Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-03-07

Train Service in Brattleboro at Stand
still Monday-The Damage in Bellows Falls.
Sundays storm, which distributed
itself so impartially over New England
and the Middle states. made no excep-
ton in favor of Brattleboro and vicin.
ity although the damage hereabouts
was nothing in comparison to the havoc
wrought in some sections. The time
honored toll bridge, which is begin
ming to be an eyesore to many people,
withstood one of the hardest knocks in
its history, but was so badly damaged
that it's repairs will amount to many
hundreds of dollars. The lower West
river road, the Retreat meadow. the
island and the meadows between here
and Hinsdale. n H., on both sides of
the Connecticut became receptacles
for vast quantities of ice which were
broken up by the extremely high water
and in numerous places the highways
were made impossible on account of
ice packs.
The steady downpour which contin-
ued all day Sunday melted nearly all
of the several inches of snow which
covered the ground in this section, and
by evening all the small streams we're
raging torrents of muddy water. The
ice which filled West river began to
move Sunday afternoon but became
jammed near its mouth and set back,
covering many rods of the lower West
river road and the narrow gauge track.
and badly damaging the pumping sta
tion. One side of the building was
torn away from the frame and the pump
which is in the basement was completely
covered with ice. At one time the water
was two feet deep in the boiler room.
The house of Charles Adams a short
distance above the pumping station
was surrounded with ice to the depth
of several feet, and Mr. Adams, family
was obliged to begin housekeeping in
the second story. Water covered the
Retreat meadow to the depth of l5 feet
Monday afternoon The quantities of
ice which covered the highway above
the pumping station made travel i'm
possible and not until Tuesday was
passage cut through Stearns' flats
short distance this side of Hinsdale .
were covered by ice in similar manner |
The Connecticut rose steadily all /
day Sunday and at six O'Clock was
several feet above its usual height
with the river from the bridge to the
upper end of the island solid mass of
ice. During the evening this jam broke
and swept under the bridge with a ter
rife boom, splintering the ends of the
trusses as if they had been kindling
wood. The river continued to rise all
Sunday night and Monday morning.
reaching the highest point about ,
o'clock Monday About 10 o'clock
Monday morning the river began to fill
with ice and from then until | O'Clock
was packed with immense blocks
which threatened at times to lift the
bridge from its abutments. A large
crowd of men and boys gathered at this
end of the bridge to watch the flood
and whenever a particularly large block
Of ice struck the lower parts of the
bridge, the crowd cheered Justify.
Some of the ice cakes were of enormous
size. and they were interspersed with
portions of bridges which had been I:
carried away between here and White
River Junction. 1
The flood began to subside Monday '
afternoon and by Tuesday morning the .
liver was four feet lower than ii had q
been at its highest point. The damage /
o the toll bridge vas so serious that q
ravel across it has been suspended. :
Both ends of the truss which supports q
he Vermont span were literally chewed :
o pieces and the west end of the further .
russ had suffered in similar manner I
Vt present the bridge is supported y
olely by cross beams and the further Z
pan has sagged more than a foot y
several of the stones on the upper part ~ ~
# the pier were also torn away. =
Train service in Brattleboro Monday Il
ias the worst it has been this winter .
NJ RI af I'm, ,cta
'ernon. No trains from the north :
anne through here until about 6
clock in the afternoon and only the 9,
,entral Vermont portion of the II 10 II
rain from the south made its appear -,
nee, all trains going by the way of q,
Ieene until late in the afternoon when -
he tracks were prepared so that the II
40 from the south. could-run over its ~,
sual route. Matters were not SO bad m
5 might have been expected on the f
arrow gauge. A wrecking train start r.
d out Monday morning with the snow ~
Tough and cleared the track as far as II
ownshend SO that the evening train n
ould make its regular trip to that i,
oint ia
The flood brought its usual incon- cr
eniences to people in Bellows Falls. n
everal of the pul mills were obliged sx
, suspend operations, as in some in m
ances the water was halfway up the IN
indows of the first floors. The Bos- e.
IN d Names Connecticut River di- n,
Ision was impossible Monday morn la
,g between Bellows Falls and West N
inster. as was the Rutland on the III
eadows north of Bellows Falls, where in
lie track was covered with ice and in
ater. No trains passed Bellows Falls WI
-onday morning over the Boston n mi
aine. the morning mail being sent or
trough Keene and over the Ashuelot an
'ad 80
During the morning hours. when 60
lings were looking their worst. a cof In
r dam was built at the north end of Of
lie Boston q Maine tunnel. as the n,
ater had reached point where fur ne
Ter small rise would carry the current r.
rough the tunnel. This was re 90
owed late in the afternoon, when it to
as seen that the flood had reached its No
light. and the later trains were run re p
er the line as usual The Rutland TO,
ad was also able to resume traffic Nc
fore night. The highways on both M,
des of the river, north and south, sts
ere impossible In some instances 90,
ey were covered to a depth of several off
ct with huge blocks of ice The Rr
all carrier from Alstead was obliged n,
abandon his team below Cold river. :
oulder his mack and make his way as a.