The New York herald., 1870-02-21
FREsHET IN MAINE.
Grent Rise In tho Kennobec-Ice Gorgcs-
Oostructien Of Mills and Bridgcs-Lnjury
to ths Portland Railroad.

Grent Rise In tho konnoboc-Ico G0rgos-
Oestructien OF Mills and Bridgcs-Lnjury
TO the Portland Railroad.
SKownEGAN, Feb. 40, 1870
The heavy rain OF Friday night raised the water
In the Kennebec and its tributaries TO an unprece-
dented height for this season OF the year. The
present ice freshet Is without parallel In this
ton. From the Upper Kennebec every arrival
brings intelligence OF damages. The telegraph lines
horth are down ana we cannot get anything certain
from above Solon where damage to o considerable
extent was done to mills and dams the Fall Brook.
The briuges at Madison and Noridgwock
across the Kennebec have been swept away by the
y was, In many places four or five feet thick and
TINS is completely out from Anson to Augusta if not
done at this point The ice jammed below Somerset
Mlls Saturday night causing 1t TO be piled up 10
nuge g masses. The loss la Somerset and at Kendall
About noon on Saturday the water undermined
. culvert on the Portland and Kennebec Rail.
aye could be arrested pit fifty feet long and thirty
ieet zee deep was washed out. crew OF iorty men be-
tendent Noyes. OF the Name Central worked ali night
80 that the Skowhegan trains arrived mere this
moroing, More than one thousand sleepsrs and
otner tmDers were used 10 MI uD the break. Tue
river seemed 10 be one vast foe or broken ice,
mingled with timber Here ana there it jammed,
ana the Ice piled upon the shores like sea wall,
crushing fences ana leaving huge boulders o ice
upon adjacent lands. The damage up the Sandy
IcI aHu tnS C8rraDaBS6L must De very great. IL ID
probable the bridges over the rivers have been
swept away. II the fresher Is followed by warm
spell the damage to the numbering interests bo
very great The losses OF the bridges At Madison
and Nordgew0ck will be seriously felt by the public
The water at Norldgewock was ave feet higher than
In October, caused by jam OF tho ice A sick
woman on tho south side was taken from house
this morning on . raft
Moving Of sho Ice at Augusta-DRmage in
stores by the Sudden Rise-Ths storm nc
HnI1
where.
AUGUSTA, Fe b. 20, 1870.
The most destructive freshet ever known on the
kennebec river took place to-day Early Friday
morning severe rain storm commenced here and
lasted until Saturday noon. A large body or snow
was on the ground which was almost carried on,
and tins, added to the great amount OF water which
fell, has created tremendous freshct in
the Kennebec river. This morning the Ice gave way
here and passed to Hallowell where ir stopped and
formed an immense Ice DAM The water rose rapidly
here to the height OF twenty Ave feet above low
water mark. The ice soon gave way above the dam
and came down with tremendous force carrying
away the bridge 500 feet long OF the Portland and
Kennebec Railroad, at this place. The city bridge
spans the river just below the railroad BRIDGE but
this stands at the present tne though Is unsafe
for travel.
At watervile about nrty feet OF railroad was
washed away,
At vassalporo the railroad bridges over Seven
Mile brook and another small stream were crushed
by the.ice.
In this city the damage cannot be estimated.
The water rose 30 rapidly that goods in
the Easements OF stores on the east side
OF Water street could not be removed,
and an immense amount OF property OF all kinds
was destroyed. The slte OF the A. 4 w. Sprague
Manufacturing C0mpanyS new mill Is entirely over
flowed, as also the first aud second stories OF tho
old mill, which had just been filed with new ma.
chlnery. They estimate their damage at SIC, 900.
LamDerts large iron foundry, on the east side OF
the river, is submerged, which Will occasion great
damage. The mills ana dam on Bonds brook are
made.
AT Hallowell nearly the whole business portion OF
water il SIX 1eet deep on the ground noor Many
merchants moved their goods away IN boats but the
larger part were destroyed. Some 100 or 200 dwell
ngs IN the lower part Of the city were noated from
lies are rendered houseless. Several new icehouses
which have lately been erected and partly flled
have been carried away. All the Ice In the river
for more than fifty miles above IL here packed In
one solid mass, forming an immense Ice dam.
At Gardiner the Ice Is still nrm. The water has
ssn aa a. TS to wna has
the great Ice DAM the greater part Of the city around
the depot Ii overnowed, and considerable damage TO
the lumber stored there has been done. Should the
ICE give way at Hallowei It would sweep all before
II, and the destruction OF property here would be
great IL Is estimated that the damage to the Port
land and KenneDec Railroad Is $15O,0O0. Arrange.
meutS have already been made to rebuild the bridge
Immediately. Great excitement has prevailed here
oil day and crowds Of people gathered the streets
and banks OF the river to witness tine grand spectacle
Later reports from up tho river state that large
jam OF ice Is anoat, and great fears entertained
for the safety OF the city bridge here The water Stu
holds up to its highest point.