The Portland daily press., 1886-01-07


feet of logs were lost. 1t is feared that the
boom OF A. X. P. Lord at Moderation will be
unable to Withstand the fierce current.
AUGUSTA, Jan. 6.-Two spans of the rail
road bridge across the Kennebec here were
carried away by the freshet at about S.15
o'clock this morning. During the latter part
of last fall repairs were commenced on the
bridge, and at the time of the accident the
two spans destroyed rested entirely on tres
tie work built up from the bed of the river.
The rains for the past few days have weak
ened the ice greatly, and fears were enter
tanned for the safety Of the bridge. A strict
watch was kept. The water rose about two
feet between O'Clock last night and O'Clock
this morning, and quite number congregat-
ed to watch the bridge,it being reported that
the ice had started up river. At little past
8o'clock the ice commenced to run over the
dam, and came down in large quantities
piling up several feet high against the trestle
work. The woodwork could not stand the
shock, and soon gave way. The two spans
first settled in the middle and then at the
ends.
AT the time of the catastrophe five loaded
coal cars were on the weak spans, placed
it became evident that the bridge must go
two of them were hauled off by rope. Two
of the others went to the bottom, and the re-
naming one fioated down the river on top of
a lot of lumber, Engine No. %, with crew
of workmen, went down river to try and Sc
cure the floating material.
Until the bridge is repaired, all travel will
| go over the back route. and local passengers
and freight will be transferred across the
river on the other bridge. There is no
means of telling how soon repairs will be
completed, as the river may not be in a con-
dition for work to be resumed for several
weeks. The demolished spans were each
! 172 feet long.
LATER
Mr.. Booker, superintendent of bridges for
the Maine Central railroad, arrived here this
noon. He cannot tell yet what the damage
will be, but thinks it will reach $4,000 or
$4,000. A part of the lumber and iron
which floated down the river has been Sc
cured at South Gardiner. The rest win be q
total loss.
GARDINER, Jan. 6.-The recent rains have
swollen in the Kennebec to an unusual
height. There has, however, been no dam
age in this vicinity. The ice is broke up
early this morning, running freely through
to the sea- There is little or no danger of a
jam. Every prospect is for good fields for
the ice men when the river freezes again.
This clearing of the river will effectually dis
pose of the claims upon prominent ice men
for damage to fields below them caused by
breaking up ice fields in order to secure a
better quality of lee.
LEWISTON, Jan. 6.-The water in the river
Androscoggin was very high this morning.
A jam of ice and logs broke here. raising the
water three feet, the ice and a small number
of logs going over the dam. The mills on the
lower canal had thirteen feet of back water.
LIvERMoRE FALLS, Jan. 6.-Lane's saw
mill has gone out, opening the lume so that
all the mills will have to stop till the fume is
repaired.
YARMOUTH, Jan. Con Royals river
here the freshet so weakened the bridge on
the Maine Central that trains could not cross
this morning
PENNINGTON, Jan. 6-The river here has
risen rapidly and the railroad bridge across
the SANDY river from West Pennington Is
damaged by ice so that trains cannot cross.
The water is now falling rapidly and the
danger Is over.
PHILLIPS, Jan. 6-There is great flood
on the Sandy River. Several bridges have
gone. The ground is bare and work in the
woods has been stopped. The water is now
falling
CANTON, Jan. 6.-The ice was cleared from
the Androscoggin last night. The Canton
boom is broken, enc pier gone and an old jam
cleared. At Rumford Falls the water is ths
highest for years
At other Points.
The saw mill at Livermore Falls owned by
C. Lane has gone out and flume to the other
mills partly gone out, causing all mills ex-
cept Records pulp mill to stand still until 10
can be repaired. The water is yet rising.
The Sandy river at Strong has come up six
feet within twelve hours. Where few
hours ago were snow drifts six feet deep Is
now bare ground. The lowlands of the
Sandy River Valley are completely inun-
dated, and there will be considerable damage
to bridges and property on the mill streams.
The new pulp mill built at Shows Falls
the high water Of Tuesday and carried down
stream and is total wreck.
The shank factory boom at North AnsOn,
on the Kennebee, was partly carried away,
and considerable birch lumber lost.
At Madison Bridge, the underpinning of
the picker room of the Madison Woolen
Company's mill was nearly all carried away.
The Kennebec is clear at Bingham, and the
water is commencing to fall.
There is heavy freshet on the upper Ken
nebec. The ice is going out of the river. The
snow is all goue and lumbermen are lying
idle in the woods.