St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-04-21


weeks freshet, the oldest settler re
called the great food Of 1869, as tn
only one within memory which could il
any way compare with it, From Tues
day night until Thursday night thC
waters of the Passumpsic and Connects
cut ran riot, and the resulting damage
to highway and railroad is figured way
up in the thousands. The trouble start
ed with the heavy rain of Tuesday night
which started the deep snow in the hills,
and by Wednesday night the usually
docile and easy-going Passumpsic was a
raging torrent that refused to stay
within bounds, but spread itself over
meadow and field and in several cases
over the roads and sidewalks, carrying
with it on its mad race to the mother of
waters anything in sight that wasn't
hitched The rain continued all night
Tuesday and all day Wednesday, and on
Wednesday afternoon the river rose
above the danger point. 1t began run
ming over Concord Avenue, just above
Hooker's Island and the island disap-
peared entirely from view, Elm street
was also under blanket of water and
on St. Mary street yards ndcellars were
filled. Wood and lumber which had
been carlessly piled near the river edge
were carried down stream and in several |
instances huge trees, which had been |
uprooted, were seen floating past.
As soon as the river overlooked its
banks a sharp watch was established
on the railroad, and this proved to be
good idea, as before long the road bed
began to show the effect OF the persistent
hammering of the water. The first
place to give out was at the Electric
company's dam at Centervale, Wednes
day afternoon. Several feet were washed
out and the south-bound air line was
delayed about two hours. The track
men filled the gap the best they could
with sand bags and rock ballast and the
track was moved back as far as possible
rom the break. The next break report.
I'd was at the Hastings bridge and this
was followed by a slide near the Pad
lock village crossing, where a section of
he banking about so feet long took a
irop OF Is feet. In both places the track :
vas moved enough to safeguard trains
md traffic was continued.
The worst was yet to come, however.
1t 7 O'Clock Wednesday night, when the
treets here were in darkness because of
wo feet of water in the electric plant at
'assumpsic, which furnished power for
he arc lights, came the news that the
rack below the electric light station
vas unsafe. Trains were run over the
lace carefully for a while, but finally
hey gave up the plan and at about mid
light the track bed for a distance of
early 100 feet and Is feet deep dropped
ut OF sight. Roadmaster Brown and a
arge force from Lyndonville responded '
o the {. Q. d. message. Work on the
freak began at once, but it was not
Until the next night at o'clock that
rains were run over the place. In the
meantime trains that could not be held
t this station or Woodsville were sent
round by the way of Whiteheld. The Il
reak proved to be worse than was c
nticipated and early Friday morning P
wo freight cars were grounded at the
pot and the track again put out of COM
Mission. The same tactics as before
'ere resorted to in regard to the running !.
I trains and this continued until that :
ight when word was given out that I
9th this break and the ones at Barnet L
nd Ryegate were now safe to travel h
yer. t
But while all this had been going on
long the Passumpsic the mighty Con- v
ecticut, swollen beyond all recognition,
ad been cutting up even worse capers II
nd Thursday had taken out enough of O
he road bed between Newbury and e
radiord to keep large force of men t
usy three days replacing it. Trains c.
mich had gotten by Bradford, south "
ound, were somewhat surprised on
heir return to find themselves on T
lrge island. 1t was rot until Sunday
fternoon that traffic was resumed over r.
his stretch Sunday a special was 4
lade up at Wells River and passengers
nd mail started toward Spring field @
In the meantime travellers returning .
ON Boston and New York had resorted
, almost any expedient in their endeav- "
RS to reach home in safety. One St. d
man, homeward bound who
)und himself stranded to the south of c
White River Junction, booked passage c
yer the Rutland road to Burlington and a
hence over the Lake road home b
theirs reached here by the way of Mont p
elier, going to the capital by the Cen {
raj Vermont route and then back to a