Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-03
MAINE FEELS 1T.

Waterville, Me-, March 2.-(SpeciaD.
Put down just one more large, black
| mark for the freak winter. Put it down
for regular thunder showers on the
second day of March and one of the
heaviest rainfalls known in this section
of the State. When everyone has been
reading about the floods in Massachu-
sets and New York they could sympa-
thize with the suffering people out there
from a recent vivid experience, but it
was not expected that the experience
was to be repeated again in the same
year and within a short time. But that
| is Just how it looked, last evening,
when the lights came on.
Those who were awake in the small
hours of Saturday morning heard it
rain as it has seldom rained before in
this part of the country. 1t sounded as
| if whole barrels of water were striking
| the roofs. The dOwnpour was terrific
for several hours but let up about
O'Clock in the morning. There were oc-
casional deluges after that but the sun
came out during the forenoon and the
day was delightful one. 1t was I'M
usually warm for March and in the
afternoon was about as fine as could be
reasonably asked for. The evening was
also fine.
Along towards midnight, Saturday
night, the rain started again in earnest.
1t was not quite so heavy as on the
preceding night, but it was consider
ably more than could be expected for
L - Of
tinued with considerable steadiness
through the night and during Sunday
| forenoon. It cleared up bit by noon
and then came the thunder showers
during the latter part of the afternoon.
Just before 6 o'clock Sunday afternoon,
there were some vivid flashes of light
ming and heavy thunder. This was fol-
lowed by the regulation downpour of
the thunder shower. There We're sew
| eral showers at short intervals.
The old sores on the Maine Central
caused by the last freshet were re-
opened. early Saturday. The schedule
was soon thrown out of gear and the
trains were run as best they could dur
ing the day. There were bad washOuts
just below Vassalboro and at Clinton,
thus breaking connections both ways.
Train No. ], due here from Portland at
9.47 in the forenoon, was held up just
below Vassalboro, Saturday, by the
washOut there. 1t was thought at first
that by relieving the train of it's load
of passengers it could pass over the
weak place in safety. So the paSsen-
gers alighted and walked by. But the
place looked so suspicious that the
trainmen decided not to risk a passage
and a train was sent down from here,
the passengers arriving about o'clock
All the other passenger trains were
more or less delayed by these places
east and west of here.
The freight trains were practically all
held up, Saturday. Those from the
west were cancelled early in the day
and later those from the east. This
piled things up in great style, but if
the passenger trains could be kept NOV
ing everyone was satisfied.
The tangle was Strengthened out
quite bit, Sunday, and considerable
freight was moved during the day. The
regular trains came through all right
although more or less late. Sunday
night was a wild one on the road and
the majority of people expected to hear,
this morning. that some train had gone
into hole during the night. The road
was especially sensitive to trouble on
account Of the terrible racking it re-
ceived during the last freshet.
The Kennebec was watched with con-
siderable interest during the day, yes
terday. At $50 last evening, there was
feet and l inch Of water on the Lock-
wood dam. During the latter part Of
the afternoon report was received
from up river that it had been raining
there all day as it had been here. Word
came from The Forks that there had Z
been a steady downpour all day. The
snow about the village had practically
disappeared but there was still lots OF
it left in the woods The Sandy river
was rising and the Kennebec was BOOM
ing. If these reports materialize a good
rise may be expected here, this morn !
ing.
The ice In the river was dreaded the
most on account Of its great thickness.
Before the rain began 1t would probably
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