Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-04-19
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS.
THE FLOOD OF APRIL, 1895,
a Week of Danger, Excitement
and Sorrow.

The Rushing, Spreading Waters Made
an Awe-InspirIng sight, but the Lo-
cal Damage was Comparatively Small
---Railroad Travel stepped for Two
Days---the Tunnel Damned for the
Third Time---Three Deaths by Drown
tnE---Other Floods and High Water
Marks Of the Past 100 Years Recalled.
Business of all kinds this week has given
way largely to the interest in the freshet,
it having been uppermost in the minds of
all our people during the greater part of
the time since Sunday. The old residents
have compared it to those of earlier years,
while the citizens whose memory does not
90 back to those dates have listened many
times to the varying judgment of compare
tive heights of water at all points, and won
dered at the wide difference in memories.
Certain it is the most of us have felt the
water to be near enough to the danger line
this time, whether it was before or not.
The majority of authorities agree that
while the water did not reach the high
point of April 10, 1862, into about IS
inches. it did exceed the height of April
q. 1869, by about six inches. At this par
ticular point much difference in relative
height may be accounted for, with the
same amount of water passing in the river,
owing to the great changes which have
been made in the channel at its narrOwest
points by the blasting out of rocks each
year by the rivermen, leaving the channel
much larger
The flood of 'G2 was not caused by rain,
as the weather was fine for days before it
reached its highest point, the sudden melt
ing of a large body of snow causing the
rapid rise.
This year rain had fallen steadily for IS
hours previous to Sunday night, when the
first apprehension was felt. Monday morn
ing the water was rising still and nearing
the point of running through the railroad
tunnel under the square. All felt it the
part of wisdom to see it did not 60 through,
thus cutting out the entertainments and
taking the business part of the village
Heavy timbers were put across the upper
end of the tunnel, and short plank set up
right against them, the bottoms of which
were set into the ground foot and tightly
cemented in. This was at 9 Monday morn
ing, and at l o'clock, when the river stopped
rising, it stood about six or eight inches
higher than the flooring inside the tunnel.
Not a drop worked its way through In
'62 when the dam was put in the water
worked around the ends of the dam, out
side the stone work, and cut into the tun-
mel behind it, and for hours it was thought
it would get away from the large number
of workmen engaged in trying to stop it,.
The larger part of the business places in
the square and under the hill were cleared
out and goods removed to place of safety,
but 10 such extent of fear was felt this
time, especially by those who saw how
thoroughly the work was done. The cof
fer-dam was removed early Tuesday morn
ing and trains let through the tunnel, the
water having gone down four or five feet.
The back water below the mills necessi-
tated suspension of their work Monday
and Tuesday, and some damage was done
by flooding the first floors and washing off
dirt around them, but it was not serious.
The greater damage seemed to be to the
farms above and below, the owners of
many having to vacate the dwellings and
get to higher ground. Mr. Ray, on the
farm formerly known as the Fall Mountain
farm, moved his stock and family at mid
night Sunday evening as the water was
then closing around the buildings. Mon
day and Tuesday it was impossible to get
to the buildings except by boats. At Fred
Allbee's, this side of Mr.. Rays, the water
came up into the first story, half way over
the windows, and came to the scatfOlding
of barns, within foot of the caves of one
shed. The family stayed in the house, GO
ing to and from it in boats The banks of
the river cut into meadows badly in some
places. Between here and Cold river the
water came high in the road and surround
ed some of the shantes on the west side of
it, one or two of which were tipped out of
alignment, but not completely over
All railroads were tied up here Monday
and Tuesday except the Fitchburg, which
ran its trains regularly to and from Bos-
ton. The trouble on each of the Others
seemed to be near here only. On the Rut-
land line the track was submerged across
the Webb meadows, just out of the village,
for over half mile, and the bridge over
the Webb brook was raised from the abut-
ments and banks sOftened to make it UNI
safe, but when the water went down late
Tuesday it was the work of only few
hours to repair it, and trains were running
regularly Tuesday evening. The Boston
& Maine had submerged tracks south neal
Westminster and East Putney in many
ed: strengthening, but trains came up to
here Tuesday noon, and going north car.
ried by long break in the banks opposite
the Kendall farm near South Charlestown.
This was the first movement of trains
north in either direction since Sunday. AT
"a. NJ. Wednesday Roadmaster Clark, who
had been working with a large force OF
men all day Tuesday and Tuesday night
pronounced the track safe at that point
and the morning train from White River
junction was the first to pass over it. The
mail train north Wednesday noon was the
first train going north. This raised the
siege here completely and took away the
last of the delayed passengers and mai
which had been accommodating since Sun
day. 1t proved to be the longest tie-up o.
roads here since big snow storm of abou
1873, which held trains day or two long
er only. Little damage was done anywhere
in this vicinity except on the line of thu
Connecticut, as the smaller streams wer,
not exceedingly high, the snow hereabout
having largely disappeared earlier. As
whole the freshet passes into history as on
of the three largest ever known at thi
point of which any record is to be had
All day Monday and Tuesday all kinds o
vehicles were seen coming into the villag
from all roads that were passable, bringing
hundreds of sight seers, and all the house