The Portland daily press., 1886-02-15

streets the flood rushed at speed of 10
miles an hour, carrying everything before it,
The whole territory bounded by Texas
avenue. Cunard street, Shawmut avenue and
fremont street was inundated, and the adja-
cent territory for miles around was threat
ened with a similar fate The channel Oh the
flood appeared to be through King, summons
and Vernon streets. Here it divided. one
portion rushed with wonderful velocity
through Culvert street, inuDdatlng the
neighborhood of the Boston & Providence
depot, The track at the crossing was sew
eral inches under water, causing serious IN
convenience to passing trains. Another
volume of water poured with frightful speed
down Hampshire street to Ruggles square.
Here the main artery seemed to be Cabot
street, where the water fairly boiled until 1t
reached fremont street, where it played sad
havoc with cellars. At the intersection of
mense square. This was covered to the
depth of three inches. The force of the
flood seemed to be at its height when it
reached Vernon street. Capt. Gould said
the seething, unrestralned mass OF water was
bowling along at speed OF not less than 16
miles an hour A portion of the street was
completely washed away, while fences,
doors, in fact everything of movable ma
ture, was carried along with the rushing tor
rent. The force of the current was so great
that it was impossible for the police to rem
der any assistance whatever to the unf0r
tunate denzens of the locality. The water
in some places was three to four feet above
the second story windows. The residences
are fragile, being built, in the most part, of
wood, and were rapidly coming to pieces,
while their terror stricken occupants were
imprisoned in the upper stories. There was
no such thing as estimating the damage 1t
was already tremendous. The police re-
ceived notice of several buildings that are in
dangerous condition. They were COM
pletely undermined and ready to fall over at
any moment. The police were doing their
utmost to rescue the inhabitants. At
the junction OF Ruggles, Cabot and Hamp-
the extent of 20 feet in circumference
through which the water poured, creating a
suction that made it impossible to cross
either street. Here the water was up to one, S
thighs and was rising, rapidly. The residents
of this locality looked on the scene first as a
big joke, and laughed. Later they wore
blanched faces, and worked with might to
save themselves and their property. The
water at this point had raised four feet since
7 o'clock. The down grade over which the
torrent was pressing was nearly three feet
to the mile, and the rushing waters had
strong play in consequence. They were beat
ing down every barrier before them. Foun-
dation walls were crumbling fast, brick side
Walks were rapidly disappearing. IL was,
seemingly, only question Of time when the
houses that were CHECKING the flood in places
dous. Piece by piece the frame dwellings
were coming apart The 4E writer edn noticed cdd
Site the Roxbury Carpet Company building
wrenehed from its position. This fact vii. will
with which the water was rushing Several
wood yards were under water and their con-
tents were scattered over an immense area of
space. Such of the logs as were available
were seized, lashed together and formed into
RATS, on which furniture, bedding and other
articles intended for household purposes
were transferred to dry land. Rats were at
premium. Fences, outhouses, everything
of floatable nature, were grasped with
eagerness by the unfortunates. All the boats
sent to the scene of the inundation by the
harbor police were used for conveying food
to those in distress.
Most of the streets where the water had
not as yet risen to any remarkable depth
were dangerous to pedestrians, for the water
hid slippery layer of ice, and a firm footing
was. therefore, impossible. Accidents of a
petty nature were numerous.