Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-04-11


the Winooski river, swollen by the heavy
River railroad yards ana came IL Il
torrent down Barre street 10 Main SO
swiftly that many pedestrians were
caught in water up to their knees The
water rushed down Barre street % Main
and thence to state. whore it met the
North Branch. also out Of its banks, So
that Main street from thu foot Of clay
hill and tho entire length Of Elm street
and the residential section OF the meadow
and State street are below water from
one to three feet deep. The river is stlll
rising.
Damage in the business section is great.
as thousands of dollars worth of goods
Is stored in the hlcd cellars, the
water reaching 20 the first floor
The loss IS roughly estimated at
10000 several merchants refused to
believe to-day when warned. that the
water would rise and did not move their
stocks. Local telephone lines are ont Of
commission. the telegraph is likewise
out no trains can get In and the
trolley service is crippled. One car was
caught on Main street ana is held there
tonight.
1t is the worst flood that Montpelier has
had and Barre is worse off Little ice is
being carried so that the damage thus
far. has been confined mainly to the
Nettinr of goods in store cellars.
The stoneshed section and part of
Me Wells River railroad yard were
!eoded early in the afternoon. Berlin
treet was impossible from the gran
" ~ =
on the other side of the river the road
was under water to the Barre trans
fer Between benjamin Falls and the
Dodge crossing the street car lines
Mere afoat. the last car coming
through from Barre at 215
BOYS NARROWLY ESCAPE.
During the afternoon large num-
Der of boys gathered on the suspcn-
sion foo;bridge leading from the cleo
trio car tracks across the Winooski
to the Country club near the gas house.
TIL upper edge @: the bridge was
caught by Stick of driftwood and
the floor turned bottom up, the steel
cables swapping like Irvine. Tony
1.ampcrti and John Malnatti were
thrown into the boiling water among
the cakes of ice and driftwood but
were able to pull themselve IS out with
the aid of a few scctionmcn and others
who heard the crash and ran to their
aid
Daniel Murly was struck by "A flying
end of the cable ana hrs face severely
scratched. Edward Clark, son of Mr..
ard Mrs. A. l.. Clark, who live near
10 ora
and pinned TO the ground. the side Of
hi% face and neck being bruised and
il was feared several ribs were crack
ed. Joseph and Louis Ala, Homer
Niles. a Point boy and several others
who were on or near the bridge at tho
time escaped 10 the bank with minor
scatches from flying timhcrs.
At six o'clock the water was over
tie stringcrs Of the steel bridge on
I@ngdon street and cakes Of ice were
gathering against The under side of
the floor. This presented the worst
danger point in the city as any large
mass Of ice or 4 few logs would make
Il lam which would take out the
bridge and probably Jam II against
the wooden rialto a few yards below.
EVERY STORE CELLAR FULL
AL that time every cellar in the
business section except those on the
upper side OF Main street had water In
them. Along Elm street the cellars
were flied and on the meadow above
Vine street was a large lake, many
houses being marooned. Above the ice
louise the Branch was out of its banks
most of the way to Worcester corner
end several wooden highway bridges
were seriously threatened at six
O'clock with the water rising two and
Il hal: feet an hour.
Nhe property damage will exceed the
hig ST. Valentine day food In 1900.
Practically every merchant In the city
VIII lose more or less; come making
rough estimates of $500 to $500 dam
age Tonight when the water was still
rising.
The trolley and steam lines. city street
department, many dwelling house owners
and sioneshed owners will lose from NO0
upward. The damage to the city streets
will be more than 81 800 A. eight o'clock
with heavy rain falling. water was
within foot OF coming into the streets.
Telephone and electro service Is crippled
Ia Barre the main streets are under water
and traffic between the cities is paralyzed
shortly after midnight the river stopped
rising. Tho weather turned colder and
Sonie snow began to fall A drop in the