Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-04-27
The Flood.

Our excuse for the great dearth of
news in this paper is the late food,
which has not for many years had its
parallel in Vermont. From Tuesday
night till Friday night we have been
entirely destitute of mail from any
quarter. Friday night the cars came
from the south and brought US heavy |
mail, but we have not time to put the
news in type. The water has caused
great destruction all over the country.
We think the Passumpsic railroad has
suffered greater loss than it ever has
before since its completion. Between
here and Newport the water has COW
cred the track in many places, washed
away the dump and sunk the rails for
many rods, but all is now fixed. Tues
day night the train ran only to this
place, leaving the passengers-some
42-at the hotel and the Road paying
the bills. Much damage has been
done to roads and bridges in this
town, and it will probably take $500
to pay the damages here, and we sup
pose that it is pretty much the case
all over the country. Water was high
er here by more than foot, than it
ever had been before. We hear the
same reports of high water from sew
eral of our local correspondents, but
as the facts are known everywhere, we
decline to publish them. A general
announcement will be sufficient.
We take the following from the
CaledOnian, giving statement of the
food in the vicinity of Caledonia
county -
The snow, which up to the present
week had gone off slowly, had a sud
den impetus given it by warm rain
on Tuesday and Wednesday. The
streams came up suddenly to high
water mark. On Wednesday after
noon the Passumpsic was as high at
this place as it has been known to be
for years. The owners of the dam at
the old steam mill near the depot,
dyked about their fume to keep the
river from cutting a channel around
the dam, and were successful. The
culyert under the Fairbanks school
house became clogged up, and the tor
rent which came down the hill cut
around the house, tearing out the high
way and badly undermining the house.
The culvert at the intersection of Cen
trail and West streets was washed out
on Sunday, and there has been no
passing there with teams since. The
highway at the Centre village was
several feet under water on Wednes-
day, and the railroad track made i'm
passable Every valley contained a
brook, and the usually small streams
became rivers of no mean proportions.
On Tuesday night the up train went
no farther than Barton, as there was
so bad wash-outs between that place
and Newport as to prevent further
progress in that direction. On We'd
nesday the up train was stopped near
Wells River by wash out, and dis
patch to Lyndonville for train to
take up passengers and mails failed to
bring relief, as the track in Barnet
was washed away, and no train from
the north could reach Wells River
The night train over the Central road
on Monday night ran into culvert
near Hartland, which the water had
washed out, injuring the engineer, fire
man and conductor, and throwing the
passengers around promiscuously.-
No one was seriously injured.
AS soon as there is communication
with the outside world Except by
water) we expect to hear of serious
disaster by the flood. In the twenty
years that the Passumpsic road has
been completed above Wells River
we do not remember so serious dam
age to the road or such a prolonged
interruption OF travel.
p. S.-Thursday, Il. NJ. The wealth
er is growing colder rapidly, and the
river at this place has fallen eight in
ches, and will now recede rapidly
An engine with freight cars this morn
ing conveyed workmen from Lyndon
vile to the place in Barnet where the
track is damaged. The wash-out il
Newbury is about a mile below Wells
River, and if there is no trouble be
tween that place and the Junction, the
train will start from Newbury dowr
at the usual time to-day. Should tn,
place in Barnet be repaired to-day
passengers and mails may get through
to Lyndonville tonight; though rh
fact that the Connecticut river wa
very high in Massachusetts as earl
as Monday night, leads us to fea
that a most disastrous flood has oc
Cured there, of which people IN thi
section can have but faint concer
ton.