The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-02
Damage Done by a FreShet
a Decade Ago.
A Church Building With an
Interesting History.
known as the Eel Pot in Early Days
Uses II Has Been Put To.


up to the spring freshet mark and at
Woonsocket has already caused consider
hble damage and no end OF Inconvenience.
There is, however, no danger that the
results will be In any degree as serious as
those which followed the great freshet a
decade ago, when every stream In the
State overran its banks, doing untold
damage to surrounding property and car
rying away bridges and dams in many
places. That freshet Will be long remem-
bered, for it cut Providence OF from the
outside world, while during its con-
tinuance the people were in fear that the
central and lower sections of this town
would be inundated should the big reser-
voirs up in Georgiaville burst. Happily
there was no such catastrophe, but Provi-
dence experienced no little loss and in
convenience from the interruption OF
railway travel and the prostration of tele-
graph lines.
For two days the northern and southern
Bections of the State were cut of from
each other. The Pawtuxet, usually a
mild meandering stream, overleaped It's
banks and tore away many buildings that
skirted il including some of those of the
Turkey Red Dye Works, while the rail-
road bridge spanning it was SO battered
ms to be practically worthless. The tracks
of the New York. Providence & Boston
road generally known as the Stonington
were under waller at Great swamp below
Kingston and also at White Dog Curve
further south on the line and for two
days no trains could pass over 1t. The
Pawcatuck had risen and overfiowed the
streets of Westerly doing great damage,
while at White Rock and other places the
lower stories of the mills were Hooded.
Up at Pswtucket the Blackstone river was
fnla hrAts dntT
with IL heavy masses of ice which were
hurled with such force against the piers
of the bridge that people stood for hours
wntching, expecting every moment TO see
those structures tumble into the food.
They diun't tumble, however, and In
due time the rivers receded to their old
time boundaries and business was re-
sum ed once more but Ii took & cd
while to make up TOR the loss that teshet
caused.
A salesman with hair almost as white as
snow called the attention of the Gossiper.
who was passing through Wickenden
street this morning to the Portuguese
Church en- that thoroughfare: 81 remem-
ber that building" he said, "when 1t
used to oe called the Eel Pot 1t was
located at the foot Of Front street near
the Seekonk river and 1t was then that
the sailors and fishermen from that part
hear Elder Hawkes. preach. Thirty-fve or
thirty-slx years ago i used to attend SER
vices there when i was in port, and many
q hair-fifting exhortation heard fH-the
place" The "Eel Pot, as the structure
was irreverently called, has had quite a
varied history. 1t was established as an
offshoot from the Seamen's Bethel on
Wickenden street, and was intended to
carry the gospel to the tars and fisher
men who lived in that section of the
town known as India Point and across
the river In Watchemoket.
For a long time 1t was used for relig-
lous purposes on sunday ana as Il school
on week days, but finally it was aban-
doned and curing the ext snsive improve
ments made by the city IL was purchased
and moved TO Wickenden street. Here 1t
served various uses. 1t was at one time
skating rink. Later it was
used as an undertaking es-
bined, but finally it was
purchased by the Portuguese con-
gregatiop ana enlarged considerably and
ornamented with small tower and steeple.
Thus again 1t is fulfilling the purpose for
W hich 1t was originally built, although
At is no longer known IS the "eel pot, f"
and that irreverent appellation Is recalled
only by those who, like the aged sailor
man who talked with the Gossiper, had
attended services In 1t at time when
sailors and fishermen formed the bulk of
its attendants. In this connection II is
Interesting 10 note that the Portuguese
congregation which now owns the build-
ing and the land on which it stands, to-
gether with substantial pastoral resi-
dence, is growing very rapidly. Indeed,
its present church accommodations are
much too small for its needs and 1t has
purchased large lot OF land formerly
belonging to the Providence Gas Com
yany, and situated on Benefit, Pike and
Ira erse streets. Upon this land the Con-
gregation proposes at no distant day TO
erect large and substantial church edi-
flee.
There are jokers among railroad men
MS we'll as among those in other lines OF
human activity. and the employees of the
Pawtuxet Valley branch of the Consoli-
dated road are having good laugh over
q joke OF which a new and very raw agent
ut one of the smaller stations was recently
the victim. His supply of oil for his
signal lanterns began to run low shortly
after be was placed In charge, ana he
Rich