Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-09-25

II IL ulu not DcIOnS 10 me. auu W my
misiortuncs, Judy was married in a month
afterwards. never could handle my spade
since. Boys jewel, was .fdiry-struck.
RUNAWAY POND.
This is name given to place in the
town Of Glover, Orleans county, VT; not
where there is now pond, but from which
as tho name intimates, pond once ran a.
way. The facts in regard to this spot were
published in 1910, but by many may be
forgotten. There was pond of water a
bout three miles in length, and some halfa
mile in breadth, from which issued small
stream running to the south and mingling in
its course with the waters that flow into the
Connecticut river. There was another small
stream taking its rise little to the north,
and west of this pond, the waters Of which
were discharged to the north, falling into
Barton river, and finally finding their way
through lake Mcmphremagog into the st.
Lawrence. On this stream there was mill;
and the owner having viewed the make of
the ground to tho north end or head of tho
pond, and finding its elevation so small a. to
oppose but a trilling obstacle to its running
in that direction, conceived the idea ofturn-
its course to the north, 50 as to aid in the
operation of his mill. Accordingly on the
4th Of July, himself and number of others
went with spades and shovels and commence
ed digging. They soon found that few
inches from the surface there was nothing
but quicksand, and the moment the water be-
gan to run in that direction, this gave way
very rapidly, cutting channel, and the
whole water of the pond soon appeared to
rush 10 that point-thc banks of the new
stream, caving in, were swept on by the
flood, SO that the party were only able to es-
cape with their lives. The owner of the mill
seeing at once that there might be more wat
cr than he desired, and that his mill might
be in danger, very judiciously made rapid
movement in advance Of the water, and ar
rived just in time to apprisc his wife of her
danger, and enable her to escape from the
mill which she was attending in hcrhusband's
absence. As the flood moved onward, it
bore down every thing that opposed its pro-
gross, taking along trees, earth, and rocks,
and in narrow places in the valley, the NOV
ing mass would rise often to tho height of fifty
or sixty feet, and again reaching broader
place, would spread out and leave immense
masses of timber, stones, and earth, which
after lapse Of Twenty-Five years, arc still
visible. Tho beholder, who was not APP
prsed Of what had been done, was struck
with absolute amazcment, as the ,cater, the
moving cause, was wholly invisible. lie
saw trees, of all sizes, and every other sub
stances, which could be accumulated rolling
onward; roaring and crashing and shaking
the hills, and leaving perfect desolation in
its coursc-the forest and the morass were
both oblitcratcd, the hills were laid low, and
the valleys were exalted. 1t swept in this
way some 20 miles, the whole distance to
lake Memphremagog, where, finding Moth
ing to resist its course, it gradually mingled its
placid waters, having erected at every step
the most enduring monuments of its power
The width of the tract Of this flood was
from six or eight rods to near half mile.
When the mighty torrent, rolling onward,
struck the mill, for whose benefit this letting
out ofwatcrs' was undertaken, twas crushed
into atoms, and so completely obliteratcd,
that not a vestage has ever been found
There was only here and there solitary
tree left to show that forest had been there.
the ground.
Among the extraordinary and almost in
credible exhibitions of the power Of this flood
is the fact that a rock was moved about half
mile, the estimated weight of which was
Gty tons!!
The pond lay between the mountains, oc-
cupying the whole space, and on being drain
cd, it was found to have been 20 feet in
depth. Through tho bed of Runaway
Pond" the whole three miles there is now a
road leading to Montpelier. The town of
Glover has been greatly benefited by the
opening of this road 4 delightful little VII
lage now occupies the ground that was made
by the flood. 1t may be asked, what was
the fate of the Inhabitants below! The an
swer is, that Twenty-Five years ago there was
not honse, and no building except the MILL
in the track over which the flood passed.
Runaway Pond will long continue an object
ofmuch curiosity, and the history of its I'M
ccrcmonous exit, will continue to be told in
generations yet to comc.-BOston Mag.