The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-11-15
MS

aud other facilities OF travel amounting to
$1,000.
but the yenturesome spirit OF mankind
evidently was not taken into c0nsidcras
tion by the prophet Of 62, Tor the Hood
OF April 10, 1865 which was only two
feet lower than that Of seven years before
caught tive families living on the island
aud obliged them to change their abode
Temporarily. This ireshet was caused
more by continued rams than by melting
snow, and while II did considerable dam
age 10 the island the amount was c0mpar
atiyely trivial
Many people living today remember the
memorable ircshct ot Oct, I, lst0, when
MILESTONE brook, ia the greatest rampage
Oi its career, swept across the Connecti.
cut with such force that II undermined
I the east abuiment OF the toll bridge aud
eventually caused the destruction OF that
historic structure.
The river itself was dangerously high
at that time but its condition was over
Swallowed by the might OF MILESTONE
! brook. which swept down the valley like
/ tidal wave aud left path of dcyasta-
1 tion from Centeryille to its mouth, The
Z Frost meadow was completely submerged
! aud all the factories and stores along
Frost and Flat streets were ieanully dam.
T aged, everything not on the most solid
/ foundation going down before the rush
! OF water. The plant OF the Estey Organ
company then known as Jacob Estey &
!. Co., was located on Frost street at that
I time. Adolph Friedrich, a Polander en-
I. poyed M the factory, was unable 10 e.
I cape from the building before the flood
reached IL. In attempting TO make his
I way 10 the bank he climbed on pile OF
lumber which was swept down stream,
| carving the unfortunate man over the
II falls IN spite of frantic efforts to rescue
\ him. Friedrich, IN company with +. a.
4 Wells OF High street. was one Oi the very
i few who escaped from the wreck OF the
| steamer Central America when It iound'
cred in 1857 on its way home irom Call-
folnia. Miss kitte Bennett a l6-year-old girl,
also lost her life ia the ircshct OF 6y. she
was in the upper part OF the old Center,
Vile tannery when that building collapsed
and She was carried down stream and
| drowned.
/ The town suffered between $4,000 aud
$4,000 damage 10 its highways from tins
| Hood and property estimated at tuliy
! 100000 was destroyed. High water was
| preyalent throughout this section and
| there was not a town in the county that
did not report great damage iron de,
Istroyed highways, wrecked bridges ana
collapsed buildings. According TO the rec
orls OF David Booth. previously quoted,
]
higher at Longmcadow, Mass, than that
| in the fall 1T is remembered, says a
recent l.ongmeadOw item, that the mead
oWs looked like a vast ocean IN these
| floods the water coming TO the foot OF the
| hills Before the railroad was raised to
| its present height boats were rowed across
| the top OF the tracks, and though farmers
were anxious the boys enjoyed the sport
and numerous muskrats we've caught.
a "a 80 ~ [
necticut river lived a temperate life Tor
nearly - years, but April Is, 1898, saw a
| food which has been described as SUIT
| able companion TO those which previous /
| Is held the record. By some 1t was called
even greater than its immediate predeces-
sor. swollen by continued rains the
| northern tributaries OF the Connecticut
sent down such a volume OF water that
the island was again covered with the
exception of a small point OF high land
near the further end OF the bridge, ana
the elevated roadway. The river was
within two feet OF the tollbridge flooring /
and the departure OF the structure was
momentariy expected. Crowds gathered
al this end of the bridge, many secretly I
hoping that the somewhat nckeiy ana 1
Iantiquatcd thoroughtarc would shccGIhD,
land when a large raft struck II snort I
idistance this side of the pier the excite (
lthe bridge should stand and those who an. /
lticipated a glorious spectacle in its down. I
Han were disappointed. In this flood the |
Mater came within foot OF the railroad
Ipear the Simon Brooks farm, Hooded the
Ic,llar of the Hunt farm and inundated I
! The basement OF the electric light plant .
LAD the w9gth Of Whetstone ,,b br99s p,y,
Mater until this fall and a. has been .
istated this flood would not have been .
leiyen much attention had II not been tor \
Itle dam. When the old toll-bildge was I
lrrplaced by a new and higher structure I
Ipeople seemed to become indifferent TO 4
lordinary freshets knowing that the pres,
ent structure was out OF harm $ way and
hacking perhaps the excitement that ac-
companied the impefilhng OF the former
|structure. ,.,
4 A peculiar feature Of river floods is the .
Variance of their heights at different .
points. At Holyoke, Mass, for example, .
The water of last week Thursday was SAID
40 be the highest since 1869. y Is true I
glso that the volume of water IN stream
,annot be judged accurately by its height I.
Men who have studied the history OF the
Connecticut in connection with prepara-
ton which preceded the launching OF the l
Connecticut River Power companys pro,
ect claim that in a protracted period OF
flood the water piles up at the head
Of the French King rapids above Turner'S
Falls and gradually sets back unit, the
height is proportionately, greater here.
abouts than at a point below the swift
water. 1t is extremely difficult, however,
accurately to gauge the flow of water un;,
der the most favorable circumstances, and
Iii is therefore not surprising that there
should be some variance of opinion about
the different floods which have enlivened
the history of New Engand's greatest
waterway within the last half century.
We have secured the agency for Orlno
Laxative Fruit Syrup, the new laxative
that makes the liver lively, purifes the
breath, cures headache and regulates the
digestive organs. Cures chronic constip;;
alton Ask us about it. Sold by All
Druggists.
Il cannot understand why a mans wife
is called his better half
"You would if you had to divide your