The Portland daily press., 1877-03-30
SPBING FREsHETS.
High Water i'm Maize Rivers - A few
Bridges Carried Away, but no Great
Damage.

In6 HeaVy rains OF The past week nave SWOll-
en- the Maine rivers very greatly, but fortunate
~ so far but little damage has resulted.
ON THE ANDRoSCOGGLN
the total rise up to yesterday noon on the
dams at Lewiston had been about three feet. A
heavy jam of ice and logs was pushing down
on to the Grand Trunk railroad bridge, and
when it moved it Jared the bridge very sensi-
bly,, and some of the top and wing masonry
guarding the Auburn abutment was displaced
by the pressure of the great cakes of ice which
were toppled up almost into the branches of the
trees. At last accounts the ice still remained
in the river from the dams at Lewiston to
Boxers Island, mile above the city.
At Lisbon Falls yesterday morning, writes
correspondent at four O'Clock, the water at the
Worumbo mill dam had fallen about foot
since Monday night. This sudden fall was
owing to the ice piling up above the village,
and making kind of an ice dam. At seven
o'clock the water was again rising, and the ice
was crowding down rapidly on both shores.
The ice in front of the village was in solid
mass AT 7.15 the ice began to move at the
point where it began to dam up, so that it COW
cred up all of the large piers in the river. At
7.30 the ice crowded down with such force as to
tear the shed from the end of the Worumbo
Office, ard it was thought that the Office must
60 too. 1t tore through the gate house of the
woollen mill as though it was made of brown
paper. The mill was stopped suddenly by the
ice and logs crowding through the racks and
bulk-head. Immediately the operatives rushed
from the mill to the scene of the fast crowding
ice. ATT. small channel was seen to be cut
through on the Durham shore. Mr.. Plummer,
the agent of the Androscoggin Water Power
Company, said that would be the only chance
of saving the logs on tie Lisbon shore. This
hope was not to be realized. All at once this
small channel was closed up, and the ice began
damming up on the Durham shore with great
rapidity. This crowded the ice and current to
the Lisbon shore, and threw logs, ice, trees,
driftwood, &C., by the ton on the Maine Con-
trail railroad track. The logs that the Andres
coggin Water Power Company had hauled into
the Sabattus stream, about one hundred thou
sand or more, were piled into this ice dam. 1t
was now useless to wish for anything but to see
the whole go out without any more damage.
At 7.40 the whole body Of ice in front of the
village began to move with tremendous force,
carrying piers, logs and everything along as
though they were mere shingles. Everybody
now crowded to the scene of the breaking.
Business was suspended, and men and women
gave themselves up to the grandeur of the hour,
although it was raining quite hard at the time.
The blue ice now began piling up very fast in
the Worumbo mill yard, forcing the ice and
logs into the air more than thirty feet above
the level of the mill yard. 1t was grand
sight. Nothing like this has been seen fol
years. In twenty minutes after the main body
of ice began to move, the river was compare
lively free. The $50 passenger train came in
on full time, bringing large force to clear the
road, which did not delay the train more than
two hours. The damage to the Worumbc
Company cannot be ascertained. The A. W. p
Company's loss is not known-probably about
100000 feet of spruce and cedar logs, together
with large damage to the piers.
A Brunswick dispatch of last night says the
river has risen steadily all day, and was still
rising. A large quantity Of ice came down and
| is lodged at the narrows, two miles below there
Fears are felt for the town bridge between
Brunswick and Topsham, owing to logs coming
down from the Lisbon boom.
A Lewiston dispatch of last night says the
| river is very high. A Jam of ice and logs,
mile above, causes anxiety. If the ice does no
hold, half million logs will 60 out TIL,
bridge over the Little Androscoggin, near Lit
tlefield's, in Auburn, was carried off by an ict
| jam.
At Livermore Falls the river had risen five
feet up to yesterday morning. At Sandy Rive
it was reported falling. At Phillip the ice ha
gone out and no damage is reported. AT Stronl
the ice is blocked in the dam and Ithe residenc
of Mr. f. Colder is surrounded by water 1
small bridge near East Wilton was washe,
away Tuesday night. Pages Mills bridge owe
the Little Androscoggin above Mechanic Fall
was swept away yesterday. The river at tina
point is reported higher than for nine wears
The ice has entirely cleared and no furthe
damage is anticipated at that point
| ON THE KENNEBEC
the ice has jammed at Swan Island near Gard
ner and at last accounts the water was back
ing up and srising fast. The Knickerbocke
Company lost several piers and an elevate
Wednesday night. Weeks elevator is ais
gone. At South Gardiner there are four fec
OF water in the cellars on Water street. A
ice jam at Browns Island just below Hallov
ell caused flood yesterday morning which ft
time was alarming. The cellars on Waite
street were filled, and n the lower part of ii
city streets were overlooked to the depth {
several feet, and many families were obliged
escape to higher ground. Fortunately the jal
gave way early in the morning, and the floo
subsidized as rapidly as it had come.
ON THE PENoBsCoT
at Bangor, between seven and eight o'clot
Tuesday morning, rain began falling, and
intervals during the day 1t came down in to