The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-11-01
RIVER WAS
ON A RAMPAGE
But 1t Did No Damage to
the Golfer Dam.
UNUSUAL FALL FLOOD
No Such High Water in October Re-
corded Since Connecticut Rose
IA Feet from Monday Noon to Tues
day Night-Foot Bridge Damaged.


IA Feet from Monday Noon to Tues
day Night-Foot Bridge Damaged.
If, previous to this week, the con.
tractors who are building the big dam
at Vernon and Hinsdale thought they
were familiar with the yagaries of the
Connecticut river its obstreperous con.
duet during the past two or three days
must have convinced them that their
knowledge was not 50 complete as they
imagined On Monday, when every
thing was in readiness to begin pump
ing the water out of the completed cof-
fer dam and the big pumps already had
been started on their extensive task,
the Connecticut swollen by the heavy
rains of Sunday afternoon and even
ing began to rise so rapidly that it
soon became evident that trouble was
ahead. From noon on Monday until 10
o clock Tuesday night the water crept
steadily upward on the gauges which
record the river S flow, and when the
high point was reached il is estimated
that fully 10000 cubic feet flowed past
the dam site every second. This is the
largest October food that has been re-
corded since 1869 and is greater than
many of the spring freshets for which
the Connecticut is renowned, At its
height the water was fully IA feet
above normal and at the Golfer dam it
self was over IS feet higher than the
average level As testimony to the
substantial character of the work which
has already been done by the contract
ors, however, ii can be said with alb
solute truth that this mighty volume
of water did no serious damage to the
Golfer dam and will have no more Sc
rious effect than a delay of a week or
two in the progress of the work. In
fact the most annoying feature of the
flood was its destruction of the sus-
pension foot.bridge used by the labor
ers in going to and from their work,
and this is a matter which two or three
days labor will remedy.
Those who visited the dam site
Tuesday afternoon saw a spectacle of
water power which they will long re-
member. Rushing onward in a turbid
flood the river swept through the mar
row gap between the end of the Golfer
dam and the Vermont shore with
force which if harnessed would have
generated 100000 horse power. Below
the dam it rushed against the point OF
Stockwel 5 island, uprooting massive
trees and carrying them down stream
with tons of earth and debris; 1t swung
back in an eddy against the Vermont
shore with such force that the bank
crumbled away as if it had been saw
dust. Creeping steadily upward on the
planking of the upper crib the water
about 8 clock began to pour over the
top of the Golfer, leaving only the
stacks of the submerged boilers and
portion of railroad track to remind one
of the activities which had day or
two previous been going on within the
structure Shortly afterward the sus-
pension bridge, which had been partial
ly submerged for several hours, gave
way before the fearful strain and
toppled on its side, releasing quantities
of drift-wood which had collected on 1t
and destroying the east abutment. Yet
in spite of this mighty elemental force
this marvellous display of aquatic
strength-the stout timbers of the cof-
fer dam weighted with tons and tons
of rock showed no signs of giving way.
And as the water at length began to
pour over its crest the engineers, conf
dent in the stability of the structure
on which they had been working since
last spring felt that the supreme test
had been met successfully.
Other features aside from those fur
nished by the river alone enlivened the
course of Tuesday afternoon. Between
2 and 3 O'Clock three of the superln-
tendents employed at the dam, Waldo
II. Lowe of Fitchburg, Mass, Robert
Howes and a Mr. Lee, started to cross
the river a short distance above the
bridge in small boat. Underestimate
ing the power of the current the men
did not head their craft upstream far
enough and it soon became evident that
collision with the bridge was un-
avoidahle. AS the boat drifted down
ward Mr.. Howes, who was in the cen
ter of the hoat, stood up in such man
ner that Mr.. Lowe was unable to use
the oars effectively and the craft
struck the bridge hr0adside at about
the center of the river. As it did so
Mr.. Howes and Mr.. Lee stepped quick
" to the bridge but before Mr.. Lowe
could rise the boat capsized carrying
him under it. Grasping one of the
bridge cables with one hand Mr., Lowe
managed to gain a position of safety
before the boat was sucked downstream
but his escape was so narrow that none
of his associates fke to speak about
the matter without first giving thanks.
Since Wednesday morning the river
has been receding steadily. Work is
now under way on new suspension
bridge which will be built from point
near the main office to the extreme end
of the Golfer dam and as soon as this
is completed the construction work
will be prosecuted as vigorously as
ever.