St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-03-05
VOL. LXV---NO. 1872
MANY WATERS


A Spring Freshet that Will be Remem-
bered for some Time bridges Carried
Away-Highways Blocked by Water
aud Hce-CelIars FIOOded-TracIs
Washed Out and Travel Delayed.
The spring breakup this year will not
soon be forgotten. 1t has come early
and brought with it such flood as has
not been experienced in this section for
many years.
By Saturday morning the ice in the
Passumpsic and SIeepers rivers was in
condition to promise trouble, and dyna-
miting was resorted to, with gratifying
success. By afternoon the jams had
been broken up to such extent that Sleep
er's river was clear OF ice for a consider
able distance either side of the scale
shops, and the danger which threatened
that establishment was averted. The
ice was so piled up at the mouth of that
river, however, that by four O'Clock on
Saturday afternoon the water was near
ly up to the tracks.
The Passumpsic river was on Saturday
cleared of ice for some distance above and
below this village, so that no serious eff
fects were felt here aside from the food
ing OF few cellars-except at Paddock
Village.
A Close Call.
Road Commissioner Jackson reports
close call while dynamiting the ice jam
near the ledge in the vicinity OF the Weeks
farm on Sleepers river. He had just
placed two cartridges and was making
fair time towards his buggy toget out of
the way, when the jam started, and in
less time than it takes to tell it be found
himself, buggy and all, floating down the
road on large cake of ice. This mode
of transportation continued for while,
but he was finally left safe and sound on
terra 6rma. He might have been landed
in the stream-but he wasn't.
The Railroads Hard Hit.
The Passumpsic and Connecticut rivers
and White Mountain divisions of the
Boston & Maine road suffered severely.
Three or four extensive washouts were
reported by Monday morning, and much
of the track under water at points where
the real amount of damage done could
not be learned at that time. The wires
were down to such an extent that the
train dispatchers could reach only
washout occurred between Wilder's and
White River Junction, some sixty feet
long and from twenty to thirty feet in
depth. Between Wells River and New
bury, on what is known as the Newbury
Meadows, the track was under waterfor
a long distance, and the damage done
there was matter of conjecture as late
as Monday afternoon. The same can be
said of large portion of the track north
of Barnet. Some 400 feet of the track
three.quarters OF mile north ofPassum-
sic was also badly flooded to depth of
from one to ten feet, but just how
thoroughly the road was washed re-
manned to be decided later when the
water subsidized. The temporary struc-
ture put up to replace the burned bridge
on the White Mountain division, at
Bridgewater, was partially carried away,
making travel over it impossible. Two
small bridges between Woodsvile and
Scott's were carried away.
The Lake road escaped with compara-
lively little trouble, the damage to that
road being confined to Cambridge juno
ton, where somewhat extensive wash
out occurred, delaying through travel
for about day.
at the Center,
St. Johnsbury Center experienced the
most disastrous food in it's history Sat-
urday and Sunday. Ice in the Passump-
sic partly broke up Saturday afternoon
and caused big jam above the village
and several between that place and this
village. Thus the village was in danger
from two sides. The water rose to an