Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-09
RUSHING TORRENT.
Kennebec Has Not Yet Reached
Its Highest Point.
Still Rising and Water Street Base
ments Are Full Of Water.
Some Augusta Merchants Will Suffer Con.
siderable Loss from the Flood.

ike to swallow them up and carry
them to parts unknown. The water
was still on the rise, last evening, and
it looked as though it would continue
to come up all night. The angry
stream is the chief topic of conversa-
ton all along the valley.
As on the days before, the bridge and
sidewalk above the post office was
lined nearly all day with people
anxious not to miss anything out of
the ordinary. And they were not en-
tirely disappointed. for Il great
deal Of matter such as planks.
pieces of bridges, etc. went down
which served to keep up their interest.
whenever il began To lag. There was
not as much ice, yesterday, Us on pre-
vious days. but the debris coming: down
during the freShct.
At the dam the water slowly rose
from about 100. Monday morning.
when it was feet, 6 inches until ut
S.. it was 3 feet, 4 inches, when it
dropped little and at 80 had fallen
to > feet, 2ia inches. 1t continued at
this point for some time and at IL
o'clock had come UP barely half an
inch, then ii took another start and
about . in the afternoon it had gone up
to 8 feet. : inches and was rising at
that time about an inch an hour. Thu
rise at the wharves, Sunday night. was
about feet, inches up to o'clock
Monday morning and il slowly came
up till il had reached q height of about
feet, = inches at o'clock. and then ii
seemed to drop back about an inch ana
held its own until about noon, when it
began to rise again and had come up
about inches at 6, last evening.
The ice which was reported from up
river, Sunday night, reached here about
4.30 Monday morning. when the first
of it began to come over the dam, and
from that time on there WAS more or
less all day. About Z O'Clock. yester-
day morning, jam OF ice was report
ed above Five Mile island which caused
"A rise of about foot there in a few
minutes. but il did no particular dam
age and was soon broken.
There We're all sorts Of rumorS atloat.
yesterday, but for the most part they
seemed to run to bridges gone above
here. and many bridges were named as
known to have been carried away, but
the only evidence of any bridges de-
stroycd which reached here came about
z L. NJ. when two pieces of Il bridge
which might have been 30 feet long
We're brought down. II was not known
from what place this came. but it was
probably from some of the smaller
tributaries. But the rumors did not
stop here, however. as one said that n
man had been drowned below here in
trying to cross the river. Investigation
some excitement for awhile for the
name given was that of a well-known
citizen.
An amusing thing occurred early in
the afternoon. 1t seems that someone
tried to have a little fun with those
watching on the bridge and report
says that he met with great success. A
lay figure from some clothing store WAS
dressed up, hat was fastened ON and
it was thrown into the river. This was
weighted SO that it appeared to be
man floating face down in the water.
There was considerable excitement as
the figure was seen approaching. and
those who saw it We're deceived and
there was some hustling to try to bring
the body ashore, but about that time
the trick was discovered, and the
pseudo body was allowed to float down
for the edification Of watchers below.
Reports from out of town say that
the damage by the heavy rains to the
country roads is something appalling.
One man who works in the city. but
who lives about six miles up the river.
in, yesterday morning. that
he did not think he could get into the
city at all for the day. He said that
the culverts and cutters could not be-
gin to handle the water, and the result
was that the roads had been badly cut
up He said that in that section moth
ing like it had been seen for many
years. And reports from various places
seem to indicate that this storm has
done more damage to the country
roads than any storm for a long time.
In the city the water caused less
damage than might have been expect
ed. The business men were nearly all
prepared for the rise of water, and
therefore it caused them for the most
part more inconvenience than actual
loss.
Inefp was cDIlSlutEiDlc uhuldSe Ill
come instances j. Il. Fuller is the
heaviest loser on the street. A great |
,aantity of goods has been removed
rom his basement but there was much |
stock left. and what is not destroyed is
greatly damaged by the water. Mr.. !
RULERS men were busy all day, yester- |
,ay. moving what stock they could
from the water.
RYAN & BULLDOG, dealers in plumb
nr and hardware goods. stoves and |
Electrical apparatus, have also suffer- |
81 considerable loss. Their store is on |
no west side of Water street, immedi- |
,tely south of Bond brook. The bot
.om floor is flooded several feet deep |
md considerable stock will be ruined. |
especially the iron.
The four buildings on the east side |
# Water street. south of Bond brook,
re suffering from the water which
hoe invaded the Easements. The rail
m the platform around Joseph La |
Continued N page 81