Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-01-13


hold of a sapling he drew himself /
and the woman from the water. The |
mill and horse were swept away and |
no vestage Of either ever found. In
his race to defeat death, Chamber
Inns powers of endurance had been
tried to their uttermost; he had per-
formed a feat it would be difficult to
parallel He had run five miles and
the day was hot, not breath of air
stirring. He felt the effects of 1t
until the day of his death, forty
years later.
About 200 rods north of the mill
was large swamp covered thlckly
with small cedars; this being the
lowest level the water had reached,
different results were produced, the
cedars were broken down. The great
number of trees which the water car
rico along, were left and the whole
buried in sand and soil from ten to
fifteen feet deep, forming the site of
what is now the village of Glover;
about 100 rods further north the hills
on either side recede considerably
leaving wide valley three miles
in length, known as the Barton River
Valley. A dense swamp at this time
extended along the valley on either
side, while the land the centre was
little higher. There was a small
clearing with a log house on it little
north Of the w. G. Brown house in
Barton Village. 1t was three O'Clock
when the water broke into the south
end, spreading to the right and left
in a column over y feet high. The
family were all in the house at the
time, when hearing a strange roaring
sound they all went out to find the
cause. When they saw the water
coming they started to run to the
western foothills; when part way
there the mother discovered she had
left her baby in the cradle. The
father quickly returning caught the
child in his arms and retraced his
steps toward the hills which they
reached in safety. South of the house
and close to it was large elm tree
against which large number of trees
lodged forming u dam which broke
the force of the current, throwing the
water both ways. This saved the
house, though the water rose above the
caves. The next day when the family
returned they found that a pan of milk
which had been left on the table.
had risen with the water and settled
down as it receded and not dI p OF
the milk split. On the eastern hill
at the present site of Barton village.
brow of the hill was a school house.
The teacher hearing the noise was
, frightened and dismissed the schOo
Z and ali went to the top of the hill
} where the settlers had already col
t lected. The current on this side
l was swift and tore large cedars from
the banks below them for a distance
' of more than mile along the shore
g whipping and thrashing them sIOunt
e violently, then breaking them in tw'
+ with loud report, throwing up
/ spray high in the air which looke'
0 like FOG. On both sides of the vale
e was left a deposit Of soil, tn
d surface raised about ten feet and l
e the middle about ten inches. On tn
$ northwest side was piece of Ian
l. containing about two acres and seN
It eral feet higher than the swamp lew
h thicl<lv covered with cedars. Ih
-e was lifted up entire with all the tree
d standing; it floated away with IL
le current which was not very rapid {
rs this side. Large trees continual
l. fell from the edges and were tr
e quently seen floating roots upwar'
m The island slowly turned arour
m each time being drawn into swift
on water and at length began to mo-
IN towards the narrows nearly mi
or further north, where the hills can
in very near together forming gor
lis at the place now called the hi:
p, bridges. at least 160 feet de
nd and perhaps - rods wide and
re rods long. Through this pass +
ch Barton river over q succession
ed low-falls. Toward this narrow pa
i'm all this immense body of water W
)m moving. and here it's action was Sc
ere III all its fury. A few rods fr'
ees where il entered the gorge the C
ley umn struck the first hill which W
'ed torn away several rods. Here
he island was broken up and the M
eX- of debris formed huge dam VIII
a set the waters back, turning
ng, whole valley into placid la
,un But it was the calmness before
g!' tornado, for when the dam gave v
of the whole mass turned directly e
ees for perhaps ten rods, and was thro
nd. against another bill the depth
was the water here was $50 feet. AS
turned directly north from here
lain great whirlpool was formed, I'll
ing were thrown up out of the wa
loor nearly their length. top and rt
in foremost; large numbers
own thrown up together like bro
was pyramid, again they would shoot
age with broken limbs interlaced, rap
saw spinning round in the water
the would be twisted in two, while OF