News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1905-07-05
A DISASTROUS ELECTRICAL STORM
Much Damage Done to Property in La
mOiIie County.

Much Damage Done to Property in La
mOiIie County.
The Lamoille valley was visited by
a rain storm last Saturday night
and Sunday, the equal ofwhich-reck-
oned by the amount of water which
fell and the amount OF damage done
has not been equaled since 1869. The
storm began at about four o'clock
Saturday afternoon and continued
with only short pauses, when it SEEM
ed to stop for the purpose of getting
a new and firmer hold, until Sunday
forenoon. The amount of rain fall
ing up to Sunday morning at seven
O'Clock, as measured by the local
weather prophet, was Az inches. 1t
was the fiercest electrical storm ever
seen in this vicinity, considerable
damage being done by lightning and
many narrow escapes being reported.
The damage done by water, in Nor
ristown alone, reaches up into the
thousands, and the surrounding
towns also suffered heavily. The
rain did not cease to fall until after
noon Sunday.
The result of the high water in Nor
ristown consists of closing up of
six bridges as follows = The Dan
Smith bridge on Laporte road, one
on the cross road between Laporte
a I'd Randolph, the large bridge over
the Bedell brook, near the l.. Is.
| Boynton iarm, the bridge on the road
leading to the A. b. Munson farm,
the Mark Shaw bridge in the Sherwin
neigborhood and the George Terrill
! bridge. There has also been consid-
cradle damage done to the highways
| in the different parts of the town, the
road being badly quilted out in some
places.
The only serious damage to the
roads within the village corporation
was the washing out OF the fill on the
Congress street extension over Pot
ash brook. The water arose above
the sleuce way and washed out the
| ill until the water aud sewer pipes
were undermined and the pipes broke
| of their own weight. Thus II stream
OF water from the reservoir was add
ed, which helped along the disastrous
work. An excavation 30 feet long
and 20 feet deep and 80 feet wide was
made, the dirt being washed out
down to the striLgers of the old
bridge
I The village Trustees have cOmpIet-
ed all the repairs caused by the water
within the village corporation, with
the1exception of the Congress street
Ill. Work tss not yet begun here as
there is a question raised as to
whether the repairs should be made
at the expense of the village or the
town.
The farm property of Geo. Fl. Ter
rill, near Cady's Falls was la lily dam
aged, one abutment of the bridge
Il q ling to his farm, being washed
out, making the bridge impossible.
The water covered over several acres
of hay and grain ald three acres OF
corn were under water. The hay is
filed with dirt and other evidences OF
the food and it is hard at this time
to estimate the damage done to the
crops, although Mr.. Terrill says the
condition of the corn is not as bad as
was at first thought. The water did
not reach the strawberry patch as
was at first stated. Mr.. Terrill's loss
is quite heavy. Several cocks of hay,
which the workmen were unable to
get in the afternoon previous, were
carried away. Considerable damage
also done to Harry Smiths crops
on the opposite side of the stream
from Mr.. TerriIl, a large portion of
his meadow being under water.
VIC WARD HEAVY LOSER.
Walter G. Ward suffered the great
est individual loss of anyone as yet |
heard from in the county, the dam
age to his mill property being placed |
at fully $4,000. AT about eight |
O'Clock Saturday night the water
washed around the east corner of the !
dam and over the old mill dam and |
into the front part of the mill carry
ing away the south portion of the
mill and with it a practically new
combination planer and hatcher, for
which MIR. Ward paid $3.50, only
short time ago. 1t also swept away |
the main shaft and three pulleys, to-
gether with the frame work. The |
flood also carried away about 40 |
cords of hardwood slabs, four cords
of which we're recovered on the mea-
dow a short distance above W. Fl.
Towne's residence. The main shaft
and pulleys we're also found In a more
or less damaged condition. A mill
on this .lame site was carried away |
during the famous food of '69. The
Boardman mill also went out at that
time.
RAILWAY TIED UP.
Traffic on the st. Johnsbury { Lake
Champlain railroad was at a stand
still on account of the several wash
outs between here aud Hardwick
and one near Cambridge junction.
The first was at Peck's crossing, two
miles from here, on the Wolcott road
and was about so feet long. Between