The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-04
RIVERS FALLING
Millions Of Logs Now Prove Menace
to Navigation.
FURTHER REPORTS OF DAMAGE
Show Losses Even Greater
Than Anticipated.

PORTLAND Me-, March 4-The Pre-
sumscot river, although 1t has fallen, Is
still a raging torrent, but no further dam
age Is expected from It, as 1t has carried
away all in sight. This Is true of other
rivers In this vicinity, and they are ex-
pected TO assume their normal size by to-
morrow. At Mechanics Falls four bridges
that spanned the river are gone. Thou
sands OF dollars worth OF damage has
been done In this place alone, and people
are navigating the streets In boats. Mil
lions OF feet Of logs have gone TO sea, and
captains OF arriving vessels report that
they are serious menace to navigation.
The city is filed with strangers, and hun
dreds sleep in tho Union station every
night.
Newspaper Enterprise.
HAvERuILL, Mass, March 4.-The water
of the Merrinac and Little rivers has be-
gun to recede, but almost imperceptibly
The cold is very severe, and Ice has formed
on the overflowed district outside the main
current. Yesterday was an enforced holi-
day, rs only one power plant could run.
The flooding OF the pressroom OF local
paper necessitated the teleHraphing OF the
entire copy OF ths days edition TO Boston,
rail and distributed throughout the city in
advance OF the usual time at which the
paper Is ordinarily published. The entire
contents of the city greenhouses have been
destroyed by water and the cold. The oc-
cupants OF Brickett block, six-story
structure, have been ordered out. as 1t is
feared water has undermined the founda-
tions BY many IL is feared that a large
portion of Washington square, which Is
built on an arch o.er Little river, will
cave in. Several small cave-ins have oc-
Cured, and the sidewalks have settled in
many places. The water reached its high
est point for 81 years. Tho loss is esti-
mated at $4,000.
Buildings Afoat.
SACo, Me-, March 4.-The Saco river Is
rapidly receding, the cold snap having
dropped Ii 80 inches in lS hours. The big
tavern at Salmon Falls Is aloat Just be-
low the village the jam of ice, trees and
wreckage is piled up 20 feet, making the
water back up 26 feet above normal. AT
Bar Mills. Thomas III. Perry's grlst mill
was carried away and when the building
reached Salmon Falls 1t struck the new
iron bridge and carried that structure
down stream. This bridge was substituted
for one carried away in last springs
freshet, and had just been completed. The
York cotton mills and Saco power ma
chine shops, employing 40J0 hands, closed
since Monday. will start up tomorrow.
Streets in this city which have been sub
merged are now passable. The total dam
age will reach thousands of dollars.
Mills Lose Heavily.
LIvRRMoRE EyALJss, Me-, March AT
Brettun's mills, three dams, grist mill
and two bridges are gone The North
Turner saw, carding and grist mill dam
was swept away. Turner village saw and
grist mills and the large carriage factory
were destroyed. The East Livermore
mills dam was washed out, and Canton
village was partly flooded, owing TO big
dam of ice. Every bridge on the river
seven in number-was swept away.
Highest In Ninety Years.
NASHUA, N IT,, ,alrch 4.-This city wns
IN darkness again Vast night, because Of
inability OF the electric light company to
furnis Nights. The danger from the
Merrimac and Nashua rivers is passed, as
the water is steadily going down. Four
thousand operatives are out Of work, and
the electric cars are still stalled. The 23ft.
6hin of back water Is the highest reached
IN 90 years.
Trains beginning to Run.
PORTSMOUTH, n. H., March 4.-The
train arriving from Wolfboro at 4;50 yes
terday afternoon was the first since Satur.
day, and the Canadian Pacific express,
passing through 10 minutes later, via
Lakeport and Dover, was the first train
from that section since the food The
Boston and Maine road will have trains
running today.
Bridges All Gone.
RocKLAyD, Me-, March Authorization
from Union indicates that all the bridges
there have been swept away, causing n
loss of $4,000. This city narrowly es-
capped q repetition of the famous lime fire
of 1891. Many coal and wood kilns were
washed away.
Belfast Lost Seven Bridges.
BELFAST, Me, March 4.-The storm was
the most damaging ever known here
Seven bridges We're carried away and
many wharves submerged. There has been
no mail since Saturday.
Commissioners Booth at Boston.