The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-04-15
HIGH WATER
FLOODS CITY
Merchants Hustle to
Save Goods
MANY CELLARS FILLED

Water Rose Rapidly in North Branch
Early This Morning and Over
flowed Its Banks. Was on a Level
With the Underpining of the
LangdOn Street Bridge mt Noon.
Cold Weather Predicted.
Montpelier is in the grasp of an
alarming flood which had visited
nearly every store in the business
district, flooded several cellars,
damaged a small amount of goods,
threatened highway and railroad
bridges and caused severe wash
outs. The Winooski river and North
branch rose all night and both
streams, fed by rain and a constant
flow of melted snow from the noun
tains, rose rapidly during the morn
ing and much alarm was felt. To-
ward noon, a telephone communica-
ton from u. S. Weather Forecaster
w. A. Shaw of Northfield stated that
much more serious flood would
be averted by change in the
weather and that tonight and tomor-
row would be much colder check
ing the flood, northwest winds pre-
vailing Rain is falling along the
Atlantic coast and the rivers will
probably rise much higher during
the day until the looked for wealth
er change occurs.
All the Merchants Busy.
The merchant element of the city
were out at 4 o'clock this morning,
and have since worked like Trojans
to prevent their goods from getting
a serious wetting. G. F. Buswell's
postcard department on the base
ment floor of his State street store
filled rapidly and the printing press
was nearly covered with the SHINY
mess. The stock was not damaged
to any extent, the entire line of
post card outfits, ETC., having been
moved to the main store by force
of more than half a dozen employ
ees who had to make rapid time
against the rising water. The base
ment store of A. H. Temples was
visited early in the game and the
water measured the first step of the
stairs leading to the first floor.
Here the entire stock of linen goods,
ginghams, etc, were removed safe
ly. Bruce Mcdonald moved his
stock of shoes, rubber goods, etc.,
from the basement, P. e. Pope, the
Boston Bargain store, Cross bak-
cry, the Langdon buildings and
School street stores took in a CO.
pious amount of water which did
more or less damage.
The water had reached within a
short distance of the level of the
Langdon street bridge toward noon
and a crowd of people spent the
day on the bridge watching the
water swift about the abuttments.
Big Plants Shut Down.
The Lane Manufacturing COM
pany, the Cotton shops, and the E..
w. Bailey company mills all felt
the flood and closed for the day. At
Colton's the wheelpit was flooded
and the belt was cut at six o'clock
this morning.
The Hotel Lenox was put out of
business today with supply of riv-
er water in the kitchen and a few
inches in the dining room. The
horse sheds, and small buildings in
the rear of the II. A. Bowman and
Kellogg stores on State street are
covered with water almost to the
roof and the river at one time was
within very few feet of State
street, the gradual slope of the in
tervening space holding the water
back. The rubber goods men did
hustling business and rubber boots
were the prevailing fashion. In sew
eral stores the high boots were use
less, the water measuring over their
tops.
Middlesex Road Covered.
The road to Middlesex is, as last