Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-10-14
More about the FreShet.

the damage TO Mr.. russell EatOns dam or
Bond brook. Had this structure given way,
j. z. Wyman's extensive establishment be-
low would have been utterly destroyed, SC
prodigious was the volume of water. AS il
was Mr.. Wyman's works were much washed,
while every exerton was put for tn by his
crew toward rescuing property from what
seemed an impending deluge. Happily the
damage after all was comparatively slight.
The land slides, gullies and caverns within
the city limits were almost innumerable, and
will necessitate the expenditure of large
sum of money.
AT the corner of Court and Chapel streets
was an occurrence that plunged for season
in sore lamentation the widow and orphans of
the late Mr.. jenkins, for beneath the family
mansion resided hog that was deeply en-
shrined in the affections of the household. 1t
was a hog of weight. Water unhappily in
vaded the premises and, the dwellingto which
| the element has ever been stranger. See
| ing with dismay that Piggy's tenement was
| submerged the family summoned help and
| sought to extricate the victim through the
| parlor floor, which was torn up without re-
| gard to expense, yet all without avail; twas
| loves labor lost. The sorrowing household,
amid tears and imprecations, in imagination
heard
Poor Piggy gently bubble from his sty,
Like choked porker IN its agony.
Search for the body was abandoned and
the market value ofthe deceased decided upon
as the basis of a claim against the city. Hours
glided by, the floods still came, and wonderful
to relate, at dusk Piggy came also-waddling
home with his twisted tail behind him. The
lost was found, the dead was alive again, and
in good order. 1t seems that having never
before seen water, its appearance so astOnish
ed and bewildered his porkship, that with
snort, snout and lunge he broke from his con-
tinement and fed to the hills, without even
squealng ''Good- bye" to those he left behind
him.
1t was greatly feared that the booms in the
river would be swept away by the great rise
of water, but we learn that little no damage
in that direction has occurred The booms
between Augusta and Waterville were doubly
secured and yesterday forenoon considered
entirely out of danger. The rise of water was
remarkably rapid, yet the river was not
swollen to such degree as was anticipated,
showing that the storm was not so heavy in
the region of the lake and upper kennebec.
The rise of water did not affect in the
slightest degree the arrangements of the
Messrs. Sprague at the Kennebec dam.
While that structure was in its former inse
cure condition, its safety would naturally
form the subject of anxious solicitude after so
sudden and violent freshet; but the dam in
its reconstructed state bore up against the i'm
meuse pressure without even trembling. At
the height of the freshet the water was six
feet deep on the dam. There was some cav
ing in of the banking north of the factories,
but material damage resulted. The water
did not reach height sufficient to damage the
property in the mills or machine shops in the
vicinity.
In Hallowell portion of the bank east of
Mr.. George SIMPSONS residence, which has
been so finely terraced the past season, slid
several feet. The break in the road at Brett's
gulley was promptly repaired by Street Com
missioner Arnold, and early yesterday morn
ing travel over it was resumed. Cellars were
ever before.
correspondent writing from Winthrop at
o'clock Thursday, says
"After the awful fire at Chicago we here in
Maine are having tremendous food The
NJ. c. r. r. is nearly all ahoat from Water
vile to Lewiston. Culverts and bridges are
washed away both on railroads and highways
in this town. The freight train came from
Waterville safely, and has returned to Win
throp, where it can neither go ahead nor back.
workmen are all employed extemporizing
bridges, etc. No passenger train either way,
and no mails. So you see we are a little
world by ourselves. The rain still continues
to pour, and such ponderous downfall we
never witnessed. Unless we have a cessation
soon we shall need to reconstruct old Noahs
Ark for safety"
A despatch from Lewiston says that nine
inches of water fell there, but we think this
an exaggeration 1T Augusta the fall was
6.25 inches. At the former place great dam
| age was also done to the streets and the An
droscoggin rose to great height. The tenn
porary bridge between Lewiston and Auburn
had to be swung ashore Thursday morning,
thus suspending travel between the two cities.
| There were extensive wash-outs at Crowley's
and Danville junction. The trains on the
Androscoggin road were all disarranged: On
the Portland & Ogdensburg road there were
three small wash-outs between Cumberland
Mills and Madison Falls, that were soon re-
paired. There was a bad wash-out on the
Grand Trunk, near North Yarmouth, which
delayed the train several hours. The Port
land & Rochester road suffered some from
snail breaks. In New Gloucester and Var
mouth the meadow were overlooked and ap-
peared like large ponds, and in some places
| . ho hpa l,tf bn