Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-12-13
THE FRESHET

Early last Monday morning a steady storm
of fine damn SNOW set in hereabouts as else
where in this section Of New England. and
continued throughout the day, until at night
three or four inches had fallen, and the rninds
of business men and farmers were filed with
visions Of sleighing shedding and lively
times generally But during the night the
falling snow turned to rain, and this continu-
ing through the day Tuesday brought about
lively times in earnest, though Of an en-
tirely different kind from those anticipated
on the previous day. During Tuesday after
noon the rain became very heavy, and toward
night MILESTONE brook began TO rise threat
eningly. At 6 O'Clock the water was all con-
fined to the channel of the brook, but within
al hour the Frost meadow had overlooked
and the water had reached well up toward
Flat street From this time on the rise of
the water was very rapid, and before 8 O'Clock
the Flat street houses were all surrounded,
and tremendous and irresistible current
was sweeping down past Browns building
under the Main street bridge, and over the
Valley Mills dam. About this time fears be
gan 10 be entertained for the safety Of Estcys
wooden building, known Of late as the Arm
ory," which stood close by the bridge, and
these fears were largely increased by the fact
that fog and warm South wind had set il
which cut of the snow with remarkable ra-
pidity and added every moment 70 the vol
ume Of water in the brook. The Battery
guns were removed from the basement. the
other Battery appliances were also taken out,
and soon after the Estey Guard removed their
guns uniforms. etc, TO the Brattleboro
House. and began the removal Of their camp
equipage. Fisk's fish market and Steyenson's
shoe repair shop being meantime cleared out.
little past 9 o'clock Stearns's silk dye-house,
a small building standing in the rear Of Es-
tey's building. became undermined and fell,
and soon after, at about 9:25 the Estey build
ing, after one or two premonitory thuds, top
Piled and fell in an instant shapeless mass,
the ruins inclining toward the street and
portion Of them resting on the corner of the
bridge. tearing away the railing on that side
as they struck Fortunately the danger in
which the building stood was realized, and
sufficient warning given 80 that no person
was inside when it fell The only property
of value left in the building was the Estey
Guard mattresses.
Meantime the water had steadily risen il
Flat street until it nearly or quite reached
the first floor in J. W. Simondss house. the
cellar Of Rays stable was flooded, the plat
form Of the hay scales was covered, and a
strong current ran down to the brook between
the scales and the corner Of Marshall d Ester
brookss block Although no danger to his
building was apprehended. Mr. Ray removed
his horses to a place Of safety in the rear Of
the Brooks House Earlier il the evening
the house occupied by Mr.. Fay and Mrs
Choate was vacated by its occupants, Mr. Fay
alone remaining there. Sometime after 9
O'Clock the concrete sidewalk leading TO the
railway station became undermined near the
Valley Mills and q hole was quilted out up 10
the edge Of the road bed. but not enough.
fortunately, to interfere with travel on that
street The water at the same time under
mined the Valley Mills fiume and tins was
broken and rendered useless until rebuilt
Serious fears were OF course entertained for
the safety of the Main street bridge and there
was every now and then al ominous bump
ing as the food wood or other debris struck
the trusses underneath. but 10 the great re-
lief Of everybody, the structure did not move,
and now remains entirely uuinjured, with the
exception Of the carrying away Of the side
rail above referred TO. The water reached its
greatest height at ABOUT the time the Estey
building fell, and from that time fell as rap
idly as il had risen. A magnificent spectacle
was presented during the evening by the wa
tens Of the brook as they rushed under the
railroad arch bridge and flowed into and
straight across the Connecticut cleaving the
waters Of the river with resistless force.
The water il the West and Conn ecticut
rivers rose very rapidly during Tuesday even
ing and night Their highest point was
reached about O'Clock Wednesday morning
On the asylum meadows the water was high
er than for at least % years.
THE DAMAGE OUTSIDE OF THE VILLAGE.
Daylight on Wednesday morning revealed
the fact that great damage had been done
throughout the town TO highways and bridges
and private property. Beginning at Samuel
sargeants farm, above the West village, it
was found that his meadows had been cover
en- with sand and debris. his cellar filed with
water, his house and barn surrounded, his
corn crib turned over, and at one time his
cattle were standing to their knees in water
in the barn. The damage 10 his farm and
buildings Ii not less than $500 to $1,000. Be
yond Mr.. Sargeants every bridge Is gone as
| far as Orange Higley's il Marlboro, and in
several places there are very bad washouts,
the brook being in some places turned from
its channel into the road
On the Wicopee hill road the road bed if
all carried away for some distance beyond
! Whittaker's saw mill, there is another bad
washout near E. p Millers, and still anoth-
er west of that point on the same road The
Halliday road, which was built some eight
years ago is almost entirely annihilated -
| there being little left which looks like a road
Beginning again at West Brattleboro, the
road between Saml Sargeants and the vii,
| lage was washed so as to be impossible. The
abutment at the west end Of the bridge neal
| the Glen House was badly damaged although
the bridge was left standing. channel was
! cut around Fishers dam into L. T. Stove,
| land. John Henkels road was destroyed, hi,
grounds badly washed and the canal leading
TO his shop much injured. Curtiss dam wa
badly damaged, but the bridges near his shoI
are all right, except that no water runs undei
them, a new channel having been cut be
| tween the bridges. The grounds of j. ID.
! Ames and others were considerably injured.
| Proceeding down the brook the bridg,
leading to o. L. Miners was carried away
the grist mill iume at Centrevile was carried
away, the dam injured, and the south end o
the furniture factory dam was carried away
The bridge near Emery Woods was CARRIE
away, and the road below washed out Tor
distance of 30 OF 40 rods. The bridge ives
Of Estey's (Lamson's) saw mill had part o
one abutment carried away, and the bridg
east of the mill had its abutments washed