The Portland daily press., 1886-02-16
WRECK AND RUIN.
Another Big Rise in the Ken
nebec River.
The Machias River Open at
an Early Date.
Roxbury People Still Using
Boats in the Streets.
Wild Scenes of Destruction
in l4averhiIl.
Further Results of New Eng
lands Big Freshet-


AUGUSTA, Feb. 15.-The rise in the Ken
nebec river aud the broken ice have destroy
ed and carried away the heavy trestle work
beneath the northerly new span of the rail-
road bridge in this city. The iron span is
not injured in the least. The trestle work
under the second new span is badly racked,
and has been carried down river several feet.
All connections with the new iron above has
been severed by workmen. The. timber on
the other two spans has been racked and
strained and it is feared that it will go out, as
the water is rising. The timber under this
span is valued at about $500.
GARDINER, Feb. 15.-The recent mild
weather and heavy rains caused rise OF
some five feet in the Kennebec at this city
The ice is not broken up but all operations
on the river are suspended. Owing to the soft
condition of the ice harvesting cannot be re-
sumed until cold weather.
MAcHIAs, Feb. 15.-The Machias river is
open to navigation, ice gone out, heavy
rain and long spell of mild weather has
prevailed. There are very high freshets and
lumbermens' work is suspended.
FARNfINaToN, Feb. 10 The rainstorm
was still continuing in Franklin county Mon.
day morning. The roads are in very bad
condition and travel is almost entirely sus-
pended. The ice has not yet left the Sandy
river, although it threatens to do $50. Dam
age is confined to the flooding of cellars.
In Boston,
BosToN, Feb. 15--At noon today the wa
ter had ceased to pour across fremont street
at Culyert street, and the level of the flood
was % inches below the highest point reach
ed It is now estimated that in As hours the
regular outlet of Stony brook will be able to
carry off the water as it comes from the sub
mergeddistri& above The situation at this
source of the deluge is much improved. The
series of lakes between Jamacia Plain and
Hyde Park has been drained a few inches
below the level of Sunday morning. The
result has been to interpose natural dams
above the surface in several places SO that
today the pressure of the aggregate OF
water is much reduced. The effort is to re-
move the turbulent features of the flood, and
to allow the water to drain off gradually in
stead of in a sesistless torrent. The main
line on the New York and New England
railway has been re-opened and the 8 p. m.
limited and Washington express will go out
tonight as usual.
Heavy Loss at Worcester.
WORCESTER, Mass, Feb. 15.-The damage
from the flood proves to be slight in this city
except at the Gumsigamand works of Wash
burn & Moen Manufacturing Company,
where the yard is badly washed and filled
with rubbish The foundation walls of the
steel mill is badly crippled The steel mill
gas house is flooded and the stock damaged.
All fires in the steel works are drawn and
pairing involves two new bridges, 200 feet OF
foundation walls which will have to be built
with the aid of Golfer dams, repairs to build
ings, machinery, etc. The loss will reach
many thousands of dollars beside Interrupt
ton to business Down Blackstone valley as
far as Wyonsocket more or less damage is re-
ported from every village At Millville the
entire population turned out to prevent the
water oyertioWing the banks OF the canal
and flooding the Lawrence felting mill and
Woonsocket Rubber Company's works and
to save bridges. These mills are shut down
today, but hope to start tomorrow.
Excitement at HaverhiIl.
HAvERHIIL, Feb. 15.-The greatest ex-
citement prevails in this city this morning.
The waters of the Merrimac river have
reached height not equaled for many years.
Places of business along the river front are
closed, the Easements flooded and the en-
gines in several buildings cannot run. Two
large tenement houses and a large stable on
River street were undermined and fell with
a crash. A part OF Thomas's hat factory
and the Cooperative hat factory have been
carried away. Many small buildings along
the river are being carried off by the flood:
Lumber yards are flooded, and thousands Of
dollars worth Of lumber is in the river. Lit
tie river has broken away from its bounds,
and is undermining Washington square The
cave in. The large wharves at the Branford
paper mill and Taylor, Goodwin q Co.'s coal
yard are badly damaged 7. J. Taylors
coal sheds are swept away. All along Little
yended. 1t is impossible to correctly esti-
mate the damage at present, but it will foot
up over 100000.
Elsewhere.
ALBANY, N. Y. Feb. 15.-The water in
the Hudson river has fallen Is inches since
midnight. Below the city of Albany the ice
remains firm. The drowned lands" begin
ming in Orange county, New York, and ex-
tending into Sussex county, New Jersey, are
overfowed by the Waikiki river to greater
depth than inlyears before Miles OF roads
are submerged and impossible.
HARTFORD, Ct, Feb. 15-The Connecti-
cut river reached its highest pitch of water
this noon, when the ice broke in front of
the city of Hartford, and moved down a few
hundred feet, carrying away Chaplns dock,
which was stored with oil barrels, but doing
danger but can probably be got out of the
stream should a break up take place. The
ice is piled about the club house of the Hart
ford Canoe club, and fears are felt for its
safety.
LOWELL, Mass, Feb. 15.-The freshet in
the Merrimac reached its highest point here
this morning, when feet and 3 inches of
water was going over Pawtueket dam. At
IL O'Clock the water had fallen six inches.
No damage has resulted, and only slight
inconvenience from the stopping of a small
amount of machinery in the mills. The Con-
cord river is higher than ever since the flood
of 1852, and is still rising The MiddleseX
mills are running only one-third of their
machinery, and Belvidor Woolen mill No. /,
has shut down entirely.
BRIDGEwATER, Mass, Feb. 15.-The flood
has done more damage here than at first
thought, and it will cost $4,000 to $4,000 to
repair the damage to roads and bridges. The
loss. to the BridlgeWater Iron Co., whose
works are principally under water, will
amount to thousands of dollars Nearly all
the bridges are gone. No mails have been
received here since Saturday morning. AT
East Bridgewater the damage will amount to
$4,000.
NORWICH, Conn, Feb. 15-The waters
have subsidized within the banks of Shetucket
and the Thames rivers. The damages herea.
bouts will exceed quarter of million dol,
lars. Greenville dam, built in 1883 at a cost
of $4,000, is ruined and will have to be re-
built Thare are several big washouts on the
line of the Norwich and Worcester railroad
and it will be several days before trains will
be running between this city and Worcester
Swept by Flames.
FLAGSTAFF, Ari, Feb. ia fire at this
place Yesterday originated in a Chinese OPT.
nm den. Lack of proper facilities for ex-
tinguishing the fire allowed it an almost un
restrained sweep. In two hours the entire
business portion of the town was destroyed
William G. Biddlnger, barber, perished in
the flames Many persons are homeless ano
destitute. Aid was asked from neighboring
towns and they generously responded. The
distress IS now greatly relieved. The loss is
500. 600. on which there is only $4,000 in
surance.
Reckless Cowboys.