Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-01-28
MID WINTER FRESHET
West River Went on a Rampage
Saturday Morning
Immense Ice Jams Formed, but Damage
Was Slight-Connecticut Did Not Break
Up-Big Rainfall Friday Night.

Up-Bg Rainfall Friday Night.
Warm rain on top of an unusual depth
Of Ipat snow caused a freshet the last
of tAe week which did much damage in
this locality. The rain began to fall Fri
day and continued internationally all day
and nearly through the night. In the
morning all the small streams were raging
torrents and the West river was beginning
10 feel the effects of the water which was
h.u- poured into it from every tributary
stream. The last snowstorm made the
snow about two feet deep on the level
about BrattlebOrO, and back on the wood
cd hills il lay to a depth of from hVe 10
eight feet After less than "a hours of
rain nearly all the snow in the low lands
mad disappeared and the depth was re-
tg..j To a foot or two back on the hills.
So such sudden rise of water has come
m taIs section in many years. The rain
stopped Saturday morning, and slightly
COOLER weather stopped the thaW. by
Sunday night the brooks We're back nearly
tu their normal condition.
-idoTiuP the quantity of water when
came downstream and the damage which
Wal. done i'm surrounding towns, Brattle-
Haro escaped very fortunately. Whet-
-'... brook carried away the foot-bridge
"..".,u Frost place and Frost street ana
."r0 was some damage to the roads from
sn w1shouts. Many cellars were flood
'e and he fire engines We're called out 10
pump them out The sudden passing or
'. .OW left the streets in a dangerous
conditions with glare ice from curb to
.r' and the sidewalks as smooth as
-Hs ON the hilly streets 1t was very
s.ruus to turn out as the snow in the
-...r- was so soft that a sleigh runner
"..t 400 to the bottom and an overthrow
"- most certain. Many of the horses
H. not sharpened for any such travel
r.I Of bo
r' work i'm making the rounds
" chance for the greatest damage
". the mouth of West river, both the
".r.l highway bridge and the railroad
being in great danger from the
"..t river ice. West river Went on a
'naso early Saturday morning and
...' o'clock the ice began to break up
Ntt for a short distance from the mouth
0 '.o river it held firm and thereby prob
uHu.. saved both bridges. Several bad
formed and the ice was piled up
uu the banks. A jam which formed
.."r f.c pumping station was the prlncl-
source Of danger, also a means OF
tun, to the bridges. This jam held
am immense amount of ice and
".r but it seemed on the point oil
king al the forenoon. Early in the
ming the ice came over the upper end
.. dixie which was built to protect
Retreat meadows and the entire
lows were fued with Ice, water dHu
4e When the jam at the pumping
.'... broke at last the ice went out
.c meadows and lodged, very little
coming down the main bed of the
r...r
aI this ice and water had come
stream and struck the piling which
supported the Boston & Maine rail
track during the alterations on the
aga mo- one could tell just what would
.'e happened If the pilings held firm
oe would have iammed and piled II
.".| the covered bridge would have beer
d from its foundations. If the pile
not hold the railroad bridge Nigh
iFe gone over into the Connecticut rive
with them. Engineer George e. De
her, who has been in charge Of thu
alteration Of the bridge, saw the DANCE
friday afternoon and he secured nigh