The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-08
FLOOD TURNED
STREETS INTO
RAGING RIVERS

while frantic efforts We're made from tht
street floor to lasso and pull them out
All the animals were saved. Buildings
on Pearl street had their quota Of water
also.
Meanwhile the water began to fill
Main street and it set back up the street
as far az the Miles granite building
SO that hasty efforts were made to re,
move destruetible goods from the base
ments. Later all the store easements on
the west side Of the street and some on
the east side, as far as the square
became flooded, while other stores far
ther south on the street got some sur
face water and seepage.
The water also turned down Depot
square and marooned both the Montpe-
lier a Wells River and Central Vermont
passenger stations, after which ii ran
into the river channel In conjunction
with the pent-np stream that was pour
ing through the Potash brook channel.
Where the brook joins the river, Burn
hams meadow was d lake, with Arthur
s. Martins woodsheds in the middle Of
if and the wood floating down the
stream
runner bIODk RaReu,
All the north end of the city, where
Gunner's brook enters, the damage was
not SO great to property. but the volume
of water was much larger. Gunner
brook overAowed its walls early and,
running from Brook street, the overflow
started south lip Alary's place until it
came TO Maple avenue, where ii turned
west and flowed, with the street full
from gutter to gutter. IL far az Main
street. There it turned III its natural
northWard direction, and from the inter
street northward To Sixth street the
thoroughware was impossible except To
teams and automobiles with especial
ly venturesome drivers, The water not
only filled the street but overtowed and
slot over lawns on the west side Of
the street until ii reached the river.
Further north on Main street, near the
corner of Blackwell street, the part of
Gunner brook which stayed in the chan
mel then leaped the carIiage bridge and
Montpelier Y Wells River railroad track
10 the river, while the overflow rushed
down Main street, leaving the Smith.
Whitcanb II Cook plant on an island.
Below tho Smith Whitcoinb q took
plant. tho river became unrUiy and
jumped its hanks. diverging To the west
and obiitefating the Rangers athletic
field and setting Angelo Scampini's
woodplcs on the current TO Lake Cham
plain. at the same time knocking down
the fences about the athletic field. An
other stream diverged to the east and
swept across the Montpelier & Wells
River railroad tracks to Main street,
where it joined the unrestrained flood
which was coming from Gunner brook
North Main Street Rushing River
With this additional water, Min
street became channel for a raging tor
rent as far as Sixth street, where the
lay of the land was such as to direct the
wayward stream back into the river, but
not until great damage had been done
in the Easements of stores and houses in
that section 1t was feared at one time
that the Berlin street bridge would 90
out, as the crest of the food brought the
refuse against the bridge and thus left
ii open to terrific pressure City work
men were massed at that point for some
time before the danger of losing the
bridge was relieved.
1t was clever move which saved
the bridge, as manmuvred by Street
Supt. DeBrune and Alderman Ward. As
the hoodwood began to mass against the
structure, it sent the water over the
top of the flooring; and it became evil
dent that if the accumulating wood was
not removed the bridge would be swept
ca ho nf+ Sf1 L. i
part of the flooring ripped up. That
was done, and Immediately the water
with its freightage of wood shot through
the iron girders in a great display The
pressure was relieved. The bridge was
saved.
The absence of ice was a fortunate cir
as otherwise many bridges
would have been lost. To save its new
bridge on Burnham's meadow, the Barre
railroad set some loaded cars across the |
bridge to hold the structure down. Just
above this railroad bridge the water was |
apping the foot of the Prospect street |
road bridge; but the bridge stayed also. |
The new river channel did its work ad- !
mirably under one of the worst tests
It will ever receive. Had the river been
lowing in the old channel at the rear Of |
Main street, the damage would have
been immeasurably greater.
During the entire afternoon and even. |
ng the street car traffic in the citv was /
1t standstill. Two cars were eaught /
between the Hooded areas on North Main |
street and were kept there until the /
water subsided, as it would have been
impossible to get them through the two
eet of water that covered the track.
In fact, the entire line of the Barre n
Montpelier Traction and Power COMPANY
vas tied up, the water having submerged
Dart of the track between the two cities.
Rhe last car TO get through from Barre
o Montpelier reached the latter CITY at
';I5 yesterday afternoon, and it was
lot until the middle of the forenoon TO-
lay that communication by this line was
e-established. As in Barre. the cara
we're caught in the sudden rush of water
n Montpelier and were held until the
Tater receded.
In the midst of the excitement of the
fternoon, the fire alarm sounded several
ines; and the seourge of fire in addi-
ion to water came uppermost in the
minds Of the people. But the alarms
fere found to be due to the attacks of
be water on a pole near the gas COM
any's plant off Depot square. Later the
rouble was remedied
Most of the call men of the fire de.
were already on duty in the
God districts, having been called out
Y Chief Gladding to assist storekeepers +
nd others in saving their property The j
remen did good service in this work,
lille the full force of police under Chief