The Portland daily press., 1875-04-05
THE FLOODS.
Considerable Damage i'm New York
NEW ENGLAND RIVERS RISING.
Serious Apprehensions of Destructive
FreshetS.

GARDINER, April 4.-Rain began to fall here
at ten o'clock Friday evening and has contin-
ued with little intermission up to this hour-7
p. m. The Copbossee and Togus streams are
much swollen and there are fears of a freshet.
MANCHESTER, N. f., April A heavy
northeast rain storm commenced at five O. clock
this morning and it has continued raining
steadily all day. The river was six feet above
high water mark at six p. M, and had risen
over a foot within twelve hours. There are
three feet of water running over the dam at
AmosKeag Falls, and the ice for quarter OF a
mile above went out this afternoon, causing
blockade between the Central railroad and
the granite bridges. No serious trouble is an
ticipated until the ice moves between Amos
keag and Hooksett, ditance of about seven
miles, which is not liable to occur for day or
1t is probable that the Print mill works and
the lower mills on the Amoskeag will have to
shut down to morrow on account of back
water.
CONCORD, N. H. April 4-The warm weather
of the past few days caused a considerable rise
in the Merrimack, and the heavy rain which
has been falling since early morning has mace
it much more rapid. Between the hours OF
a. M, and 2p. M. to-day the water rose over
two feet, and the immense body of ice still re-
mains firm upon its surface, although COM
pletely detached from the banks. AT the piers
OF the Tree OfluSe, IN UHe CeuUre VI Tile CITY, tuo
ice clings firmly, being about a foot and a half
in thickness towards the edges and increasing
toward the mid lie of the stream. The water is
now rising at the rate of three or tour inches an
hour and as the rain is still fall heavily great
apprehensions are entertained about the sud-
den start of the ice fields. The principal dan
ger seems to be to the highway bridges, four in
number, in this city, land five in Hooksett, eight
miles below, four of which are railway bridges.
1t is possible that the ice may hold sufficiently
long to be worn down so that it may pass with
out any damage, bat if the river continues rs.
ing it must pass down in its present thick and
solid folm. The storm does net extend as far
north as White river yet, but it has rained
some at Canaan.
The Nasha river has risen about four feet
since yesterday, and there are apprehensions OF
damage to bridges and property. The ice is
breaking up and the city employees have been
at work during the day blasting heavy sheets
to prevent a jam against the Main street
bridge that might result dsastrously. The
Me rrimack has risen between two and three
feet, but the ice has not broken. Fears are ex
pressed for the safety of the bridges at this
point.
LOWELL, Mass April 1.-The Merrinac river
has risen greatly within few hours and is still
rising. The water pours over the Pawtucke
Falls with tremendous violence. 1t was about
visited it during the day. The ice is broker
only few rods above the falls. 1t seems as
though vast fields higher up must give way
during tonight or Tomorrow.
| LAWRENCE, April AT ten o'clock to-
night the gauges show forty feet of water above
the dam and sixten feet below within the las
| twenty four hours. Tn IS the highest wate
since the great freshet of 1869, and the river il
still rising at the rate of about an inch an hour
The water is seven feet deep as it is now flow
| ing over the top of the dam. No break of the
ice has yet OCCURRED except small held on the
l.. H. -, htnh RI nyuT
| about six o'clock carrying away hundred fee
| of the flash boards of the dam. The experience
| of previous freshets show that the rise will
| probably continue all day tomorrow, and il
| may reach an unprecedented height The mills
will be troubled tomorrow with backwater anC
must depend largely on their energies. The
| Spicket river, which enters the Merrimac JUS
| below the city, is swollen to a torrent, and al
| Wilder's paper mills eight workmen are busy
| removing the paper pulp from the drainage vats
| sion now is as to what may happen when the
general break of the ice occurs in the Merri
mac river
NEW YORK, April "A destructive freshe
occurred at Waikiki river, yesterday, sweeping
| away the ice, which in its passage down thu
| river destroyed all the bridges between Pellett'
Island and Montgomery, four in number, with
| in distance of twenty miles. The Montgom
| cry and Maiden bridges are yet in danger
| Those already gone cannot be replaced short OF
| 100000. The ice gorge in Rondout creek gave
way Saturday, carrying number of disable(
| vessels to the mouth of the creek, where i
gorge1 again. The damage was not heavy
One coal barge was sunk. The ice moved
| out into the Hudson river. The ice gorge IL
| the Hudson at Castleton delayed all the trains.
| Workmen are removing the ice. At the block
ace point The water is ten to twenty feet over
| the track of the Hudson River road. The
| high water in the Delaware washed away a
| Port Jervis the ice back Of the breakwater a
| Sawmil Rift bridge this morning. A small
| portion Of the trestle word of the bridge wa
| swept away. Travel was suspended fourteen
| hours but is now resumed. The river ha
| fallen two feet.
ALBANY, April 4.-The ice gorge below thi
| city gave way this p. m. The floods at once
suhsiassd d. 5aFff ate dice m6fe Tree to pedes
trians, but the docks are still submerged. Thu
ice in the Mohawk passed down Saturday.