Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-05-13
SPRING FREsHET.
The Kennebec ON aRampaee-Hish Fresh.
et-Breakage Of BOOms-Narroxw EsraPes
Scenes and Incidents along the River

/ et-Breakage Of BO0ms-Narr0w Es-aPes
| Scenes and Incidents along the Hhver
| An extensive freshet has swollen the waters OF
the Kennebec until they have reached greater
height than before attained during spring
freshet since the spring Of 1850 The g. eat ireshet
in October, 1869, beat that, sweeping away
in its devastating track buildings, storehouses,
wharvcs, booms, lumber, logs and other property,
doing considerable damage. After the waters
subsidized wr ecks and ruins produced by the storm
were found strewn along the banks of the kenne-
bee in tie utmost confusion.
The rain for several days past has caused the
large BODY of snow to melt that was still lingering
at the head waters. Ga Wednesday, during the
night there was rise of some five feet and the
water kept continually rising all the forenoon.
From eight TO ten o'clock the water had risen five
inches from ten to twelve three inches, and at
that time had reached about its greatest height.
During the freshet the water rose about ten feet.
The water as it over the dam, was nine feet
in depth, and presented magnificent and moving
| sight, as it tumbled and foamcd over the
structure. AS the water poured an immense vol
| umc over the dam, logs from an up'river boom,
which had broken, tumbled headong over. They
would then lose themselves in the muddy water
below, then rise to the surface for moment,
then again would they be sucked in by the under
tow, and carried back into the eddy next to the
dam, where they would be thrown about promis-
ciously in the boiling cauldron, and shoot out into
the air like some sea monster A large number
of people visited the place to witness the magnih-
cent spectacle. The water was so high it passed
over the apron of the lock, and the mills at the
dam had to shut down temporarily on account of
back water.
| At every eddy or inlet, or place where logs or
drift wood would be likely to enter, there was
found an industrious crew catching drift wood.
The current was swift that the undertaking was
| eminen,y hazardous to life and limb, but it is
wonderful how far into the jaws of death river
dog will venture for the sake Of drift stick worth
! ten cents.
"Sumbuddy'll get drownded afore night" SAID
old fresh water sailor, he shifted his quid Of
| tobacco from one side of his capac ous mouth to
| the other. II know all about working on the
ter; that's been my biz for years; but these boys
| is darned careless, and some Of emil founder in
| afore dark"
| That "iloundering in" arrangement is what
really happened to Mr.. Frank d. Tobey, who is
| employed in Farnham's sash, blind and door fac
tory. He was engaged in happening drift sticks,
| and was standing platform built at the north
| east corner of the machine shop, where a little
eddy formed lie all at once lost his balance and
| fell iato the river. lie graspcd for the frame
| work of the platform but couldn't hold on as the
| logs were running down pell-mell against him.
The rapid current was carrying him down stream,
when Mr.. Frank Farnham held out to him
| moulding strip which he seized, and by the sup
port of this he was drawn ashore, and thus saved
| from his perilous condition He kept right on
| pulling out drilt-wood, however.
| Some twenty cords or more Of wood were taken
out at different places along the river in this city
| No damage of any consequence was done in
this vicinity, though the water came into the cell
lars on the river side of Water street. The wharves
| were Of course submerged, and the water came up
to the caves of the fregh: house of the steamboat
company
The temporary boom above the dam has been
carried away. The logs that were running quite
| freely in the river nearly all day yesterday. came
| from Fairfield and Skowhegan, where the booms
gave way, letting out large quantity of logs be-
| longing to the Coburns, Milliken, Sturgis and
| others. Undoubtedly the most OF Inc runaWays
| brought up in the boom at Browns island.
Dispatches from Bingham state that no damage
is done there, and that the waters began to SUBJ
side shortly after noon, having got to the highest
pitch.
We notice that on the Carrabassett stream and
! Dead river, the Franklin Land & Lumber
Company have not had water enough to float their
last years logs, which they intend to at their
| leased mill 10 his city. We have no doubt this
flood will enable the company to slide down their
| logs on the current.
| At Haowell, our correspondent writes that all
the wharves are submerged several feet, and some
Of the cellars on Water street are troubled with
extra amount of moisture. Pages ice house be-
low the old steamboat wharf is nearly surrounded
| by water. The other houses are out of danger.
| On the Chelsea side Of the river the booms gave
way to the pressure of logs and drift wood, and
| lumber has had a downward tendency. The dam
| age will be tiitlng. Boats lave been circulating
about the river, the occupants being busily en-
| lgcd in securing drift wood.