Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-03-03

was also a sufferer, the lcod taking cut
the draw and large section of the bridge
on each side.
Phillips saw mill in Farmingdale is
damaged TO q considerable extent. one
side of the structure being completely dc
molishcd.
At Q o'clock, this morning, If anyone
had said that Water street would be GOV
cred with water, he would have been
called very poor prophet. But if the
same man had been met at O clock.
every one who heard him make his prog
nosticstion would have called him from
that time tenoeforth first-class man in a
matter that needed a forecaster.
The election was entirely forgotten, but
very light vote being cast In fact the
all-abSorbing subject was the flood Men.
women and children were hustl.ng as
they never hustled before everybody
seemed TO be working like beavers, the
streets We're thronged with RATS. row
boats and canoes, crowds were AT all cor
ner, and those not laboring We're intently
watching the proceedings.
1t was great day. At 1l.3U O'Clock,
the water struck the street, having been
coming at rapid pace since 10 O'Clock.
1t steadily rose until clock, when the
water receded and in comparatively
short time, the main street was clear with
the exception OF short strip from f. S.
Smiths dry goods store to the grocery
store of Collins X Locke. The depot, at
) o'clock, could be reached without swim
ming
Telephone communication with An
gusta and the outside world was cut off.
so that it was impossible to speak with
anyone. The Western Union had no Sc, :
vice east of here. and it was with diff
Guilty that Boston was reached at inter
walls. The same held true Of the Postal
service, there being no wires east of the
city. Miss Brown, the manager, received
orders at 6 O. clock, to take the instru-
ments out, the company anticipating
something more alarming
The water had gradually risen since
Sunday afternoon, and when the general
alarm was given, at 3 q clock, this morn
ing, there was general commotion and
hustle. Those who had business on the
sire ct were around as soon as possible
moving their goods to places of safety
These, however, only included the mer.
chandiss thar was in the celltr;, so that
the food, when it came so suddenly
caught some of them mapping and it was
with difficulty that the goods were re
moved.
And, as it was, there were some who
were not fortunate enough to have their
property out IF danger in time. Thosi
who had roums overhead their establish
menis had them placed there are therefore
congrat,ilatng The mseives tonight. The
l,ss, although large, is not as much as IL
might have been on acct unit of the prompt
work OF the merchants.
Wei, to tell the tory Of the flood.
Words cannot he placed on paper that
will anywhere hit the magnitude Of 1t.
1t was something that never has happened
before, ann it is Hoped that it will be many
years before such an occurrence will again
take place.
1t was good natured crowd that
watched the proceedings at corners and at
every available place where the doings of
the men in the canoes and those getting
their property out of danger were to be
seen. The people, and especially the mer-
chants, seemed to have resigned them
selves to their fate, appearing to look
upon the matter With unconcern, al
though in their hearts they wished that
snch thing had never happened. just
the same, the bystanders gave words of
[Conrinued on page 2.