Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-05-05
RUSHING WATERS.
THE MILESTONE
ON A LIVELY RAMPAGE
$4,000 to $4,000 Damage i'm
BrattlebOrO.
buildings Undermined, Lumber and
Wood Carried Away, Roads BADLY
WRshed--the Storm Elsewhere,

Wood Carried Away, Roads BADLY
WRshed--the storm Elsewhere.
Brattleboro had its first experience
with freshet, since 1878, yesterday, and
the result is a loss estimated at from 5000
to $4,000. The rain which had fallen
gently during the day Wednesday began to
pour in the evening about 10 o'clock, and
continued pouring until about o'clock
yesterday morning, a mist and light rain
continuing to fall during the day. In the
morning at $50 Milestone brook pre-
sented a roilly and swollen appearance,
but il had not overAowed its banks and no
alarm was felt by those owning property
contiguous to it, Two hours later, how
ever, the water had reached the highest
pitch since December, 1878, and only
few inches below the point touched at that
time. The raging torrent fell as quickly
as II rose and at noon did not overflow the
banks of the brook.
The water went completely over the
large granite wall between the Milestone
block and the Vinton paper mill, and
reached and for few moments dashed over
the lower timbers of the Main street bridge
There was apprehension lest the floating
timbers lodge in the truss beneath the
bridge, dam the stream and cause serious
damage to the property interests in that
vicinity.
Emerson & Son expected their basement
would be flooded, and moved the goods
there TO the street floor. The cellars of
all the manufacturing buildings on the
south side of Flat street were filled with
water At the building occupied by Mr.
Thomas, Mr.. Streeter and Mr.. Shea little
damage was done, and Mr.. Wilder, the City
laundry and the other occupants of the
next building sustained no loss In the
Jelly company's building however the
case was different The Reformer press
room was filled with water. the press being
completely submerged, and go reams of pa
per with it. When the water began to en-
ter the room FRESHMAN Austin at once
summoned assistance to carry out the pa
per, but when he returned the water was
two or three feet deep and rapidly rising.
The UNDERMINING of the large l. addition.
built last season for the pickle factory, was
washed out for a distance of - feet on the
south side. and 10 feet on the west end
The foundations OF the two large vinegar
tanks, with a capacity of 200 gallons each,
and containing about 80 gallons each.
were washed out. The vinegar is being
drawn out as fast as possible. and it is
tanks drop down and begin to leak. In the
cellar We're - to 30 barrels of vinegar
which were diluted by the muddy water.
This vinegar was worth $3.50 a barrel.
The cellar of the dwelling in front of the
pickle factory, occupied by +. +. Wander
pool and French family, was filled with
water, as were the cellars of f. G.. Phillpss
carriage shop and the wood working shop
now run by Mr.. Gould. Piles of lumber
near the pickle factory, owned by ID. p.
Prescott, were carried down the stream.
The Frost meadow would never have
been recognized as the place where the
greatest show on earth had pitched its tents.
where Jumbo had disported himself, the
wild man from. BomeO gazed upon the GIN
ger-bread eaters, or where the Brattleboro
ball team had walloped and been walloped.
Yesterday morning it was a desolate waste.
covered to the depth of three feet with
murky water On the southeast were the
dry house of the wood working shop. and
the stone crushing plant. Between them
and the large wood and lumber piles ran a
swift current. All along the upper part of
the meadow were the piles of lumber and
wood falling to pieces, while the buildings
on Flat and Elm streets had water about
them to depth of two or three feet. In
the current floated the wood and lumber.
the barrels from the stone crushing plant.
and, to give variety, the dump cart and
street watering cart fell into line and started
on the Long, long journey towards the
distant sea- But the watering cart was
tied down and didn't get there.
The dykes erected by Smith a. Co.
around their property did much to keep
the water from their buildings and those of
their neighbors, but in few places the
water came over the embankment. and
Hooded the space north and south of the
main factory, and filled the cellars with
water. The cellars of Hildreth IL Rugg.
Rockwell ~ Sherwin, the Brattleboro plat
ing company, and the old office building of
Holden ~ Martin, and their lumber sheds.
were Hooded. Holden N Martin estimate
their loss at $1,000, while 800 will proba-
oly cover the damage to the other manu-
featuring firms.
n. W. LOOMS, whose poultry yard was
near the Hlldreth ~ Rugg factory, mourns
the loss of his flock of valuable Plymouth
Rocks, the brooder, and the 100 eggs in
an incubator. When the water came abont
his house on the fiat near the fish pond
Mr.. Erickson carried his wife to a place of
safety on his shoulders.
The foot bridge across which the work
men pass on their way from Frost street 10
the Estey factories, gave up the ghost. Mr..
Brasor's beehives fOated off, and Walter
Boynton's henhouse and other small ont
buildings on the lower side of Frost street
were submerged, The road leading to the
fish pond is washed out. One opening was
cut in the bank of the paper mill pond and
another through the canal.
Above the iron bridge the water ran all
about Perrys wood yard and f. d. Will
liams's carriage shop. Mr.. Perry lost
about 80 cords of wood. Mr.. Williams's
loss will amount to $500. Fifty feet of the
underpnning on the north and west sides
of his factory was torn out, and $50 worth
of coal carried OFF. His engine is under
water and much of the stock in the lower
part of the building damaged. A few of
Mr.. Fletchers logs were carried down
stream and the foot bridge running to the
electric light station went with the general
wreck. A hole was smashed in the under-
pinning of H. w. Saunders's house and
the goods in his cellar ruined. The road
above Mr. Williams's shop, near the bend
in the brook, is washed out down to the
level of the brook for distance of 10 m
10 rods. Mr.. Cune's new house. a little
farther up the street, was undermined. and
the goods i'm the cellar sUeDt out M