The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-05-18
The Ereshet in Maine:

The water III the henneDeC river Is
higher than at any other time since 1860
The water covers all the wharves at Ban
gor Some anxiety is felt for lumber
placed on the wharfs for shipment. The
knick erbocker Ice Cos ice loading slips
at lIallowell and Chelsea were carried
away by logs, which came down in large
numbers from broken boom at Fairfield.
The loss to the company will exceed $500
Skowhegan reports the water falling The
water in the Kenn ebec river Friday was
higher at Augusta than it has been before
for several years. The only damage done
is the invasion of some of the cellars on
Water street The river is full Of logs by
the giving way of the booms above. Water
subsidng
The Androscoggin river was higher at
Gorhain n H., than for thirty years, and
was still rising Friday Main street W est
OF the Congregational church was two
feet under water
Thursday there was a bad washout on
the Grand Trunk road at Starkwa ter sta
ton owing to sudden rise of the Amont-
sic river, and the noon train from Port
land was obliged TO tranship it's passen-
gers. Another washout was encountered a
little farther west also owing to the rise
in the river.
The Journal says that the temporary
boom above the dam at Augusta has been
carried away. The logs that were run
ming quite freely in the river nearly all
day Friday, came from Fairfield and
SkoWhegan, where the booms gave way,
letting oct a large quantity of logs be-
longing to the Coburns, MilIiken, Sturgis
and others. Undoubtedly the most Of the
runaways brought up in the boom at
Browns island.
On the Carrabasset stream and Dead
river, the Franklin Land & Lumber, Com
pany have not had water enough to float
their last years logs, which they intend
to saw at their leased mill in Augusta
This flood will enable the company to
slide down their logs on the current
At Hallowell all the wharves are sub
merged several feet, and some of the eel
lars on Water street are troubled with an
extra amount ofmoisture, Pages ice house
below the old steamboat wharf is nearly
surrounded by water. The houses are
out of danger.
On the Chelsea side of the river the
booms gave way to the pressure of logs
and driitwood, and lumber has had a
OoN INV olQ tSHNCHNt L III Will
be trifiing. Boats have been circulating
about the river, the occupants being bust
ly engaged i'll securing drift wood.
At Orono, the rising of the Penobscot
has done considerable damage. At break
of day Sunday, it was discovered that
about forty feet Of the lower dam across
the Saltwater adjoining the mill OF Gilman
Webster Il Co., known as the Union
Mills" had been carried out during the
night, and that owing to the nature of the
bottom OF the river. the rushing water
would be likely to work great injury to
the mill itself if it did not carry away a
portion of it. In addition to the same,
large piles OF edgings in the river below
the mills and used as piling places for
wood and lumber were also carried away.
All day Sunday the undermining of the
foundations OF the mill upon its lower side
next the Penobscot was going on. A por-
ton of the mill settled down some feet
aud the general opinion was that some of
it would be washed away as the old six
saw block had been before it. The gang
and all the movable fixtures in that part
OF the mill. and large quantities of boards
and short lumber in the dry houses near
by, were removed during the day to a
place of safety. The upper dam, or Bah
cock dam, as it is better known, perhaps,
was also found to be in danger from be-
ing undermined between the Steam Mill
and the Shovel Handle Factory, at the
head Of the log sluices which supply the
mills of Messrs. Webster IL Buf1'um.
strong crew was put at work upon
temporary dam without delay, and in a
short time the danger at this place was
averted The wearing away process still
continued at the lower dam during the
night and Monday NOR ming the pier upon
which the ferry house OF Mathew Oliver
was built near the Union Mills, was car
ried away with the house. This let the
cable wire which crosses the Penobscot at
this place and by means of which the fer
~ boats used to cross the river, down into
the water, and during the afternoon it
broke upon the Bradley side and was car
red down out Of sight. Enough damage
has been done already to cost many hum
dred dollars for repairs, besides throwing
out of employment nearly one hundred
men for several weeks.