The sun., 1885-08-16
TIE PEMlGEWASSET FLOOD.
A BROOK Suddenly TDRHRD INTO a
FARM -DROWNIN1 1ORKENE

| Urp-.cedeut.d T;~,ns A~"ns the New Un~p-
shire Moantsi,s -. Ts~rsiav Night Cssse
% lies, rue I've Flood - Crops De.t~oyed.
PLYMOUTH. N. H., Aug. l5.-From the top
Of Mount Prospect. n sky. .prickinR peak. n few
miles from here. twenty or more granite giants
can be seen lifting thsir heads above all kinds
OF trees and reacfing far no toward the Iins of
everlasting frost. These hills and mountRihs
make excellent watersheds. In fair weather
they smile aud frown maJestically. but when
heavy rainfall occurs the mountain sides areso
stsep that there Is no chance Tor pools and in
land lakes to form. and tho floods come pour
ing down from thousands Of different sources.
making the crags thunder and below ms the
| water goes roaming to the river. Excepting
when the spring freshrts occur thsre
have not been many foods In this vcin-
ity OF late. and the farmers hoped there
would no no more. Relying on this hope. they
have ploughed nnd sowed and planted the rich
low lands for several years. This season there
was a larger area OF oats. corn. and potatoes
pnntcd than usual. and until last Thursday
these crops looked so well the farmers thought
they would raise more than tho summer visit
ors could eat In spite OF the increase in tra vel
Early Thursday morning great leadsn masses
OF clouds begnn to drift In from the south. and
clung to the hills as II reluctant to go further.
At 10 o'clock they had jnmmed themselves
between the hills. levrlling of the coun-
try. by noon 1t sprlnkled an hour later
1t rained. AMI at sunset 1t poured as
4 all tho gates OF heaven Ind been opened:
Wind and rain. thunder and lightning held
ers ran into their houses. fastened heir doors.
and sat up through all the long hours. ok
When daylight cams the houses and
their occupants were al right. but the
roaring river. swollen to tlun ltHS times
IT, usual size. covered everything. More than
Wics WG ,hnt number @ W.re re iu Of holes By
innunerable washouts that mad taken away
tn. rich loan. I-aving only rocks an'l gravel.
Itself as as the day aivanes,. IN In ,hs G.S Yellow.
muddy stream were fences. STACKS Of hay.
other arlc es culed iron, the different farms
acres Of onis that had been moved aud were
waiting fnr a little more sunshine before being
or Acres o. oa,s ,sr in 'hs s swnS
windrow or in bnnches w"r' swept nwny in
this manner. Tns Gear warm weather in tho
ing of the crop md induced farmers to cut 1t.
q Crnns that were not cut Jared little better.
subm-rged. whi!s othnrs Just showed their
green pumes above the current Below these
were the ears in silk. aud among them the
great yellow pumpkin h ossoms shone like
nuggets Of god. Potatoes and beans were of
course all covered. as were all tho oats that had
Amid All tiis injury to property tho farmers
ar. cn,ngraiM9nthinG NJ thrmse,yIs % TINT H. !iyes
and no buiIdi gs were swept away. Nearly
hail the cellars in tho neighborhnoh we're iilled
jjo.' i" ali ;hrir @ sI"ns; ', cGafles Gsorss
tho tho swath ,ak"n % down Sd toward c"ncori Large
H., ml logs nr, LYNX on fnr,Hs along the river.
Wien Mr. Parks ionni how ,hs river was
risn.! hu am mpoy-d forty men and went up the
streMm where they STAYED Ia I'd al night Though
The ri+.e in ,he waters u the Penirswasset is
hnl'i.ant. Thursday m"rnin-: it was II country
brook that went bahhin. along among stones
side 10 another. Twrnty-four hours later it
was a mad. rushing. muddy river. hnlf n mile
wide nj til" narrowest llnce and often srreaJIng
out into bays two or tnres miles across. The
P-migewasset Is n rich. hrowni:h yellow here.
with oam from farms. Lake WinniE,ssroges
River is turned brown clear down to its month.
The town and country roads are all washed
un,il Monday to make item pi.ss'.bIe.
Today ey.ry mnn m, .nh hoy an nnh some SOL, Of the
cnuing brush t" fill into the holes. After the
gullies nra mnde NJ even with tn. road with
srrs 1 il ihdr"uShars On" at "s"E ,s very
Etnse: The d"mars to hnshw"ys ni"ne
railroads escMpri with slight harm. Two or
three wiLIhou,. happened on the Penn igownsset
Valley Rniiroal t.nt it will DO fixed nnI ready
for traffic again by Monday Tho Boston and
Lowell read was not made imrassabl" Mt ali.
though ono train was delayed by the cautious
conductors
II the rise of tho stream wns surprising. its
fa,l was nearly a. much 50. In less than wen.
ty-four hours the Pemig"wasse, rosH fifteen
feet and the next day it felt ten feet. leaving
line OF mud along the banks and wisps OF oats
in tree tops To mark eNlrem" high water Most
Of The in;ervAs lHnt is sill under wnter. hut
tho banners Hna bavonats ot III. corn crop ar.
coming np higher every day. giving H." farmers
a hore that they mny yet have the pleasure Of
attending fall huskings. The river hanks ARE
covsr.,l with mud. debris. and sediment. hut
the hills and up'aud fields have come ont OF
making this always charming locality donhiy
h.hntiIul and nfIOrlins new PLEASURES TO the