St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-04-07

behind. The water rushed down the
ravine in Il solid ma>> twenty feet high.
flirting and rushing at til" same time.
and the roar WAS terrible.
The first building to fall was the
stone gate-hou>c. SolIdil built. 1t re-
sisted the torrent toI Il moment. hut
only for Il moment. cruIuhlin% To pieces
SO completely that not one Nc>tlgc ot II
remains. On swept the flood through
the Iavinc. only 100 tcet wide. and with
almost 100 feet descent III the first mile.
On one side were pine woods. whose
largest trees We're uprooted IN Il twink
ling and borne on with the flood. or
couIse everything in the raNiuc was
swept away. and the earth WAS 81 gull
lied out Us to leave its sides III some
places almost pcrpendicular. The next
building to fall WAS a large barn which
rode, the waters for some distance like
Il boat before il tnttcred and fell i'll
ruins Then the waters surgcd broad
side against the house OF George W
Olney. one of the finest IN the village of
Cherry Valley. and carried away the
front aud rear walls. the end still sup
porting the roof, while the waters ~
feet deep. poured beneath. Opposite
WAS taken up bodily, twisted like Il top
and finally sunk. Three OF four other
small dwelling houses were taken up
and borne along until they crashed to-
grther and sank ont oi sight.
EncounteIing now Kettle brook. the
flood WAS turned toward GAINESVILLE,
Lcc>N lille, Stoncville and New Norccs-
ter. while its volume WAS considerably
Increased by the contents of. y. Smith
\ Cos. and the Bottnmly mill ponds.
whose dams, although strongly built.
were swept away as though they had
been 50 much paper. Smith \ Cos
wool,m mill, Il brick structure. and tin,
Bottomly mill, IL wooden building. were
fairly pulvcrized, although the latter
was itself first made an instrument OF
destruction. 1t was picked up and
carried whirling with the torrent until
it struck with frightiul force the l. OF
the Ashworth * Jones mill. which was
Instantly demolished. while the Bottom
" mill could not have been more thor
oughlv annihilatcd 10y nitro glycerine.
One end of the Ashworlh \ Jones mill
IA fine tour-StcrN structure. the best
Oh the stream WAS knocked out. with
the boiler house, whose boiler. quccrly
enough, exploded after ii had started
down stream. The dam at Hunts mill
was the next to fall. but all the mil
buildings, owing GA fortunate location
were saved. just as John knccland ot
JnncsN lille, WAS driving acIoSS il small
bridge on the Ruckdalr road, it Wa,
lifted 10y the flood kueclaud manage,
to paddle out, but his horse wa.
drowned.
After carrying away the dam "a
Stoucvillc. the flood rushed through {;
narrow valley. and poured with Il Iu>l
and roar which could he heard for {;
mile. down upon the little village, Z"
Jamc>Nillc. where it came plumpl\
;Ig.lt Il the Boston \ Albany railroad
cutting through the solid cmhInkmrnt
a> if il we've but SNOW. carry iug away
the "ulbuilling>. but >uryiny around
and leaving the passenger and freight
dcp"tS. The railroad for some 100 feet
was anmiIilatcd and Il Vacancy - icrl
deep left in its place. At the same
time Il branch of the torrent of Great
volume tore along the road bed passing
both sides of the depot and playing
Titanic tricks with the track for Il mile.
buIroWing into the earth just hctur,
rcHchiu" the stone bridge at CuIti>'>
pond and opening Il gulch about ~ feet
long and more than half a> deep. and
then entering the pond. The track OF
the branch railroad was laid entire mp
ON the main track. The grade at this
place heiu" heavy the effect of the flood
was especially forrihlc and the repairs
will be very tedious and expensive.
At IccSvillc. about two hours after
the break, the flood came and swept oil
the dam and satinct mill of Albert Cu
Weld about nine o'clock. The escaping
water WAS held back 10y the cmhanl>
mrnI of the Boston and Albany railroad
and Webster square WIS inundated.
New Worcester seemed tatcd. tn,
gap IN the Curtis pond dam grew larger
The brick shop of Curtis y Martin was
undermined. ami pam of II fell into the
Scrthing flood. Then the Arcade build
ing topped and turned over. At Il lit
tie before ten IL huge section of the en-
hankmrnt of the Boston and ALBANY
railIoad. and with it part al the double
mchcd bridge. gave way. The mass "t
waters rushed through and New W"r-
ccstcr WAS saved. The torrent ha>truco
on To South Worcester. ONrIW hclmins
in lis rourSc the Wick~ manufacturing
companl'S establishment. and finally
dispersed itself over the mumcIouI,
meadows. tlnoding but not dcStroN ing
all the southern section of the city.