The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-05-05
tself, boded the destruction of property and

itself, boded the destruction of property and
lives.
his immense mass of water, receiving an
accumulation equal to one sixth of itself from
the pond below, (the surface of which was
lowered ! + feet,) rolled along the valley
The height which the water reached on the
sides of the valley is easily disccrnible now
in various places
With the exception Of the grist mill at
Glover, no building of consequence was with
in reach OF the flood-owing to the fact that
there, as in all new sections, the settlements
were first made UPON the hills, and the flats
OF Barton river, now constituting the most
valuable land, we're then considered of little
worth. And it was thought for long time
by the owners. that the great deposit made
by Inc pond water had rendered them abso-
lutcly good for nothing. But time has PROV
ed that same deposit to be most productive
SOIL
Fortunately, no lives were lost. The mar
row escape Of the Glover milers wife is
worth relating. The miller having net ONLY
a curious interest in the doings of the dav
in common with the others, hut also an en-
ncntly practical one, inasmuch as he cxrect-
ed an increase Of water at his mill, had gone
to scene OF experiment at the pond and, as
was usual in his absence, the mill was left in
charge of his wife. Some time after his de-
parture there came poor laborirg man to
the mill. bringing bushel of wheat to be
ground. The poor man had worked out to
procure the wheat and borrowed a horse to
convey it to the mil! 4; and himself, as we'll
As his better half and smaller fractions at
home, were calculating vastly upon the lux
uries to which the boltcd flour of a whole
bi>hel of wheat would contrbntc. But alas,
as has been the case with multitEdcs of more
brilliant expectations. the apparently reason
a"'e hopes Of this poor family were destined
to tall as perplexing and CALLING as if they
had lost thousands from a greater abun-
lance.
Unconscious Of danger. the miIlcrs wife,
and this poor man assisting, were ercacc.l
in converting the oval kernels of wheat into
fine flour. while the rushing flood was sweep
ing down the valley which would take up the
mill in its course like the rocks and trees
which it carried in its bosom.
When the pond dcprcdator5 came 70 see
that destructive Hood was actually resulting
from their pa>timc, attempt was made bv
many to hurry down tie valley in advance
of the Hood but in the effort none were sue
ccssiul except the miller, whose apprehcn-
sions being quIrkcned hv the interest he had
at stake, he had set out on the very first inli-
cation OF danger, at the quickest possible
step, for a race of five miles against the de-
vourinS element to save his wifi, from i'm
pending de truction. Before half the dis
tancc was accomplished, the roar of crashing
trees and falling ro, Ks rcsounde,l among the
mountains. The poor millcrs heart palp
ta:e1 from fright as wei! as cxcrtion. No
Olympic competitor ever put forth stronger
effort for the laurel wreath, or captive glad
ia'or for lie and liberty. Il c:ore he reached
the mill the water dashed at times about his
I,xcx l.
desired goal the flood had struck the foun,!a-
tionS, and he entered at the utmost peril
Exhausted to such a decree as to be
unable to speak. he seized his wife bv the
arm and hurried her through the door. The
poor laborcr followed, ann before the last of
the trio had issued from it the mill was moved
on with he current and in a moment no YES
tiCc remained. The borrowed horse, which
stood tied to the corner of the mill unable to
break loose, was drawn into the flood and in
vo!vcd in the common destruction
Having pursued the story of the mill to its
grand catastrophe, one would he disposed to
think that here it would end, bu: the living
witnesses and narrators combined are unwIl
ln5 to dcsiSt, without inculcatinS the lessons
in human nature which the Iscqucl furnish
AS the water subsidized the latore- lamen-
ted the loss of his wheat to such degree as
to exclude from his mind the thought of the
horse he had borrowed The miller, after
due dcliheration upon his great misfortune,
came to the conclusion, land it would seem a
ust One.) that inasmuch as he was not alone,
or principal in the transaction of letting loose
the pond, his coa'ljutors should chare with
him the loss. And upon their refusal to do
so upon his own personal application, he
appealed to the law for dispensation
o: equity and justice in the case The pond
depredators combined to resist his legal suit :
lawyers fcasted on the mllers estate for a
series of years, as the case went from one
court 10 another. y course of law proved
less speedy destroyer of the miller's estate
than the raging food of pond let loose, bu:
hot less sure till finally the people Of the
town contributed sufficient meals to remove
the penniless miller with his family to
the far West, hoping thereby to
contribute to bis comfort and peace, as we'll
as their own.
a A genuine down-easter was lately es-
saying to appropriate square of exceedingly
touUh heof NJ ,l;nror :, . V;scors;c bot.,J