Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-02-15
ANOTHER FHEsHEr IMMrUrr-
ne ebuildinE OF the Railroad Rr.s
Interfered With

inere seems to be no end to the d;a3c,,.,
experienced in rebuilding the railroad bridoo
"nicn was carried away at the beginning ~
.ne winter. The first of January a x;n,er
freshet such as is seldom seen on tho r..
neoec occurred, carrying away two spans ful,
OF trestie work and the top stringers of The
nrst span of the new bridge, causing mnch
ueiay ana an extensive loss of property. Nov
the present thaw threatens to causa ono..a
serious 1reshet in the river FRIDAY rain
commenced falling, continuing with more q,
less severity during the night and SATURDAY.
yesterday the weather was mild and tho ..
snohe oright and warm. The snow melted
rapidly. large amount of water was nonred
into the kennebec by the streams and l...
night the water in the river had risen threo
or tour feet. This rise found the ro;,-ooa
orldge with trestle work extending the entire
length beneath the four spans, the two new
iron spans up, the old iron of the third re-.
moved with the exception of some half
dozen hoor beams, aud the fourth intact, For
distance OF some thirty rods above the
three westerly spans and extending to the
wooden bridge below was field of solid ice
about foot in thickness. The breaking of
this Ice above. it kas feared, would make
trouble, and it did. Saturday evening large
cake swung around in the channel on the
easterly side of the river and came dow
against the trestle work of the last span and
smashed the upper timbers of two "horses. "
Breaking up into small cakes it damned
against the timber vito great force Yester-
day morning crew of men commenced
work and broke up the ice, allowing it to
drift through the "horsing' to the open water
below. Two large cakes, half an acre in
extent, came down in the forenoon and
struck the timber of the east span. But the
men, by hard work, managed to break this
up and float it off, but not until two more
horses were broken and the entire .restle
work of this span was badly racked and
pushed out of place. The old span above,
which had not been taken down, was wedged
so as to hold the timber down. One large
cake of ice opposite the first pier
was attracted to the main body
of ice on the west side so that it should not
float down. Superindent Booker has done
all in his power to protect the bridge. Luck
lily the two new spans were up so as to sup
port themselves, and Saturday and Sunday a
large crew of men was engaged in strength
ening them, by putting in the floor iron and
removing the timber which might drag the
spars off. Last night the floor beams and
stringers were all in with the exception of
three and the spans were regarded as safe
from all harm. Saturday the east end of
the second span was landed on the pier for
the first time. At late hour last night the
water was rushing through the trestle work
with great velocity and the ice above was
threatening to come down. Below and around
the foot of the ',horsing" the ice had par
TALLY broken up. The horsing of the two
further spans was about given up as lost, as
it was hardly regard, possible that it would
stand up under the heavy pressure.
Last evening the heavens became overcast
and rain fell again. the temperature being
mild a condition of the weather which will
be likely to make trouble in the river today
Some even go far as to say the ice will
leave the river. This condition of things is
bad for the ice operators and will put them
back many days, injuring their fields and
hampering operations. White and Cony had
run ~ cakes into their house at BIRTHS gull
lev when the thaw struck. An ice jam is
one of the possibilities should the thaw con-
tinue.