Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-07-23
THE VERMONT NEWS.
The Biggest Landslide

Ever Known In vermont--went on n
Mile After Cutting Big Path Three
Miles Down the Mountain side--Cireat
Damage by Water In EnOsburgh, Un-
derhilI, Jericho and other Towns.
landslide which came down the mountain in
the south part of Fay ston, about four miles from
Waslleld, last week, is said to be the largest
known in this state and probably in New Eng
land. 1t was half mile north of the great slide
Of 20 years ago. Slides started at two separate
points near the summit Of the mountain, and
after going 100 rods or more they came together,
and went crashing and laundering to the foot of
the mountain, a distance of three miles. The
mighty mass of rocks, trees, soil and water
gained such great momentum that it did not stop
until it had gone a mile beyond the foot Of the
mountain. Several dwellings, and farm buildings
were only short distance from the path of the
great slide. The extent of the slide is realized
when it is known that it swept the mountain side
bare to the solid rocks for distance of over three
miles, the width OF the path being four TO 80 rods
Acres Of large forest trees of all kinds were car
ried down into the valley.
Nearly all OF the bridges in the south and east
part OF Enosburgh are washed away or damaged
The house and all the other buildings Of Levi Syl
vester at West Enosburgh were swept away, Civ
ing the family barely time to escape Joseph
Gelbs barn was washed away with all its CON
tents ana MS mouse was undermined. Holes are
washed two to ten feet deep in the roads. Frank
Heyer, 40, was drowned while attempting to cross
a small bridge near his house. The body was
found two miles away, badly bruised Mr.. Heyer
was one Of the listers and superintendent of the
Congregational Sunday school Frank Scott was
drowned at West EnosburRh while trying to rescue
the family OF Dennis Dow, whose house was sur
rounded by deep water Mr.. SCOTS home was in
California, but he at home caring for his
father, II. II. Scott OF Bakersfield, who IN.
his body was found three -fourths OF a mile from
the scene OF the accident. Wesley Ovitt and
Benjamin Davis came near losing their lives at
the same time, but were rescued in an exhausted
condition. The blacksmith shop Of Joseph Japan
at West Enosburgh was swept away beside great
damage was done to mills on the streams. Proba-
| bly, $4,000 will not repair the roads and bridges
in town. not to mention the destruction Of crops
and grass.
The water at Waterville was the highest ever
known. The bridge across the river by I.araway &
mills was washed away, and nearly every road in
town was made impossible. The damage to the
! hay and grain crop will be very large. Frank
Laraway's boom broke and he lost from IL 900 to
! 1900 logs, and his mill was damaged j. V.
Stevens lost nearly his entire stock of logs Bel
| ydere, and II. A. jackson, who stocked the
Larned mill at Belvidere lost his entire stock of
| logs. Lewis Robinson's horse barn and part of
| his mill dam were carried away.
1t is estimated that the total damage by the
| freshet in Bristol last week $4,000. An eX-
| penditure Of $1,000 will he necessary in repairing
the highways, and the estimated cost of building
| new bridges and abutments is 5000.
Nearly all of the bridges In Underhill and Jeri-
| cho we're washed away or damaged during the
| freshet last week Some of the bridges were
saved by claiming them to trees. All of the
| bridges in the north part Of Underhi are gone.
W. A. Pollard lost one barn and part Of another
was destroyed. The iron bridge near the Buxton
mil In Jericho was carried down stream, and the
/ bulkhead to A Woods mill is gone. The loss
| in the two towns may reach $1,000.
The top Of the slide was situated in the town Of
| Warren. What started It will never be known.
| An immense rock estimated to weigh nearly 200
tons fell that morning distance Of ten rods from
a nearly perpendicular height, and where this i'm.
mtnse boulder struck was the beginning Of the
| slide
About 10 acres of heavily wooded spruce tim.
Der land went down in the slide leaving the rocks
| behind them almost perfectly bare. The average
width of the avalanche was 20 rods and at several
| points near the top of the slide il at least ca
| feet deep. The noise was deafening and was
| heard for distance Of five miles and more. The
| avalanche made two sharp turns one about half
mile from the top Of the slide after il had fallen
| from the immense boulder, and again as it left
! the forest Just back OF the residence of Hollis
Mehuron
The last house under the mountain is occupied
! by Charles Belts His buildings narrowly escaped
/ destruction The slide passe1 so close to his
house that the trunk of the huge trees that were
| carried down came within very few feet Of his
! barn, aud during the l. minutes u at thu se-thng
mass was passing his home, the feelings Of him
| self and his family can better bee imagined than
/ described They supposed the whole mountain
! was coming down upon them and expected every
/ moment that their little home would be-. crushed
/ and they themselves hurled into eternity. Mr..
! Belts well Knew that the buildings Of Mr.. Menu
] ron below him were Immediately IN the track OF
the avalanche but he dared not leave his own
| family 10 20 to Mr.. Mehuron's assistance aud il
was more than an hour before he Earned that
/ the land slide had taken sharp turn a few rods
below him aid that Mr. M-huruu and Mr. HEX
| DRY were safe. The damage to Mr.. Mehuron' 5
/ farm amounts to hundreds OF dollars, "A large
| part Of II being covered with debris
A trip up through the canon that left in
| the track of the slide gave added idea Of il
! tremendous force. Birch, spruce aud hemlocA
/ trees two feet and more in diameter were twistec
! OF ana the churning process which they went
| through before they reached the level land ant
! where they were deposited stripped them OF
bark and limbs as clean as it could have beer
| done with an axe
BY actual measurement 1t was 1894 feet above
the level Of the sea where the slide started anC
| las feet above the level of the sea where 1t wa,
deposited in the valley making an actual fall o.
| 2ilG feet