the hill. has also been under
mined and umbled into the river. a. well
as sable on The bank Of the canal. OF
course he road Is gone for two or three
hnbdfeu yards, and there is now no pas,
sage for carriages up the Sidney road. ex-
cepi by back road up the steep hin on the
Mil Brook.
we hear of M damage any where on
the river below this breach. |, vas appre
hended that the draining off the pond
Wouid How some parts ot the lower street
IN Hallowell and Augusta and Gardiner.
out Il has not done so. In fact the water.
though still running over the dam yes,er.
Gay, had ia len four or five feet below the
uam' rom winch 1t Is clear that though the
preach has made for itself very WIDE
channel. 1t has not made a deep one. To-
DEED 1t has already exposed ledge Of rocks
out lew feet below the present level Of
the water, and far above the common level
of the river. This ledge NAV be of qrea
importance as foundation for mills. Tha
Dam stands entire, and large part of the
western abnment, wlthsrandinp tho
torrent OF water pouring around the end of
it,
The immense chasm which has bocn
mace oy the water, though now considered
m's'"r' une may torn Jut in he end TO BE-
the very thing that was wanted to make n
perfectly secure site for mills. on, of the
reach OF the current Of the rIvpr: and #
me dam continues to stand. as il promises
10 90 at present, the erection of m,ll, ON
the ledge will be nouher difficult nor OK.
penslve, nor subject to casualties. as thew
Will nave s'III water both above and below
them. There is room for twenty saw mil.
between the abumenr and the shore and
canal below can be made afterwards when
"an'eo. 81 also the cana on the east side
which Is unloju. ed can be indefinitely cx-
tended.
The freshet has brought down !ors in
pfodIEious Numbers. For two DAYS the
river was ful! of them. There ha, also
been ireshet on the Pcnobscot, hnt tina,
river, unlike the Kennebcc. overnows us
banks 10 so many places that ireshe,s do
less injury on II. The swamps and low
on It's banks serving as reservoirs
OF The surplus water.
Inc mills which were swept Of on Sa,
oroay were just flushed by Mr.. Mcdaniel.
en- excellent mechanic and worthy man.
VINO we nope will MT suffer ultimate loss.
Ihey were fios' rate saw mills, and had No
accident happened, SIX saws would have
oeen 10 operation this week. Scarcely
'es''ge OF them or their foundation now
remains, and II the river continues IN ,pn
""e'e does now, 1t will probably wear
away portion OF The bank at eyerv fre.haI
AZ present however 1t washes away vorv
SOW having reached bed of blue clQy
~ VIII not widen the channel much further
nown' as there Is edge of rock opposite
The mouth Of Mil Brook.
The DAM ACROSS THE Kryxrprr
we mo IN the National Egis, the follow.
ing description Of the dam across The Ken.
Neoec' which has been rendered altogether
useless by the late ffeshct:
"Ih,pa TO-