Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-04-12
RIVER ON A RAMPAGE
Connecticut Was Highest Mon
day in Nine Years

of Vernon Dam-volume 1900 Cubic
Feet Of Water a second-Llttle Dam
age Done.
In the dark hours of Sunday night
the Connecticut river overlooked its
banks and hardly without warning land
that had not been covered since the
spring of 1909 was inundated. Although
no serious damage was done in this To-
calty there were many anxious moments
for property owners and jewellers along
the river and had il not been for the
cold wave of Monday no doubt great
damage to property all along the stream
would have resulted. 1t was fortunate
also that the ice for several miles north
went out of the river a few days ear
ler.
The warm weather of Friday, Sat
urday and Sunday melted the snow
which laid deep on the hillsides and
mountains to the north, and swelled the
tributaries of the Connecticut to many
times their normal size. The melting ice
farther north also added to the large
volume of water The river rose quickly
and when rain began falling shortly af-
ter O'Clock Sunday afternoon towns and
cities in the north central part of the
state began to feel the effects.
News was received here early Mon
day morning that the river was rising
at Bellows Falls and that there were
Tears OF a UOOu. Attorney H. e. w Ull-
ney, who is connected in an official ca
pacity with the Connecticut River Pow
er company, was notified from the YER
non dam that the water was rising and
he notified several property owners
along the banks of the river. The water
rose fast, but there was nothing spec
tacular about it, The north end of the
island was overlooked early in the morn
ing and by s o'clock, when a large num-
Der of sightseers went to the island the
entire island was covered, with the eX-
ception Of the roadway and the higher
ground on which the three houses on the
south end and c. II. Grant & CO. s gran
lite sheds are located.
cold north wind was blowing and
the temperature had dropped from above
70 on Sunday to about 81 degrees, ana
this circumstance probably aVerted
disastrous flood. At O'Clock the water
was rushing over the dam at Vernon
nine feet over the crest. All the 10
flood gates were open, but the flow of
water was so great that gradually the
depth increased until that evening 1t was
10.4 feet deep above the crest of the
dam This was the highest water in
nine years, and when that point was
reached 1000 cubic feet of water sec
ond were pouring over the dam At Bel
lows Falls Monday morning the water
was 70 feet above the crest OF the dam.
At the guage back of the Swift COM
pany's beef house, which is measured
twice each day by Ticket Agent ID. ).
Carey, the water measured 80 feet sun
day afternoon at O'Clock. Monday
morning at o'clock it had risen AZ feet
and at o'clock another foot had been
added. Between and o'clock the ef-
fects of the. cold weather began to be
noticed here and the water rose but one
tenth of foot. 1t rose a fraction of
foot until evening and then began to
subside.
The water flowed at speed of about
eight miles an hour. 1t was practically
free of ice Monday, although large
pieces floated past at long intervals, DC
casionally logs were seen and also bits
of wood and underbrush. On Tuesday
the river was thickly dotted with pieces
of ice averaging five feet across and logs
and underbrush We're more often seen.
Early Tuesday morning a few sightseers
ON the island reported the largest piece
of property seen, henhouse, whlch
went floating down.
When the river was at its height the
island was almost inundated. 1t rose to
within Is inches of the roadway and
persons living in the houses began to
think of moving. Their cellars were
flooded and the water was creeping
around the houses The water came up
to within IS inches of the bottom of
Bigelows boat house and Tapped the bot
tom of C. H. Grant & Co.'S granite
sheds. AS the flood covered the island
il seemed to divide, one part following
the main channel and the other flowing
toward little river" Standing on the
grandstand at the pavilion and looking
over the railing. one had the sensation
of being on a rapidly moving ship. The
water rushed underneath, gurged
around the cement posts and went rush
ing over the cement retaining wall with
a great noise.
ri,,ta nd
left standing in the rear Of the red
barn on the island caused a ducking
for its owner, Fred H. Minis, and John
Birch. Mr.. Minis, fearful that the water
would rise still farther and damage his
engine, went with Mr.. Birch in light
skin and removed the propeller and en-
CINE. They had put them into the skiff
but the extra weight of the engine
caused the craft to ship water and in a
moment the two men were f1oundering
in the muddy flood with water above
their waists They rescued the property,
however.
Richard Pollica, who lives south of the
covered bridge on the HinSdale road, lost
large amount of cord-wood, and sew
eral pigs which his property came
near entering the happy hunting ground
by way of the water route. He went to
their rescue Monday morning and found
them huddled together in their pen with
only inches to spare between them and
a watery grave. light rowboat which
was hauled ashore near his house went
down the river and has not been seen
since. The Retreat meadows resembled
a small sea- They were entirely mum
dated, and from the southwest end OF
the meadows to the north side of the
West river the water was more than a
mile in width. The flood OVERLOOKED the
dixie built to protect the meadows, and
for several hours Tuesday the dixie
could not be seen.