The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1896-03-05
The Flood.


In this immediate vicinity the casual
ties were light compared with some
other sections of Maine. In Skowhegan.
thanks to solid ledge banks, the turbu-
lent kennebee did little damage, but
very heavy damage was just avoided.
The wooden bridge across the South
channel was put to a severe test, but
stood it with only the shattering of the
trusses put in by the Electric Railway
company TO strengthen it in order to
run electric ears thereon. The extremi-
ties of these wooden arches were put
into the stone piers aud abutments some
i've feet below the floor tlmbers of the
bridge and the ice came up high enough
to crush off three of the four on the
upper side of the structure.
l.. w. Weston & Cos. mill property
was damaged to the tune of about
$1,000, but nothing to prevent the start
ing of the machinery after things are put
in shape and the water subsidies A stone
large building used for storing lumber,
was carried away leaving the broad side
of this building without any support,
but fortunately the frame was sufficient.
ly strong to hold it and its contents.
seasoned lumber, from topping over into
the flood. Other damage was slight
here.
At Fairfield, the. bridge across the
river from Bunker's Island to the Benton
shore was carried out. This is long
bridge, an old one and has been the
cause of some little discussion and con-
tention in town meeting.
There is bad washout on the Somer-
set road at Old Point bnt communication
by wire was broken and the particulars
in detail are not learned.
The damage at Waterville, Augusta
and Hallowell was NOT serious although
the water reached hight unpreeedent-
ed, but at Gardiner a large portion of
the bridge across the kennebec to Ran
1olph, was carried out and there was
large damage caused by the flooding of
stores on Main street, estimated at $50
600. This bridge was an old structure,
the lowest down on the river, very
long one and the replacing of it will be
at great expense.
Phillips new mill at Farmingdale was
badly injured, one portion of the struc-
ture being carried away and machin-
cry seriously damaged. At Halo
well the damage from flooding stores
and other buildings is large.
Lewiston and Auburn are sufferers to
the extent of more than 100000, IN
GLIDING the destruction of both bridges
between those cities, SO that now the
railroad bridges are the only means of
communication between the two places
AT Belfast several bridges, two mill
dams aud one mill were swept out to
sea, involving loss of $4,000 or more
At Pennington about 100 feet of the
Maine Central railroad bridge went out.
A bad washout is reported on the Sandy
River railroad.
At Westbrool the loss is very large
The work of repairs aud restoration is
under way, but it will take weeks to re-
pair the damage done in few hours
Sunday night. 5. d. Warren q Compa-
ny's paper mill and other manufactures
will be in full operation in n few DAYS.
The Haskell silk mill started Tuesday
morning. The total losses from Madison
Falls to the mouth of the river, ten
miles, is eonseryatively estimated at
million dollars. The first report that
$. d. Warren & Cos loss is one million
dollars is incorrect. Only one hundred
and seventy.fve thousand dollars is the
amount
The Androseoggin's latest news is
brought by eourers, as telephone com
munieations are all cut off, Three dams,
two bridges and grist mill have gone
and Bretton's mills at North Turner, one
dam, the grist, SAW and carding mills
were washed out The Turner saw and
grist mills and a large carriage manu-
factory are gone and every bridge, seven
in all, at Twenty Mile river have been
swept away. "rhe dam at East Liver
more Mills is also gone.
AT Brunswick, Cabot Mill was serious
ly damaged, four bridges carried away in
that vicinity and two houses carried down
river. Three men We're drowned Al
Cabot mill by the collapse of hume
and temporary bridge. Sixteen men
We're at work there aud all escaped but
three, Charles Wagg, Noah Blanchard
and Peter Gagnon.
Huge piles of ice aud logs were left
upon the Maine Central track between
Iallowell and Gardiner obstrueting the
trains for days 100 men and teams
were at work upon these Instructions
Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Penobseot river was not so badly
affected by the heavy rains and no ex-
tensive losses are reported.
Bridges were swept away ON the
sheepseot river in Whitfield The dam
at head of tide Niselsset was swept away
aud mills injured.
The ice has not gone out Of the Ken