Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-06-08

f.
few and so small that they were hardly
noticeable. 1t was from such homes as
these, that the settlers plunged into
the forest, from all directions bright
and early on this beautiful June morn
ing headed for Long pond according TO
the recorded statement of Lor1ng
Frost, who was one of them, about
sixty men and boys, arrived at Long
pond not far from eight O'Clock and
Immediately set to work digging
ditch across this low land. Probably
there never was any correct record OF
all those who were there. There is
record, taken from the publications
named above, of the names of the
following: Spencer Chamberlin, Rich
ard Goodwin, Silas Wheeler, John
Crane, Silas Clark, Joseph Owen.
Daniel Frost, Loren Frost, Asa Brown,
Joseph Gray, Hezekiah Bickford,
George, Barzillai and Lindol French,
Aaron Wilson, Levi Partridge, Elijah |
Stone, Samuel Twombly, Archelaus
Miles, Jr., Samuel Bean, Jacob Twom-
bly,, Benjamin Hawkins, and Robert
Brown. The soil on the top was the
same as you would find in any low
forest land, until they came near to
the pond, when they encountered q
hard crust, next the water, OF hard
pan mixed with gravel and shell mari
from one to three feet thick, Layer
upon layer, apparently made by the
action of the water for long years.
'This was left until the last; when
this was removed letting stream
about four feet in width and ten inches
deep flow into the ditch. Soon 1T was
noticed the water was not following the
ditch, that Immediately after flowing
over this crust, the water at once
sank into the ground, and disappeared
in what appeared to be qulcksand.
History tells us that Spencer Cham
berlin, one of the company, jumped
into the ditch, to ascertain the cause
of the disappearance of the water.
, and if he had not been pulled
= out by the hair of his h e d +,
q The would have sappeare IN
. the quicksand. CWilson.) Very soon a
. large hole appeared behind this crust
' of hard pan, deep heavy rumbling
= sound was heard, this hole was rapidly
q deepening and widening, large. pieces
:. of earth from either side with the
= began to slide into this vortex throw
T. ING I'D great sheets of water. Up to
: - this time this crust had held, but al
- at once this gave way to the depth OF
at least fifty feet, and several rods II
, width and went out with loud noise
> All this low land, with the water Of
e the pond, went whirling and plunging
20 down into Mud pond, cutting fol
~ itself channel some fifteen or twent!
o rods wide, and from one hundred ant
~ twenty-five to one hundred and httI
~ feet deep. All of the party were yer.
~ w much frightened and ran for high ant
N firm land, and as they reached the Mill
~ side, they saw the end of the pond a
an it were. swept out and the ragin!
w torrent go rushing past: such was tn
q rapid move of the waters IN the POND
WI that the sides thereof cleared OF waite
he as fast as a man would walk and sue
WV was the rush of water to the cente
- and north end where the break was
dv that the pond boiled like caldror
ne Two looms swimming on the pond, tn
an suction was so great, were unable
of rise and were compelled to pass on
oS through the new outlet. All tn
LOT water in this deep pond ran out in or
ch hour and fifteen minutes, but THO
~ black mud ran for hours. (Frost
rIv About two-thirds of the bottom of tn
no pond was sidehill the rest level {
nd nearly so; as the water receded ar
o. the bottom was reached, large ms
YER could be seen Topping in the mud, ar
,ad working down with the mud into tt
les low places, but the mud was so deep al
INF soft. it was impossible to get ne;
nd many of the fish in several places Il
lie mud left was very deep, and eve
nm within a few years, where post al
aan board fences have been built on i
in. bed, they have gradually dropped o
lis of sight. Large quantities of eggs
Of a light green, some yellow, some dial
I'M gray, were left in the bottom of Il
US pond; some seemed to be nearly
a large as hens eggs, and some We
ON small. (Frost.)
red Different persons who have WRIT
hes of this event, do not agree as to t
cir person who was left in the Wills
ok gristmill on the day in questio
cen One records Mr.. Wilson's wife W
Iow left to tend the mill, another that MI
of Solomon F. Dorr, the wife of t
lole miller, who was the son-in-law
inc Aaron Wilson, was left; another stat
the that settler was expected with
lev horse load of grain and was engag
ore in grinding his own grist. / am
, of clined to think the latter story CORE
the because nearly all accounts speak Of
,out man who was saved and of horse tt
lite was hitched near the mill that "
was lost. Besides, nelther the NorIn oI
and Joseph Owen. Pliny White, O..
YER. Percival, or Judge Parker say anythi
ond. of woman being IN the mill wnen
and messenger from the pond arrived.
and "Also there is disagreement as
that the person who made the long I
lson from the pond to the mill ahead of
bout flood to notify the occupant OF
the mill. Isaac Parker of Coventry sta
est. it was Solomon F. Dorr, while
very Percival, who lived and died in GLOW
con and was a painstaking histori
and investigator, and Mr.. Wilson, v
for spent weeks in Glover investigat
sted this matter, say it was Spencer Oh;
tenn berlin. Of those who have writ
this upon this subject no one put far
'ond, mentions the name OF Dorr;; :.
,ond, 81 think Spencer Chamoerhn