The Press., 1898-09-08
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
items of local interest taken from the columns
of The Press, thirty years ago.l
THE FRESHET.


The heavy rain of Friday last raised the
two streams entering this village from the
north and northeast higher than they
have ever been known to rise within the
recollection of any present resident of
Stafford. The Granite mill company had
the fiume out of their dam and were put
ting In new one, of which only the frame
was in place. The water all passing
through the opening thus made the sur
plus could not long pass off in the channel
made for waste water, but commenced
crossing Main street in front of the Con-
gregational church, and thence passing
down in front of Baker & Heald's block,
one portion running along Main street and
between the depots to the river, and an
other larger part encircling the building
occupied by VIM. Smith and Converse &
Cleaveland. Within half an hour from
the time the water commenced rising over
the street it had risen 10 depth of three
feet or more, and was rushing along in a
swift current, rendering crossing with
teams difficult and not wholly safe. From
five o'clock, Friday evening until ten the
water kept rising The cellar under
Heald's store and under the bank were
filled with water to the floors, and many
of the residents of "the island'' vacated
fearful that the Granite mill dam would
give way. Nor was their fear ground
less, for, Notwithstanding the wide OPEN
ing where the flume was taken out, and
through which an immense volume of wa
ter was rushing, the pond was filed so
that a great sheet of water passed over
the apron, filling the channel Of the regu-
lar stream. All sorts Of stories were cur
rent during the evening to account for the
sudden rise. The Tuckerville reservoir
above Staffordvtlle was reported to have
been swept away, and nearly every dam
along the line was reported at some time
during the evening to be gone. The whole
rise, however, was caused by the extraor-
dinary fall of rain, which sent torrents of
water pouring from the steep hillsides
The Tucker Vile reservoir, so far from
causing the flood, greatly lessened it, be-
ing very low at the commencement of the
Iain, and retaining much of the freshet
above 1t. The rain continuing Friday
night, Saturday morning found the waters
as high as they had been the night be-
fore. The current had ploughed chan
mel through our streets, so that driving
through the flood was an undertaking
that needed care. During the forenoon q
fOOt-brldge was thrown from Heald's
store to the hay-scales, and thence to the
higher ground near the church, SO that
pedestrians were quite we'll accommo-
dated. Several mishaps occurred to par
ties driving through the water, fortunate
ly none of them very serious ones. The
water commenced to subside Saturday
afternoon, and by Sunday was so low that
a temporary dam threw the water into
the natural channel, and left the street
once more visible But what looking.
street! The dirt was washed away, leav-
Ing only a bed of huge boulders, while In
some spots chasms three feet or more in
depth were worn into the hard road bed;
The railroad track was partially under
mined in spots, and trains had to move
with great caution. The selectmen view
ed the premises on Monday, and on
Wednesday a gang of workmen, under
the supervision of w. D. Heald, com
menced repairing the damages to the high
way. The sudden rising of the stream
from the northeast also proved too much
for the accommodations provided for it,
and great portion of the water ran over
the road near Preston & Dennis tannery,
doing considerable injury there, and fill
ing the dam of the Stafford loom compa-
ny so that the water pouring over the
place provided for waste water wore down
into the dyke, washing away several feet
of it before the water could be let out of
the pond. Had the Granite mill dam
been in its usual condition considerable
damage must still have been the result of
the freshet, as theregular channel of the
stream was nearly sfull in the height of
the freshet, and but small portion of
the water which flowed down the street
could have passed under the bridge. At
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