The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-05-02
From the Brattleboro Phrnix.
The Great Flood of 1852.
Unparalleled Rise of the Connection
River.

Unparalleled Rise of the Connecticut
River.
During the past week the inhabitants of the
valley Of the Connecticut river have witness
ed, and many Of them painfully experienced
greater and more disastrous food than anv
that has preceded it within the memory of
the "oldest inhabitants Biologists write
of the time in by gone cycles when all the al
luvlal plans ana terraces tnat We now see on
either bank of the river, were submerged and
were receiving their present outlines. Ira
ditlon, also, has case in point, when the isl
and opposite this village was wholly covered
with water; and there is some evidence that
in l715 such was the fact But the food of
the past week was greater than any one now
living remembers to have seen on any occa-
sion, and the rise of the water was full fire
feet above the highest marks of former fresh
cts.
/ An unusual amount of snow, both in depth
and in the quantity of water therein held con-
gealed, had fallen during the past winter
throughout Vermont and New Hampshire ;
and this compact SNOW remained on the
ground, at the beginning of last week, all
through the valley of the Connecticut and its
tributaries, to the depth Of from two to four
! feet
AS early as Tuesday of last week the Con-
necticut was observed to be On the rise, which
increased with greater and constantly accele-
rating rapidity until Friday evening, at which
time the river had reached the highest poin,
before attained during the last fifty years, OF
within the memory of our oldest citizens
The exceedingly warm weather of that day
and the Immediate prospect of rain, combined
with the fact that the water was rising more
rapidly Notwithstanding its greater extent of
surface than at any preceding time, very nat
uraly excited the alarm of those living or
the Island, and induced them them to move
with their household effects across to this
side of the river. During the day the water
had partially undermined the embank
ment at each end of the small bridge con
Meeting the Island with the main land il
Hnsdale, and force of men and teams hat
been employed for their preservation. Ii
the evening the force and volume of the wa
ter increased greatly, and the stiffness of th
hour added to its apparent intensity. Th
bridge proprietors and the owners of proper
ty on the Island were naturally becomin,
anxious. They could plainly see that what
ever might be the change in the weather tn
, waters would continue on the increase for a
least twenty-four hours. and without any sucl
change there was no limit to be affixed t.
their rise. About ten o'clock in the evenin
, crash was heard and all supposed that tn
Little Bridge"-the one furthest from tn
yillage-was gone. During the night tn
, remaining inhabitants were removed, the ca,
, tie in the barn were driven up on the scaffolt
and all retired anxious concerning an ur
! known result, which, however disastrous
, might be, they had no power to avert.
$ The morning Of Saturday dawned plea.
antly in the heavens but the genial rays O
y the sun revealed scene Of desolation thu
could not then be limited. The two bridge
: were yet safe, the crash heard the precedin
evening having been occasioned by the lane
:, ing on the Island Of bridge from Westnor
/. land, that spanned stream between thu
: village and the Connecticut. But how Ion
1 the bridges here would remain was matte
s that elected much discussion, but almost a
+ agreed that they would be swept away. tt
e water in the river was rising with its accu
:, toned regularity. 1t was overaowing par
s of the Island and working into its banks
b Channels had been worn through the abu