The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-04-16
REUBEN WHEELER
From the Bangor Gazette.
THE FLOOD OF THE PENOBsCOT.

From the Bangor Gazette.
THE FLOOD OF THE PENOBSCOT.
In our last we gave an account of the
stale ofthe river up 10 Friday evening.
The Jam of ice from North Bangor had
descended within about 200 rods of the
Bridge which then spanned the PenobscoI
here. This seemed to lessen the danger
OF the corporation mills, but it was only
fora short time for in a few hours the
jam from the Basin mills came down,
headed by those mills, and filled up the
whole space opened by the descent of the
former jam, carrying away in its course,
and overwhelming in sudden ruin whats
ever anne in its way. The river from
Treats falls to the Corporation was liter
ally heaped with ice, and every creek and
bend choked up with the broken masses.
Such a scene of confusion and desolation
as the banks of the river presented on
Saturday morning we never before wit
messed !; and those who had resided on the
river for go years, stated that they had
never seen any thing 10 compare with il.
Many buildings were crushed in the ice :;
others were surrounded BY it, and only
waited lis first movement 10 be swept "a
wav. Driven from their homes, many
families were 10 temporary sheds, or re-
moving their furniture 10 places which
promised safety. Piles of wood and lum.
berthe accumulations of months Of hard
Iabor-were scattered far and wide, and
the poor la borers looked with awe, rather
than murmuriDg or despair, at the mani
fesrations ofan almighty hand which spoil
ed them. There is II God said an aged
man as we passed him on The shore.road,
that seat OF all that is goddess, 'and we
have been very wicked 1t was a recog-
milton we little expected from his lips so
accustomed had w been 10 hear from
them profanity and impiety.
On our return 10 the city we found that
the mass below Treats falls had moved
down about so rods, starting the ice be-
low the bridge until it choked-up al High
| Head below the city. This occasioned a
sudden rise of the water in the harbor
and The rapid descent of a body of Ice and
logs from the Kenduskeag increased the
swell. The Franklin Bridge gave way
and hoated down TO the middle bridge ;
and that being laid under water, seemed
every moment ready to leave. The low
er bridge was in much the same condi-
ton. The occupants of stores near the
stream we're hastily removing their goods,
and our neighbors of the Wing We're re,
luclantly compelled TO abandon their ia
vorable location in the new market house.
Thus affairs stood until about III o'clock.
We now change the scene TO Old
Town. At 9 on Saturday evening the
Jam from P~assadumkeag reached that vil-
lage, and tearing away the bridge be-
tween OIdtown and Milford, swept down
10 the Corporation. There uniting its
whelming mass with the masses below,
and flooding out the thirty saws at that
place, the whole bore down upon our de-
voted city with resistIess fury. Soon the
whole is in motion, the whirling waters
rush up the Kenduskeag. and so rapid the
swell that hundreds narrowly escaped With
their lives. Fifty men were on the mid
die bridge-and though they all rushed 10
the nearest shore, not less than twenty
were precipitaled into the boiling flood
ere thew reached the bank. Luckily a
building floating on the river had been sci
on fire, and threw a bright light over the
whole and no lives were lost.
At this moment a crash was heard at
the toll bridge. 1t was the breaking "a
way of the draw. W. passed down Elk
change street, and Just as we reached the
Exchange, met the furious torrent rush.
up in front OF the city point Block. When
we reached the bridge the huge masses Of
ice mingled with lumber, houses, bridges,
SC. were pressing through between the
piers, and the bridge was creaking and
seemed ready at any moment TO leap from
its piers. At length the capacity of the
harbor is taxed 10 the uImost-the ice is
grounded from shore to shore, and the fury
of the wild torrent is checked.
No language can depict the scene of
that hour. The water rose twelve feet in
ten minutes, and continued 10 rise until it
reached the height Of II feet above the
capsilI of the wharf-or highwater mark
Many were driven from their houses, and
stores and shops never before reached by
the highest floods were filled with water