Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-03-04
MUCH WATER AND ICE
Dynamite Used in Many Places
to Prevent Damage
Twin state companys Power Station out
Of Commission Monday-conneetlcu
River Dam Was Covered six Feet.

HiNer Dam Was Covered Six Feet.
Brattleboro was threatened with
big flood early in the week but the
danger of serious damage Is past now.
Friday morning was the coolest of the
winter and the severe cold continued
until Saturday night, when a decided
change took place. On Sunday morning
the temperature was above freezing and
toward noon rain began to fall The
south wind and rain worked magic on
the deep snow, and before Monday it
had settled the snow more than "A foot
Much of the water simply settled into the
snow, but enough went into the small
streams to swell them to treble their
normal size and to create a sudden rise
in the larger streams Milestone brook
rose Monday forenoon to nearly as high
point as in the former thaw and West
river started on another rampage The
rain was not heavy enough, however, to
swell them to the danger point and they
subsidized partially without doing much
damage.
The West Dummerstou power station
of the Twin state Gas and Electric com
pany was put out of commission early in
the day Monday by the sudden rise of
water The normal flow of water over
the dam is about foot at this season
and this increased to about five feet i'm
a few hours The ice did not break up
in the pond above, but it was impossible
to run the plant on account Of the set
ting back of water from below the power
station. As soon as the water subsidized
the plant was put in operation again.
During the interval power from the dam
at Vernon was used for lighting and
power as well as for running toe street
railway.
The big ice jam which formed in the
/ former freshet at the mead OF the Retreat
| meadows prevented the sudden rush Of
| watr from reaching the mouth of West
| river peacefully and a big lake was
| formed back Of the ice jam. The West
| river trains had to run through water
J about two feet deep for distance of a
I quarter Of a mile. and a slightly greater
| rise would have put the road out OF com
! mission. on the south side of the river
! the water overlooked the banks and set
I back until the highway was four feet
under water for some distance
At Charles Adams farm the water
came up around the buildings and filled
. the cellar of the house. When the water
was rising fast 1t was feared that the
| cattle in the barns were in danger and
! they were removed to a barn on higher
land 1t turned out that this was un-
| necessary as the flood subsidized without
actually flowing the barns. one exciting
| incident occurred near the house. \
| farmer with a sled load OF six calves
tried to go through the water in the
highway and the sled was upset The
calves were rescued with some difficulty
At the West river covered bridge there
was no real danger from the rise of watel
as ii did not reach up to the top OF th'
abutments AS a precautionary measure
the ice in the Connecticut river at th'
junction was shattered by dynamite
Breaking up the ice in that way die
away with any danger of an ice Jan
under the bridges when the West rive
ice finally goes out. The dynamiting wa
very spectacular. great pieces of ice be
| Il vN in, al The blaStini
was done for the Connecticut rive
| Power company.
Dynamite was used also at Hayes Big
| CLOVIS island boatlouse in order TO pro
tect it from an additional rise OF water
! The rise brought the ice up to the leve
Of the braces beneath the house and
few feet more would nave placed tn
house in serious danger The ice abou
the boathouse was about 80 incnes thick
1t was blasted away at some distanc
, from the boathouse so as not TO damag
the structure. The shock loosened IN
ice somewhat. and it is not probable tina
the building will be endangered by
| greater rise of water. The water nearl
covered the island at the height Of In
| freshet.
At the Broad brook bridge dynamit
was used by the agents Of the Connect
/ emf River Power company. The ice nea
/ the covered bridge was blasted away
i relieve any pressure when might airs
/ at that point. The blasters had on
/ mishap Aside from the actual force
/ n hast the vacuum caused in the a
/ above mas to be figured on. In this cas-
i the difference between the ordinary a
Il mospheric pressure inside the covere
i bridge and the vacuum pressure on u
/ outside was sufficient to tear on all u
/ boards from one side Of the bridge
/ At the Vernon dam the water rose UNI
II was flowing over the spillway aho'
six feet deep. The ice was blasted ava
for n short distance back of the ia
and no trouble was experienced. III
| water has subsidized now TO nearly !
| normal level