Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-10-14

little stream, nearly all the larger trou,
above Bellows Falls would return thi.
fall to those ponds in order to find place
in which to deposit their spawn. 1t is ar
instructive trait of brook trout to run ny
small streams in the fall to find place
for spawning bed. The spawning sea
son for trout is fast approaching.
AS we moved slowly up Williams
River, the evidences of destruction con
stantly increased till we reached Bartons
vile. Railroad and highway bridges were
swept off, and with the rubbish of these
were mixed the remains of dwellings and
ruined furniture. But the most conclu
/ sive evidence that the storm had been
destructive, were the acres of sand thai
covered the low lands along the river
from few inches to several feet in thick.
ness. In places, meadows noted for then
| fertility, were completely covered with
sand or gravel, except in places where the
waters had washed off the soil and left
nothing but rocks and the hard pan bot
tom. We had heard that there had been
great wash at Bartonsville, but still we
could not believe that the sand hills there
could furnish all the material required to
cover the acres and acres of verdant river
bottom now hid from view with sand
But we travelled on, and as we approach
ed what once was Bartonsville, we found
no sand upon the river bottom, but in 1T
stead were rocks of all sizes, that the wa
ter had taken down and left there. The
nice meadow on the Barton farm, now
owned by Mr. NJ f. Bart, is ruined Il
looked, when the waters had subsidized.
like an old river bed with its rocks laid
bare.
But how shall l hope TO be- believed
when. I speak of the destruction at
Bartonsville. | will begin by saying that
six families are made houseless by the
terrible flood. and where their dwellings
once stood is low nothing but a river bed
or gorge, twenty-sescn rods wide at it,
narrowest point, with wall of sand OF
gravel on the west, standing as steep as
gravel and sand viii lie, not less than one
hundred feet high.
The four dwellings, the depot, the
railroad and the highway are all gone.
and they went so rapidly that there was
no time to save but very little rom any
of them. Mr.. Wilson and his wife.
whose house first went off, had scarcely
time to escape from the house before it
went down. The first intimation that
there was any danger was the bursting
out of the cellar wall upon the lower side
Of the building. In moment the house
began to settle, and soon il was swallow
ed up by the surging tide Tie people OF
the place worked hard to prevent the
water from breaking over the bark, for
their former experience taught them there
would be danger if the water ran over and
quilting out the banks. On
July 4th, 1851, l think it wn4, they had a
destructive freshet that washed out a
deep rav!ne between the depot and the
village, but bank of earth, faced with
heavy stone wall had been erected to
protect it against "a similar accident
But that bank and the largo stone of
which the wall WAS made, are swept away, |
not fragment of either are in sight, but |
a wide, deep and water-washed gorge
occupies their place. Two paper mills
and mill are, by this turning of the
stream, left on dry land with an empty
river bed ty their side. Those wheels |
will never move again ii that place by |
water power. The present bed of the
river is at least twenty feet below the
lam of the upper pond, and it would cost
thousands of dollars to turn the stream
back into its former channel. 1t probably |
will never be attempted.
For at least half d mile above where the
lepot once stood the rail road track is
either washed out or ''demoralized," by
being thrown upon. the side of the road
1ed.
At one place on Morris lower meadow
he river took turn and ha- washed out
he track and road bed for the. distance of
wenty rods, and quilted our the meadow
Is much as eight or ten rods inland from
where the road once run
As | stood and looked upon the ruined
Dad | could but think OF the great mis-
AXE that was made in locating the road
Up the valley and on the west side Of the
tream, instead OF having it run on the
jhester to Cavendish, by which not only
his and the former catastrophe at
5artonsville would have been avoided, but
he expense and fatal accidents Of the
numerous bridges would have been saved.
even now | think it might be well to
hange the road bed to the east side of the
tream at Bartonsville.
From Bartonsville to this place the
reshet has done much damage. The
highway bridges of this town Chester
re generally swept away Several rail
DAD bridges and culverts are also washed
way or rendered impossible. But the
oss to individuals is much less than that
n Rockingham and Brattleboro.
La most of the instances to which |
ave referred in these towns the loss falls
eavily upon the individuals, for it takes
IL they have and makes them poor. We
10 not know as one of those who have
Uttered would wish to accept of charity,
nut | think donation bestowed upon
hese sufferers would be as appropriate
md as well placed as if added to swell
he fund already raised for the widows
nd and families of the Avondale vic
inns.
From the Trey, N. Y. Times.l
rhe Railroad Accident at HoOsick
Ealls-.A Thrilling Scene.