Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1904-04-01
BRATTLEB0R0 LOCAL NEWS.
SWEPT AWAY BY ICE PACK IN WEST RIVER
Two Spans Of Railroad Bridge Carried Out Top Of Brateboro
Gas Light Compauys Dam Swept Away and Power Station
Damaged

! merston station, a distance Of about a
mile ana a half. and passengers coming
from the other direction are carried over
the same route There are about 10
empty freight ears between West Dunn
mcrston and South Londonderry. which
will be filed ready to be moved as soon aus
the trcstle H. completed. Tie railroad
company had anticipated trouble ON the
road, on account of the high water. and
80 had distributed the locomotives at
points where they could he had at best
advantage in case the expected happened.
one was left at Brattcboro. one between
I West Dummerston and West Townshcnd.
and one between West Townshcnd and
South Londonderry. Trouble was feared
most at West Townshend. no one ever
dreaming that it would come at West
Dufnmerston.
The story of what happened mt the Brat
tleboro Gas Light compauys plant also
is of remarkable interest G, II. Thompson
and a force of men spent Friday there
breaking up the ice with dynamite. They
went up again Saturday and had about
two-thirds of the pond cleared when the
ice from above came down stream. At
that moment Mr. Thompson was in the
power station telephouing to his father.
J The men on the bank of the river saw
the big mass of ice coming and they be
gan throwing stones at the building i'm
the hope of attracting Mr.. Thompson'S
attention, but great was the turmoil
without that he did not hear them. Sud
denly the top part of the dam broke and
a great mass of ice pitched over the falls
and moved toward the power house. which
stands on the edge of the water, partially
protected by a granite wall. Mr.. Thomp-
son did not know that his life was threat
ened but his friends on the river bank
did and they gave him UP for lost
Without warning there came a terrific
crash and one corner of the building was
n \
granite block was thrown into the middle
of the room and the water came rushing
in. Mr.. Thompson. by a desperate effort.
barely was able to escape throug n door
at the other side of the building. and
clambered up the bank Besides the Sec
ton of the building the switchboard. tele-
phone, transformer and some small art-
Giles, among them Mr.. Thompson's camera
were carried away. The main machines
were not damaged
The part of the dam which broke off
consisted of heavy planking and tmberS
Besides taking off eight to ten feet from
the top of the dam the ice broke out "A
section at each end, 50 that the water
runs out at the ends of the dam instead
of over the top. Many of the timhcrs
were ground so that they will need To be
repaired.
The power house can be repaired
at small cost The damage to the Gas
Light comrany's property will probably
reach several thousand dollars. The PEN
stocks connecting with the power house
extend several rods up the river to a
granite wall The ice was Just ready to
fall over the wall when the dam broke and
the river fell several feet The breaking OF
the dam was tn only thing which kept
the ice from going over the wall ana
sweeping the power house out of exist
cnce.
The ice caused the river to rise in some
places ~ feet or more in less than five
minutes, but by Monday night all the ice
except that thrown up on the bank had
disappeared and the river was rapidly APP
preaching its normal level.
The main highway to West Dummerston
is impossible beyond the Roadway farm
ice being piled high in the road near Mr.
Redway's and at John Taft's Several trees
some of which were IS inches in diameter
We're cut off by the ice and thrown out
into the road. In one place a cake of ice
weighing probably half ton was thrown
up into the crotch of a tree some 20
feet from the ground. The pumping sta
ton, which oftens sustains damage in
spring floods, was fortunate this time in
escaping without harm.
The road between West Dummerston
and Williamsville was nlled with ice in
several places. a gang Of men was kept
at work until yesterday blasting out the
ice with dynamite. They began blast
ing south of West Dummerston ycstrr-
day.