Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-08

Nohih ANsoS, jan. I.
At noon, Tuesday, the ice began to break
up in the Carrabasset river. The water rose
rapidly and during the night the boom broke
At the Shank Factory, letting the ice over the
dam. The ice Knocked two posts out from
under the Fletcher bridge. just below the
river was very high At the Shank factory
quite an amount of birch, etc, was carried
away.
There are places where the ice is probably
30 feet deep. Some of the islands are com
petely covered. The ice, about 20 miles
above the falls, lays in jam about one mile
long.
Mr.. Albert Aliens machine shop stood on
the bank of the river near the buildings that
had already gone and the crowd began to urge
Mr.. Allen to clear his shop lest that should go
too. He thought there was no danger of the
shops going, but finally yielded to the solici-
tatlons of his friends. and allowed the shop to
be cleared of tools and machines. The crowd
had Just got the shop cleared, when that also
pitched into the river and floated off down
stream. This shop floating down river was the
first intlmatlon that man living a little way
below the village had that there was anything
wrong going on at the village Very nat
urslly he thought that there must be some
disturbance up there. The flume that fur
mills, Richmond's box factory, Robbins job
shop. and in fact all the manufacturing done
on the east side of the river was carried away
so that everything is at a standstill. about
l15 persons are thrown out of employment.
The damage done is estimated at about
$4,000. None of the mills can run until the
bulkhcad is repaired and a new t1ume made.
This will be a difficult job in cold weather,
and the work cannot very well be done in a
thorough and satisfactory manner. The de-
structlon of property by the freshPt is a great
misfortune to the village. as well as TO the
business men who are heavy losers by it.
RICHMOND. Jan. Z.
The situation on the kennebec is serious.
The sudden cold caused the ice to Jam. The
river from Clark & Chaplins to Cedsr Grove,
: miles, is full of ice. TO 20 feet thick. Be-
tween South Gardiner and the foot of Swan
Island, l6 miles, are l3 ice houses with an
estimated capacity as follows: Consumers,
thirty thousand; Kennebec. twenty-five; Ha-
ley'S, Twenty-Five: knickerbocker, seventy;
Beriy's, sixty; Cedar Grove, fifty; HAYNES
& Dewitt, t,seventy five; B w. & II. F Morse,
forty Lincoln, thirty; Orient, fifteen; Rus
sells, hundred thousand; Sagadahoc, twenty
five; Underwood, ten total, five hundred and
fifty thousand tons.
Two hundred men and one tug, are now
working desperately to start the jam. Doubt
less explosives will be used, If unsuccess-
tul, no ice can be gathered at either of the
above houses. Such q result would be dis
astrous; thousands of laboring men depend
ing upon ice employment to carry them
through the winter. The ice men are despon-
dent but determined to clear the fields if
money and men can do it. Business is stag
mated today. Interest centers in the work
on the river. The result is awaited with few
erish snxiety by all classes.
The outlook is anything but encouraging.
At Harwards. four miles below, the river is
reported clear. At Haynes Dewitt Ice
Co.'s. Iceboro, the channel is reported open
above and below, but the ice is still running
down by Augusta and Gardiner, which indi-
Gates that the jam will make back from the
Lincoln houses to Iceboro. Some talk is be-
ing made about putting on large crew of
men at the lower end of the jam and endeav-
oring to start it with dynamite powder. Sew
eral prominent ice men were in town Thurs
day to consider the plane.
FARhINGToN, Jan. Z.
The railroad bridge across the Sandy river
at Pennington is injured by the ice freshet so
that no trains have passed over since Tuesday
noon. Bridge builder Booker has sent men
who are now at work repairing, and it is
hoped trains may pass over Friday.