Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-04-22
THE SPRING FRESHET.

Not since the great flood which oc-
Cured in Oct. 1869, has there been SO
high water as during the early part OF
last week. The melting SHOWS and
the rainfall of from two to three
inches, flooded the whole of New Eng
land. Though the damage was great in
some sections, Orleans county
suffered comparatively little, while
all other sections lin the State were
pretty we'll submerged. Railroad
travel on all New England roads was
impeded Or stopped, mails in some
sections being delayed three days or
more. The Passumpsic valley suffer-
ed to some extent from loss Of bridges
and quilting on highways. The La
moille, Winooski, the Otter Creek and
branches were all raging torrents for
two Or three days, and much damage
was done to the roads, bridges, mills,
and lumbermen in the loss Of dams,
mills and timber stock. The Connec
ticut in many places filled the whole
lower valley, submerging roads, rail
roads, etc.
At Brattleboro, April 18th: The
first mail train from above Bellows
Falls came in about noon to day with
the twospostal cars which had been
delayed by washouts since Sunday
morning. All of the streams have
dropped several feet to day, although
they are still very high. AS the
waters recede the extent of the dam
age begins to be seen. The meadows
are packed with sand in many places,
which will require months to remove.
Flood-wood of every description is
thrown over and along the whole val
ley. Trains Will doubtless be running
pretty regularly tomorrow, though it
will take several days yet to repair
the roadbeds, while the highways will
cost thousands of dollars to repair.
Middlebury, april 18th: Otter
creek continued to rise until O'Clock
this evening, when it is thought to
have reached it's highest point. The
bakery yard is overfowed, the water
coming up to within four feet of the
door.
At Beldens Falls:a rise Of three feet
in the last 20 hours is reported.
The bulkhead Of the fume for the
marble companies mills has been un-
dermined, SO that the machinery in
both mills was stopped at O'Clock
this morning. The scene in and about
the mills is spoken of as one of un-
usual beauty.
Montpelier had the worst flood for
years Sunday and Monday and the
damage was large. The water reach
ed the highest point at midnight Sun
day, when it filed the fire boxes at
the electric station and left the city in
darkness. A large boom at East Mont
pelier broke and let thousands of logs
loose. The trestle under the Central
Vermont railroad bridge was carried
away.
Haverhill, Mass, April 18th: The
water in the Merrimac river fell Is
inches last night and was rapidly re-
ceding this morning. It will be sew
eral days before the shoe factories
can resume. The electric light plant
will probably be in condition to fur
nish light for the city by tomorrow or
Friday. Large gangs of men are at
work clearing up the debris as fast as
the water recedes. The estimated
damage in the city is $4,000.
The Winooski river was higher than
ever before. At Burlington, at 4:3O,
p. M, water was two feet
higher than was ever known. At the
gorge the water was 12 feet above the
dynamo floor of Vermont Electric
plant and within IS inches
of the windows. Work was suspend
ed in mills and shops and much ma
chinery was removed. All trains on
the St. t.Johnsbury and Lake Champlain
road were abandoned.
At Vergennes, April 10Th, the Otter
Creek at the falls was higher than it
b as been in 20 years. Although no
large amount of damage was done,
the wharves were all overf1owed and |
up to the lower stories of the Yer
mont shade roller works, the nail fac
tory and shops on west side. The |
creek rose five feet Sunday. Fences
and trees gave way on farm lands |
and filled the stream below.
Rain ceased at Barre early on the
of April Is, but the granite
cutters were out all day on account of
the water in the sheds.
j. @. Wheeler of Montpelier lost |