Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-10-12
rleans Independent Standard
Barton, Tuesday, Oct. IL, 1869.
The Great Flood,


The damage caused by the almost inces-
sant rains of Sunday, Monday and Tues
dav. was the worst ever experienced in Ell
ther Vermont or New Hampshire; beyond
this district we have not yet heard. The
recollection of the Oldest inhabitant can
revert to nothing like it. In wholesale de-
struction Of railroads, bridges, &c, it ex-
ceeded all It's predecessors. Travel by cars
the past week has been almost totally sus-
pended. We had no mail from the south
from Saturday night to the following FRI
dav night when we received the st. Johns
bury and Lyndon papers, containing from
two 10 five columns each of accounts OF
the flood, and also the Boston Journal of
Monday, which being printed before the
flood. said nothing of it. We have heard
of no great destruction in this county, and
we are inclined to think our people have |
been more highly favored than those fur
Their south Of us, though we have not es-
capped. Much damage was done at North
Troy. but what it was and what the amount |
we cannot learn. There were two wash
outs on the railroad between North Derby |
and Newport-one Of fifty feet and ten |
deep, and one of % feet and the same
depth. Between this village and the Land |
ing there was a washout Of 500 feet, the |
track being carried away into the fields
The road is injured in sections its entire
length, and the cost Of repairs, including
its bridges, are estimated at $4,000. We
hear flying rumors that Montpelier is a To-
ser by 100000; that the village was all
afoat; that the horses from the stables of
hotel had to be removed to the hills for
safety. Reports from South Hardwick are
Of the worst kind, but very indefinite
Craftsbury loses all her bridges with one or
two exceptions. Glover is not very badly
used save in one school district, while Bar
ton is extremely well used, Crystal Lake"
absorbing much of the falling waters and
proving our salvation. Morrisville is again
in affection; the bridges all being carried
away, among them the new one across La
noble river at that place; it is but five or
ak weeks since Lamoille county had a
food on its own account, when great de-
struction was experienced, and now she has
repetition Of it. In Sutton the highways
and bridges are damaged not a little, most
of the bridges in town being carried away
1t will cost from $500 to $1,000 to repair
them. Ithas damaged private property to
no small extent; among the heaviest To-
sers are Mr.. Aaron Gray, James b. Knox,
Hon. j. p Ingalls,, Hosea Garfield, James
Gray and J. b. Whitney. The main street
in Wheelock is washed out to the depth of
four or five feet. Stephen Cree's new shop
was damaged about 5000, and Horace Bra
ley's grist mill $1,000.
We take the following accounts from the
Lyndon Union, the st. Johnsbury Times
and the Caledonian.
LYNDON.
On the Passumpsic, the two open rail-
road bridges and the Cahoon covered
bridge, all close together, were swept away,
and the bridge at Eldad Roots in Egypt
80 bridges in Lyndon have gone-27 pub
lie, 10 private and . railroad bridges. The
damage 10 the road has been considerable
though triAing compared to the destruction
of bridges. Fences, pumpkins, logs, drift
wood, &c, are scattered over the meadows
in promiscuous confusion
At Halls mills the water broke over the
railroad track little below the line of Ca
hoon's door yard, and cut out river chan.
mel four feet deep and 20 rods long, along
the highway and railroad, connecting with
the regular channel just below the mill
A freight train loaded with wood was stand.
ing on Halls side track, just opposite the
house Of Mr.. Chase and Mr.. Russell. As
the track washed away this train fell partly
over and broke the current, otherwise both
of these houses would have been undermin
ed. As it is, the channel cut is but few
feet from their doors. B. F. Lincoln. who
has once before had to take the attic in hi:
new house, was this time driven completely
out Last spring the water filled his cellar
and came up just to the stills of the house
1t was not a suppOsabe case that it coulC
reach any higher than the highest, anC
consequently but portion of the furni
ture was moved out of the first story, unit
the water came bubbling up through the
floor, when there was a rapid moving O
articles from first to second story. 1t wa.
too late however, to take up the carpets
which remained through the food far be-
low the surface. The water came up nearly
to the top of the lower sash in the first sto
ry. Mr.. Lincoln's barn, with his year.
supply of hay, was taken from its founda
ton, carried quarter ola mile below, anC
deposited on the Bennett meadow. TIL,
road in frpY e NJ, -,
badly cut out. Most of the dump at tn,
end of the new bridge leading to Lyndon
VILE Is gone, and a part of the new dunn
south of Lyndonville is non est. B. +
Lincoln ~ Co. are heavy losers in lumber
They had at their mill and in the rive
above nearly 100000 feet of LOGS. TIL,
boom gave way, and let everything dowr
stream. But this loss probably saved then
a greater, as the mill and the compan,
houses would PROFESSIONALLY have beer
carried away if the boom had stood. A
Lyndonville Henry Hubbards new hous,
was underpinned and settled two or thre,
feet. Joseph Morrison's barn was also tip
ped part way over, and his family wer
driven out of the first story of the house
Palmer's blacksmith shop at the Corne
was damaged considerably and the carriag,
shop OF Mr.. Hoyt came near going off Tn,
stream cut under one corner and foweC
with full force through the planning room
carrying off machinery, betting, &c.
something stronger than the word "fresh
ct is necessary to distinguish the charac
ter OF the recentinundation We have hat
high water, overflow, freshet or whateve
you may call it, every year, but we neve
before last Monday, had a touch of wha
Noah experienced in his day. The rail-
commenced to fall in earnest early Sunda,
morning, and continued unabated unit
Monday night. Monday morning the brook
were overlooking and by noon the streau
which flows through this village had 90
above high water mark, and reached il
highest point about shutdown. The Pas
sumpsic overfowedits banks Monday morn
ing, but did not reach its highest rise til
about 10 o'clock Monday night. at whic
time the smaller streams had gone dow
considerably. 1t was not till Monday moo
that any alarm for the safety of propert
was experienced, and even then the Pas
sumpslc threatened nothing more tina
usual In times of high water. But tn
smaller streams, at that hour, were highe
than they had ever been known before an
were sun rising Last spring the Passumr
SIC came up two or three feet higher tina
IL mad been known in twenty years. br
last Monday it improved four feet on il
highest mark. Last spring the water iu
touched the corner of General Chase's barr
some ten feet higher than the usual su
lace OF the river. On Monday last, ii
high water was four feet above the sill
In the highway the water has seldom s.
back more than half way from the Cha
bridge TO the Bucklin corner, but on Mo-
day the road was covered from the brid,
To John Rlv's hnnsn and pl,r,. L.,.., 49,.