Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-07-04

houses just in time to behold the numerous
uniting streams that had come pouring down
from the encircling mountain, gathering into
a mighty river that swept away shsnties,
fences, old trees, logs, lumber and everything
In Its path, and, bearing them in wild confu-
sion on its surface, went foaming, tumbling.
and roaring. like a cataract, with amazing
force, down the valley towards the outlet, three
or four miles below.
But the principal scene arising from its
destructive and falal progress occurred at
saw-mill, owned by Mr.. Oren CLARK, and sit
uased about i mile from the mouth of the
stream. W hen the storm was spending it's
force on the sides If the mountain and the
basin benea tn, MIR. Clark was at work in a
field near the mill with his hired man, Ebene-
Ter Eastman. And being apprlsed by the
great volume and blackness of the clouds
hanging over che mountain at the west. that
an unusual shower Was falling round the
sources Of the stream, they proceeded at once
TO the mill and commenced such temporary
repairs of the dam and hume as would, they
believed, secure them against the rush of wa
ter, which, in greater or less quantities, they
knew would soon be down upon them While
deeply eugrossed in hurry,ng forward the
contemplated repairs, they were aroused by
a desfening roar that burs. suddenly upon
their from the stream but /. snort dis
tance above the mill when looking up, they
beheld, to their astonishment and alarm,
wild, tumutuOus sea OF cOmmlngling food
wood and rurbid waters, With wall Ike front
ten feet high .umblinS and rolling down
upon them with furious uproar, and VITA the
speed Of the wind. Knowing that the mill
could not stand against such avalanche OF
water, and beginning TO be especially alarmed
for their personal safety, they attempted 20
secure retreat over the log way which ex-
tended from the mill to the high grounds five
or six rods distant Over this they made
their way with ali possible speed. But such
was the velocity OF the on-rushing torrent
that they hGo not proceeded halt way before
the mill building came down with a crash be-
hind them, the log-way was swept from be-
meath their feet, and the next moment they
were struggling for ineir lives a flood
dozen feet deep, toamlmg, boiling and 20 filled
with trees, ;imbers and all sorts of ruins, that
1t did not seem possible for human being to
be borne along IN the irgntfully whirhng
mass and live single minute.
- | saw Eastman once, said Mr.. Clark in
describing to me this, the most terrible scene
OF his life. {" 1t was when | rose to the sur
E,.a ha i.
desperately TO get his head above the flood
wood. But saw him no more fox, the next
moment, | was borne down beneath the sur
face by raft OF logs that swept over me
From that time | was whirled onward with
my head sometimes Dslow, ana sometimes
above the water, sill found myself nearing
the wooded bank on the opposite side Of she
stream, wneu 1 FuOn came within reach vi d
small tree. which | grasped and held or to,
till began TO count myself saved. But the
tree quickly came up by the roofs and 1 was
again plunged into tie flood. Put, thcush
now nearly despair, still struggled On,
and soon was fortunate enough to grasp an
other sapling by means Of which | at length
drew myself ashore and fell down half drowned
and half dead from bruises and exhaus-
ton 1t was now nearly dark. But after
raIylng my strength little, | commenced
crawling and stumbling through the tangled
thickets along up the stream tll, after a
struggle Of seeming hours, at lac. reached o
point opposite my house where, by loud
haliowing, rallied my family, who believed
me lost, and informed them | would proceed
on TO the next house, on that side, stay all
night and loss over the next morning. This
did, and the next morning reached home,
where | was received as one rlsen from the
dead
The remains Of Eastman were found the
next day washed up near the mouth Of he
stream on the meadow OF Samuel Jones, who |
was injured in the loss OF crops, the covering
Of his lands by hood-wood and washing d say
the soil, to the amount OF three hundred dol
lars. Whether Eastman was drowned, or
killed by being crushed among the logs, was
never known Either cause was sufficient 10
have produced his death.
Such were the leading events attending the
memorable thunderstorm on Jones Brook.