The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-04-02
FLOOD At ROXBURY.


Roxbury, April 1. THE village of
Roxbury was visited Tuesday noon by
flood so sudden and so serious that
had it occurred at any other time of
day loss of life would probably have
resulted. without an instant's warn
| ing, the great stone dam, 30 feet high
and about 30 feet long, which held
back the waters of Halls pond, So
called, gave way, toppled and fell,
| and the great volume of water stored
behind rushed upon the village be-
low. 1t tore out the 30 foot highway
bridge short distance below, lifting
abutments and, all in it's arms as
easily as shingie. Three foot
bridges were torn out and not until
the highway bridge, some distance be
low was reached did it fail to sweep
all clear The stone abutments there
withstood the torrent, which passed
under the wide span. But the amount
of water, coming as it did from
pond seven or eight acres in area and
much of the way of considerable
depth, could not be kept near the
banks of the stream. Thu whole viii
lage, extending for nearly mile
along the valley was flooded through
out its whole area, at some places to
considerable depth. Cellars were
flooded, wood piles swept away, fences
torn out and carried off, and havoc in
general wrought in the quiet of the
village. The Central Vermont sta
tion, which was nearly opposite the
dam, was struck by the torrent as it
spread. The platform was wrenched
off and swung away, trunks, express
packages and other things floated off
on the flood while the grading of the
track was badly washed.
1t was all over in few minutes ex-
cept for the mark, which the flood
had left. 1t happened at an hour
when almost everyone was at dinner
and consequently it was witnessed by
few, nothing being known of it until
the waters were swishing about the
houses Had there been any persons
along the course of the flood, as there
usually are, they would have been
swept off with the inanimate objects
and LETT on the meadows below in the
same manner. A freight train came
along just as the flood was supreme
but saw it and retreated. AS is we'll
known Roxbury is on the height of
land of the watershed in that section
and so great was the outpour that
instead of all following the course of
the stream to the north part of it went
out to the south, finding a course for
itself down the hill. When it was
all over there was scene! of desolation
near where the dam had been. The
empty pond. the fallen remains of the
dam, great stones from which had
been swept some distance down the
stream, the village and meadows be
low strewn with mud and drift wood,
the damaged roads, the amazed people
capturing fish which had been left
high and dry The pond had years
before been stocked with California
trout and these were now spread
throughout the village so that the res
idents had fish delivered at their very
doors free of charge.
1t appears that the dam had beer
leaking some of late and yesterday
forenoon G. r. Andrews, who owned
the property, told his men to try and
stop the leaks after dinner Had the
men been at work on the dam, there
might have been very serious results
from the break.
The mill privilege of which Hall Z
pond was part had been in use fol
nearly forty years, having been
through various hands since it was
given to Hall & Hardy by that town
in 1867 to induce them. to build &
watch factory. A factory for making
Matchmaker tools was built and rur
until 1897, when it burned in connec
tion with sawmill while owned by
Fred Royce and M. E. Chase. G.. h
Andrews has owned the property re-
Gently but has used it only for cutting
ice.