Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-10-14
Flood at Midddlebury and Vicinity.


effects through our State, was very severe
ly felt in the eastern portion of Addison
County, comprising the towns of Lincoln,
Bristol, New Haven, Middlebury and
Ripton. In Lincoln, grist mill, owned
by Messrs. Thayer, stave factory, four
bridges and four mill dams were swept
off, while the waters rushed on with in
creasing volume and power to Bristol,
where the saw mill, two bridges, two
mill dams and the large Touring mill
owned by Mr.. d. Stewart, were all, in a
short time, the prey and sport of the rush
ing, roaring mass of water, which dashed
them in pieces as play things. la the
Touring mill were fifteen hundred bushels
of grain, chiefly corn, which was lost in
the food. Coming down the stream, the
corn fields on Bristol fats were swept
clean of corn, standing in the "stooks,
with thousands Of pumpkins At New
Haven East Mills, the cheese factory was
cleared of its machinery and cheese, the
owners expecting it would have to sue
cnmb to the mighty element But hap
PLY the factory stood until the danger
subsidized. Following down the stream.
it swept through the fields Of Mr.. f.
Nash, II. o. Clifford, VIM. L. Marsh, g.
Borge, VIM. Tits, to Brooksville, carry
ing off acres Of corn standing ready for
the barn, with pumpkins by the thousand.
Thus it swept through the valley, until
gled It's waters with, Otter Creek. Lum-
Der, logs, trees, stumps and all manner Of
drift wood, were hurled right and lctt
over the fields. No lives were lost g., 80.
have learned. Next in Riptou, whrrc the
storm was severely felt, ten bridge wgr.
swept Of, with some eight mill dam A.
'fRjpton Hollow" "A barn owned by 5Ir
n Lewis was moved down stream, com
tanning good wagon, harnesses, &c,
while his house was undermined and but
juet saved
The gri.t milf in Ripton was shattered,
and, indeed, about ruined The st;usl,
mill Of Mr. f. Matteson WAS cleared If a.
machinery and saved in ii dilapilAtcd
condition. Hundreds of logs were car
rirA down the river to East Middlrbury.
whore sad havoc was made. a portion
u the flame Of the peg factory, above the
Forge, WIS swept out, and a portion Of
two dams torn away On came the rush
ing torrent, until it reached the wall, put
up by tho town nineteen years ago, to
protect the east village from further
fre-hets that might follow the severe one
experienced in 1850. This wall / have
spoken of was some $50 feet long, very
heavy, made from large boulders, well
laid up. But the logs rushing down soon
loosened the stones in the vital part, when
suddenly nearly $50 feet gave way, and
a bridge resting one end on il was dashed
down stream. A man and woman stand
ing on the bridge, felt it trembling, and
rushed for the store, and just escaped be-
ing overwhelmed in the boiling food. AT
this point, the waters were mainly direct
ed from their natural channel, and struck
for the main travelled road, which it took,
and for nearly a mile, plowed through
from one to three feet deep, leaving the
bed of the road like the original bed of
the river, and rendering it utterly impas-
sable for travel. Such a scene Of desola-
tion have not witnessed for many years
Through the heart of this furnishing viii
lage the maddening waters seemed to
spend their fury in spreading desolation
and ruin. Logs, lumber, barns, trees,
crops, all rushed furiously by, and were
lodged on the meadows below. Meadows
were ruined in being out through by the
flood. The bridge near the Town House
is gone. Several farm0s have lost num-
bers of their sheep, the water rising SO
rapidly as not to afford time to save them.
The damage to Ripton is estimated at
$4,000, and East Middlebury $4,000. It
was fortunate that the destruction was in
the day time had it beer the darkness
of the night lives would probably have
been lost. Otter Greek, at our village,
rose, in very short time, over four feet
The stream in Ripton rose about ten feet
in very few hours, and in twenty-four
hours had gone down to nearly its usual
height. Trout were carried from Ripton
to the meadows at East Middlebury, and
found dead.
Tho remains of Mi@ Parma Fitch,
who died at the residence Of her sister at
Plattsburgh, n. T., last Monday, were
brought to this place, the 9th inst, for in
tsrment. Miss r. has for very many
years resided in Hiddlebury; indeed /
think she was born here. For many years
shs hes besn IN acceptable and sctive
mSnbse Of ths n OhusA in this VII
lac, ana has sndearsd herself TO chris.
tians By hsr dsvoisd christian hfs. Hsr