Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-03-18
FRESHET.

Inere is quite a freshet In the rivers in this
region, caused by the rain of Tuesday. We
annex the most important particulars that have
come to hand :.
The ice in the Merrrimac below Amoskeag
Falls has passed off, and that above the falls
is gradually breaking up The rain storm OF
tuesday greatly increased the volume of wa
ter, and the Manchester American of We'd
nesday says:
"The immense flood of water pouring over
the Falls, with the huge masses of ice tumbling
against the rocks, present a magnificent APP
pearance, while the roar of the water sounds
like the reverbeIation of distant thunder"
The Connecticut is rising, and on Wednes-
day had flooded some of the streets in Hart
ford. The Press remarks:
The river water has been introduced into a
great many tenements, without expense to the
water commissioners and many daring deed
has been performed in rescuing innocent pork
ers from watery grave. The northeastern
suburb rivals ancient Venice in the extent of
its water privileges, and the young ladies and
gentlemen are having gay times cruising in
their gondoas."
Half of the old oil mill on the Little River
near the Rifle Factory, fell into the fiume last
night, and what has not yet gone down stream
lies there in ruins. The high water carried
the ice against it and knocked away all the
supporters that stood in the water. It belong
ed to Sharpe's Rifle Company, and was used
sometimes as a workshop.
AT Albany, Wednesday, the Hudson had
risen so much that the water was two feet
deep in the warehouses on the pier, and the
stores could only be reached in boats. MANY
cellars in the vicinity were also inundated
The Springfield Republican says the Con-
necticut River stretches wide like a vast lake,
at that point, and part of the Northampton
bridge came down with the upper ice last
evening
The Housatonic has been swelled by the
late rain, and the stone bridge of the Housaton-
ic Railroad, at Caldwell Meadow, Pittsfeld,
has been carried away; passenger train pass
ing over had narrow escape. AT North
Adams, says the Pittsfeld Sum- the water is
unusually high, even for freshet, in both
branches of the Hoosic, and it is currently re-
ported that the Troy and Greenfield Railroad
has suffered material damage at one or two
points West of Blackinton. Two pieces of the
road made on the old bed of the river are en-
tirely washed away, and, in consequence, rail
road connection with Troy by that route is cut
OFT for the present.
About one-third of the bridge over the Con-
necticnt river, between Northampton and Had
ley, was carried away by the flood of ice and
water, Wednesday afternoon. 1t was the
Hadley end.
Some of the highways in the outskirts of
Springfield were very badly washed and torn
to pieces duriug the heavy rains of Tuesday
and the previous night being rendered in some
instances almost impossible, particularly in the
direction of Indian Orchard and Ludlow, and
requiring prompt repairs for the prevention of
accident. The season has been unusually
disastrous, both to public and private property
from floods and heavy rains. The damage in
Springfield must amount to thousands of
dollars.
FLooD IN CoNNECTIoUT RIvER.-The con-
tinued rise of the riverlon Wednesday, rem
dered it a chief point of attraction. AT 7 A.
M. it stood IA feet and at IL o'clock, Is above
low water mark but from II till 2 p. M, at
the Springfield bridge it had risen only three
inches in three hours, owing, as subsequently
ascertained, to the collection of an immense
quantity of broken ice some distance above
the dam at Holyoke, there having been gen.
eral breaking up" still further north. The
great body of surplus water was thus kept
back, the icy barrier being sustained by the
Holyoke dam which safely withstood the pres
sure. About P. NJ. the ice yielded, and was
born downward with greatrapidity by the ire
sistable volume of water in its rear the first
nstallment-heavy, solid ice, IS inches thick
reaching this city at quarter past 5. The
river then commenced rising again, standing
at 81 p. M. at 169 feet above low water mark,
and still going up, though with prospect of
gradual cessation. The West Springfield banks
were overfiown early in the day, and the
Easements of several buildings adjacent to the
river on this side were flooded At Hartford,
the river in the afternoon was 20 feet above
low water mark, and the lower portions of the
city were flooded, and some damage had been
done.-Sprinqfed Republican.
The Norwich Courier says the Shetucket
and Thames had a freshet on Wednesday, of
the true old-fashioned kind Central wharf
was overlooking for the greater part of the
day, and the Central Wharf Planning Compa-
nv, the Manhattan Arms Company, Colts
Steam Grist Mills, and c. B. Rogers & Co. S
Works were not able to run by reason of the
water that flowed back into their furnaces
The gardens on Washington street were also
overflowed, and many of them suffered dam
age. The tracks of the New London, Will.
mantle & Palmer Railroad, on the west sid :,
were covered to depth of several inches,
making it difficult for the morning trains to get
through.
Very many cellars in the city were flooded,
but no serious damage, as we can learn, was
occasioned thereby, Indeed, we hear of no
very heavy losses, except, perhaps, the float
ing off of large pile of lumber on Central
Wharf A good many pigs about town were
drowned, and several were seen floating down
the river on Wednesday.
DAMAGE BY THE RAIN-The Lowell Cou-
rier says that the heavy rain of Tuesday has
caused a great overlooking Of many Of the
small streams, and considerable damage to
railroads and bridges has resulted from the
breaking up of the ice and the sudden rising Of
the water The Lowell and Lawrence, the
Stony Brook, and the Salem and Lowell rail
roads, have received some injuries, but not to
a great amount.
New ORLEANS IN A PUDDLE.-Late heavy
rains have flooded the rear of New Orleans,