Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-02-21
hat had been put upon the dam last fall The

| Tic CdPehter sHpps WHICH oVeTHOWeu, ualu-
aging the machinery materially. Some of the
families an the vicinity of the dam found the
underpinning of their houses passing from
under them, and were obliged to leave in the
greatest haste leaving all their goods behind
them. Messrs. Woods, ]. j. Fuller Son,
Hodgkins & Fuller, lost large portion of
their goods. Amid the destruction of prop
erty there was occasionally an amusing scene.
AS the street was nayigated by boats the most
of the live stock was saved from drowning.
Pigs set up terrible squealing as they saved
their bacon from watery grave. Two pigs
suffered martyrdom. Cats were seen swim
ming about in every direction, appalled, and
terrified by the catastrophe. No human life
was lost. We saw several ladies sitting quiet
ly at the second story windows after the water
had nearly covered the windows in the first
story. At one o'clock the water had nearly
covered the lamp posts in the place of which
we are now speaking. At this time the water
ceased to rise, and seemed to remain stationa-
ry all the afternoon.
! All the traders on the east side of Water
|
ing into their cellars so fast that it was almost
impossible to clear them of heavy articles,
such as -four and corn. The sidewalks and
streets were lined during the afternoon with
articles of merchandise that had been luckily
saved although in a badly damaged condition.
rott Bradbury, B. Libby Co., Hamilton
Turner, Clapp & North, Frank Mulliken,
Fri Wills, Fowler, Hamlen & Smith, J. d.
Pierce Son, f. d. Norcross, c. E. Collier,
M. Withheld, Mrs. Hodges, Phinney Barber,
Titcomb & Dorr, S. S. Brooks, Mark G.
Brooks, Sawtelle & Ward, Ballard & Chase,
Stafford Son, and other traders on the street
had goods damaged. No one can tell at the
present writing the exact amount of damage
| to these traders. The loss at Lambard's
foundry is not less than $1,000. The water
backed up the drain into c. X. Partridge's
cellar, damaging his goods. At four o'clock,
large cake of ice struck the coal store house
of Z. ID. Norcross, raising it from its founda-
tions and swinging it half way round. The
building had previously been secured by a
company with the ice. 1t is still held by the
rope, and perhaps it may be saved together
with its contents. All the coal of the dealers
in this city and Hallowell is now under water
At half past four o'clock cake of ice of not
very large dimensions struck against the east
ern span of the railroad bridge carrying it
away. As it came down ii struck the lower
bridge at the east end of the middle pier. 1t
struck with loud crash, and after entering
about twelve feet swung round and sinking
several feet, glided through, tearing off boards,
and Earring the bridge perceptibly. There
was at this time breathless anxiety among
the people, and sense of relief was felt when
the danger had passed and the heroic old
bridge maintained its position, although it
must have been weakened.
The ice jam reached Hallowell at 10 o'clock,
when the water rose with fearful rapidity-
gaining some six feet in fifteen minutes time.
Previously the water had attained a great
height, submerging the portion of Water St.
contiguous to Bodwell & Wilson's granite
yard and Leigh 6 Wingate's coal-yard. Sew
food, had taken the precaution to set about
removing property, and had crews busily en-
gagged at the moment the jam began to ap-
proach the city from point opposite the GEM
etery. But SO suddenly did the immense and
irresistible body of ice approach, that most OF
filed midway to the top of the counters be-
fore it was possible to recover from the shock
created by the catastrophe. Huge masses Of
ice were dashed with prodigious force against
the walls of the buildings that line the shore
of the river, the brick structures trembling as
if by an earthquake, and many wooden ones
giving way, either by being pushed from their
foundations to the street, or by being over
turned or torn in pieces. The building occu-
pied by Bodwell & Wilson, was thrust into the
middle of Water street, and there remains ;
one or two buildings used as store-houses by
Leigh Wingate were torn into fragments;
not far from twenty different buildings, in
Guiding few dwellings, were pushed from
their foundations, some into the street and
some swept partially into the river. The re-
naming spans of the Hallowell and Chelsea
bridge were swept from their piers and car
ried nearly down to the small island opposite
Leigh's wharf.
The great field of ice tore its way to point
opposite the mandatory of the Messrs Full
Ter, at Steam Mill Point, where its progress
became checked, the ice below fully with
standing the immense pressure of the mass
moved against it. As we write this, the river
between Augusta and Steam-mill Point in
Hallowell, is completely choked with ice, ex-
tending from shore to shore, and in some
places the depth of the mass must be to the
bottom of the river.
The loss to citizens in Hallowell must be
considerable. Messrs. Leigh Wingate have
800 barrels of -four submerged at the time we
write; Towle & Nye have been damaged some
$500; Day & Co., probably $1,000; Masters,
Smith & Co., several thousand dollars; in
/ So Mt no ast c;l Of