El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-07-30
ARKS BUILT IN MAINE.
Natives Have Made Preparations For
Floods.


Charles E. Ashe. who lives In the
bottom Of . steep gully half way be
tween Cardville and Costigan Station
Me-, has predicted great flood in north
eastern Penobscot County for some
years, says the New York Sun. He ar
lgued that whenever the snow was more
thaut feet in the woods on March u
and the lower waters of the Passadum
keag streams were piled up with short
logs for the pulp mills, sudden rain
would turn the floods loose from the
hills and the encumbering logs on the
stream below would form jam above
Olamon. inundating the towns OF Green
| field, Milford ,Greenbush and Passabum.
kesg. This spring the delugc-makine
conditions are all present. and though
the flood still waits among the snow
banked trees, Ashe has his ark nearly
| completed, and says he will get his
household goods on board as soon as
| the river rises enough to overflow its
banks.
Inc craft 10 which Ashe and his
children hope to escape is long, deck
sd scow, made Of spruce planks caulk-
with coating of boiled oil and coal tar
Framed amidship is a 6x12 house,
which rises feet above the deck. This
Is entered on the port side by door,
the other three sides containing win
dows, which may be shielded by heavy
outside shutters. From the top of the
house rises a sheet-iron stovepipe. and
the range is screwed to the bottom of
the scow. The provisions are to be
slowed away under the watertigh bit
deck, and mattresses are also spread
here so those who are not on duty may
sleep safely. no matter how rough it is
outside. He proposes to start away in
bis scow as soon as the water rises
enough to permit his passage over the
rocks half mile below. After this he
will float down to within a mile of
Olamon. whereshe expects the Jam to
form, and anchor on the lee side of a
point until the logs break away. when
he will glide out on to Penobscot River
will exhibit himself and his family as
the survivors of the latest deluge. By
charging small admittance fee be
hopes co get enough to pay his work.
Ii he can not sell his scow for a house
boat to some of the well-to-do people of
Old Town, he will risk taking it over
the three dams between there and Han-
gor, and pass the summer giving shows
around the seaside resorts on the Maine
coast.
1t would take large book to tell all
49, Seoi ASo VI VII Q oIhS WulCu u6V6 DeSu
built in Maine. Most of the men who
have undertaken such tasks have been
crazed by religious excitement. In the
summer of 1857 David Crockett returned
to his home in Bucksport after an abb
sence OF twenty years at sea. He had
been on whaling ship in the Pacific.
and while there his vessel had been
captured by pirates, who put the capt.
Ives In irons and placed them between
decks. During the night the men man
aged to free themselves from the hand
cuffs and went on deck, where they
succeeded In overpowering the pirates
after q terrible fight. During the
light Crockett received blow on the
dead which disabled him. Returning
20 New York, he was converted, and
started down East, telling the story of
his adventures in every town. From
Bucksport he went north, saying he
vas going to convert the unchurched
who were settling on the wild
ands in Aroostook county.
Nothing more was heard of him or
his whaling stories until the summer of
1863, when the farmers who lived
'long the banks of Aroostook River
we're alarmed by seeing what they took
% be rebel gun boat float down the
liver on its way to ST. John. The craft |
vas a long scow bearing q fantastic |
house on its deck, and on the level |
licked space, fore and aft of the house. |
we're grouped pairs of deer. moose, fox
IS, rabbits, woodchucks and other nat
We animals. On top of the house stood |
Crokett, bsrehesded aud in his shirt |
leeves, crying out to the people to fee |
rom the wrath to come. His hair and |
BEARD, which had not been trimmed for |
ears, flowed out and about his head, |
irving him a wild and uncanny appear
nee. Crockett and his ark and his |
.nimals in pairs floated down as far as |
'ort Fairfield, where the selectmen,
eeing that he was insane, arrested him |
nd sent him to an asylum. The rotting
rk still lies upon shore just above the |
'illape