National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-02-22
SAD CALAMITY AT WEST HART.

,tllODi house, W. Stc4'o "h' '7'''t
thirty dwellings,, and is situated on
Ihc Vermont Central Railroad, about
eight miles from White River June
ton. White River flows south
Of the village, the village being upon
its north bank some ten feet above
the usual river course. The river
became DISTRACTED with ice--in fact
entirely 1illed-so that the water
course was TUNED into the village
street. The first intimatlon the IN
had Of trouble-lt beng
early, I o'clock in the morning and
before they had riSell-was the surg
ing waters around their dwellings,,
and upon looking out they saw the
flood coming down upon them III all
its force. Only two persons appear
ed to be up at first, Col. >. f. I'm
gree and IL Young man named Brown,
who We're stopping for the night at
the hotel. They reused the family
of the landlord. ran to the barn and
loosed the horses and young Brown
also went to rouse the neighborS.
Col. rikgry describes the scene at
this time as body of ice higher than
the houses and some two hundred
feet in width. a surging, boiling.
crushing mass bearing down upon
the village. He Red for his life, and
was we'll nigh safe when he heard &
cry for assistance from Miss Frank
Williamson, il young lady some
twenty Years OF age, who was just
being ov"rtalen by the angry flood
He went to her aid. and they were
making their way as best they could
for high land. when Miss William
son. frantic with excitement. caught
hold Of Il stone post, and the two be
came separated. At this instant
the Col. was covered with a mass o
ice aud when he arose was some
thirty feet from Miss w. BY the
aid OF those upon the shore the Col
was rescued. but Miss w. was borne
under the flood and drowned. TIL
was the only loss Of life.
The bridge over White River,
covered structure some 100 feet il
length, was swept away.
T. i. Holt & Co., and Hazen ant
West, merchants, had goods dam
aged to the amount Of nearly 81 ,0O'
each.
The hotel, owned by Allen +
Williamson. is a complete wreck
! Mr.. w. also had another house mOv
ed from its foundation some iiitccl
feet and set into the street. He ais
lost two horses.
DR.. Tucker had a two story hous
undermined.
Allen Hays barn is wreck an
he lost fine yoke Of oxen, an
three horses.
Silas II. Uazen lost his entil
flock OF 1873 sheep and his barn an
large sheds are also wrecked.
Willard UaZen lost two horse
and two cows and his barns wei
wrecked.
ChaS. Beckwith lived in the upp
house of the village. He heard Il
surging waters and carried his bal
to place Of safety. then return,
and assisted his wife and boy, WI
barely escaped with their live
His house and barn were bad
damaged.
Henry West was caught betwec
a floating timber and a fence, bl
f escaped Ivy climbing tree and ";
r taken off after rcmainingthcre nea
, ly an hour.
n Families were taken from sccol
) story windows, from roofs and attic
The rush Of waters through t
streets continued the entire Ola
h In all some ten horses, thirty he;
Y Of cattle and two hundred she
/ were lost. The entire damage ca
: not be less than $4,000.
e Miss Williams was an estimal
ii young lady, and was soon to Ia
g been married. The body at last
t counts had not been recovered,
e though some five hundred men la
d been constantly engaged in t
/ search.
Mr.. w. NJ. Sterling of SO,
. Woodstock, committed suicide
hanging himself in his barn,
-. Tuesday of last week. 1t was p
:. badly caused Ivy responding st!
, of mind in which he had been
y some time, partly perhaps from
" were lameness brought on by rh'
! matiSm.
a Col. VIM. Austine, the musteri
r and disbuuslng officer of this St
e during the war. is now at Fernal
+. ma, Florida, and lie is in an inf
II state of health.
ii The Times says:-A six years
81. son Of Mr.. Patrick Carly, Of Ess
V. a few days since, turned Il backw
~. s0mersault down the chamber sta
1t. and broke his left arm little ab,
a. the elbow. The force of the fail ,
&c. so great as to drive the bone throl
&c. the muscles and skin, making
Ia trightiul wound.
It.
On The man so badly frozen in II,
ID. ington, of which we gave an acco
to last week, died the following
Sc, day,
Willard Wakefield, of WheelC
has caught 81 foxes since Octo
cn and various minks, coons