Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1896-03-03
THE BIGGEST FRESHET
ON RECORD IN THIS PART OF OK
FORD COUNTY.

1 SVhit-Elnui uOth Of cltAbi hAf
AND MELTING sNow.-MANY BRIDGE
GONE, MILLS DAMAGED, AND HIGH
WAYS AND RAILROADS COVERED
WITH CAKES OF ICE.
ins continued steadily through the ds,
and night, and Sunday morning tn
streams were at freshet pitch. Still tn
rain continued without break. and tn
snow melted, and the ice broke up
Early in the day the streams reached tn
high water mark Of the spring freshet o
1895, and on the smaller streams ID,
bridges began 20 succumb 10 the pound
Ing Of The ice cakes which were hurles
against them. Still the water rose, ant
at . O'Clock at night il had reached |
point which nearly everybody declare
20 be above the record. The dsmag
done must be great. We have time TO
only brief summary of it.
AT SOUTH PARIS.
Stony Brook got on the rampage earl,
IN the day. About 10 O'Clock the lower
brige by Merrill's foundry began to g,
TO pieces, and about noon what was lef
of IL went down stream. The upper
bridge stood, but the upper corner OF
one abutmeut was carried out and thu
bridge itself somewhat SCARED. IL still
stands, though travel was fenced off for
while, until il could be temporarily
shored up.
At the covered bridge there were nc
signs of special danger until after dark.
The water ran across the road above
the bridge early In the morn
ing, and soon stopped travel. The icC
just below the bridge broke M, but was
held back by solid ice in the channel
near the cemetery. The ice above the
bridge held until about Q O'Clock at
night, when it began 10 90 10 pieces.
Part OF il went under the bridge, and
gave IL loud call. soaring it some.
One OF the abutments will be likely 10
need attention. Those who were on the
bridge when the ice began to strike IL
say il tremhled badly. The larger
part Of the ice above the bridge went
across the road, sweeping bushes and
telephone and telegraph poles before IL.
There isn't pole In sight for thirty
rods, and the water Is still several feet
deep In the road, while above the water
line several rods OF road are full OF ice.
Above, on Stony Brook, the bridge at
the lower end Of the dog road Is
damaged so as 10 be impossible for teams
NJ present, and the bridge az Kings Mil
Is slightly damsa led. Others above are
thought 10 be carried of.
The iron bridge over the Little An
drOscoggin was thronged with people all
dAy SUNDAY, who wondered how much
higher the water would rise, and what
would go first. The damage done may
De summarized thus:
The upper back corner OF Billings
mill is hSdly torn out, and the first story
of his boiler house is carried away. \
few logs were carried out OF the pond by
the breaking OF boom. just how much
damage Is done can not be sseertaiued
while the head works are under water,
but probably il amounts 10 $500.
Considerable boarding was stripped
of the upper end and river side of the
True Touring mill, making il look badly,
though the frame IL not injured. The
penStock WAS broken in two Just above
the bridge, and the ends had 10 be-
anchored. The head works are damag-
al somewhat The dsmsge 70 the True
mill and works will probably not be
over 500.
At dark the water was up so IL broke
over the girders on the south span OF the
lp 80 little stream ran across the street
on the south side Of the bridge, and the
outlook WAS dubious. Luckily, however,
only few small pieces OF ice we're run
ming. II the jam OF ice in the river above
had given way when the water WAS high
est. the bridge would certainly have
gone, and how much else can not be
told. Monday morning the water had
fallen about three feet. aud unless there
i break OF the ice above. there Is no
further danger. 4 very little damage
wss done To the girders OF the bridge.
Western Avenue WAS stiolt all dsy,
and RusScll's store and Briggs Il Fdrrar's
meat market were accessible only by
fording or floating MONDAY morning.
The water from stony Brook broke over
.utO the hollow back of Charles Brett's
Early 10 the morning, and when that
hollow was full IL ran across the street
into the river. Most OF that street Was
for the day, and some cords
li wood and slabs ilosted across there
md went down the stream. Many Gel
airs weyc flooded In the place.
Altogether We may congratulate our
selves that the damage WAS no greater.
Two bridges aud several mills have had
/ narrow escape from being swept away,
iud the damage is not q third OF what AT
,ne time looked probable.
AT SHOWS FALLS.
SHOWS FALLS. March ,
The highway bridge at this place was
,srried of by the freshet. The water
wheel is gone from the mill, aud the
mill itself is badly damsged. Quite a
stretch of the railroad is covered with
blocks OF ice.
REPORTED FROM WEST PARIS.
WEST PARIS, March :.
The Greenwood town bridge. one and |
,ne-half miles west from here, is carried
III.
F. l.. Willis lumber mill is badly dam
,ged.
+. l.. Willis carriage house and Top
,arriage were destroyed.
The iron highway bridge at West
Paris is somewhat damaged.
The flume 81 Locke's Mills Is carried
away. Damage probably about $500.
Some lumber was swept out OF \. j.
'ushman's mill yard.
The highway bridges across the Little |
AZ SHOWS Falls and jack
sons Crossing are gone, aud so rods OF
he Grand Trunk Railway at Shows
Falls is covered with river ice.
AT BUCKFIELD.
The water was the highest ever seen
here on sunday afternoon. Families
along Depot Street were surrounded by
water and moved out. Sunday night
he water came over the top Of the vii
age bridge and into the stores along the
river bank. The corner of Ralph Nor
ills store was carried out, also the cor
Ter OF the saw mill and the bulkhesd at
he Wilmington brush factory. The post
office was surrounded by water and the
own clerks records were moved out
sunday night.
The iron bridge and saw mill at North
Buckfield were both carried away.
THE END OF COURT.
Our court record last week closed
noon. In the afternoon Charles
F.. Beals was brought in TO answer 10 an
Indictment for the larceny OF a trunk at
Rumford Falls. County Attorney Smith
stated to the court that one of the prin-
,;n,,l u,;tpessas for the state cOuld not