The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-08
Merchants Hard Hit as Water
Poured Into Cellars and in
Some Cases Made Rivers
Through Them North Barre
Under Water From Maple Ave.
to Sixth Street.

Rising with marvellous rapidity, the
waters of Potash and Gunner brooks,
which find their outlet into Stevens
brfneh by flowing through the city, at
lacked and soon overmastered their man
built barriers yesterday afternoon and
nla&e one of the most disastrous floods
fser experienced in Barre. Meanwhile.
stevens branch was running bankfull
lll the way to Depot square, where it
receives Potash brook; and there the
pressure of the additional wHter from
the brook caused an overflow of the new
Tall which was constructed when the
tiverbed was changed across Burnhams
siax6cw.
Further down the stream, where Gun
per brook empties into the river near
the Whitcomb Bros machine shop, there
we're even worse conditions, as the river
FLANNEL was entirely inadequate 10 car
ty off the tremendous volume of water,
and the food leaped bridge and railroad
track in its mad rush. At the Smith
Nhitcomb & Cook plant the waterfall
Mas almost entirely obliterated; one
sould scarcely know there was dam
there at all. AT the same time, another
Bood was rushing down Main street from
Maple avenue to Sixth street, where IL
igain found its way into the river
thannel.
The total damage in Barre will run
hto many thousands of dollars, mer-
,hants, granite manufacturers, house
Ioldefs, the municipality and private
concerns being the losers The streets
b many sections are quilted and many
Jays of labor viii be required to remove
lhe mud and debris. Railroad and street
par service was not only curtailed, but
b some instances was entirely discon-
hnued by the high water The Mont
.elier & Wells River railroad is a far
Ieavier loser than the Central Vermont.
Is considerable of its roadbed was
Fashed out on the branch line between
Barre and Montpelier, while the main
Inc from Montpelier to Wells River also
Euffered. The line has been idle since
yesterday afternoon. The Central Yer
hont's trains are running late in eonse-
uence of the flood.
The sharp turn from winter to sum-
her was the cause of the almost UNI
recedented conditions, as the great ac-
kImulations of snow in the hill and
nountain districts were fast turned into
Eater and eoursed down their channels.
! change in temperature and the trans
brmation of the rain storm into snow
torm late last night averted an even
Feater loss.
In Barre, little Potash brook perhaps
bit the effects of the thaw the earliest.
there wasn't much trouble until the high
Eater in it reached Elm street, where
he stream shoots into a eulvert and
here the water set back and flooded !
kwns and gardens on Eastern avenue.
Moreover, the entirely walled culvert
puld not stand the pressure. The water
egan to find its way through interstices
h the upper wall, until presently the |
bwns on Summer street from Elm to |
searl street, under which the stream |
bows, resembled boiling springs, great /,
plumes of water escaping the barrier |
nd flooding lots between Keith avenue |
nd Pearl street.
The main stream shot out of the en-
losed culvert at Pearl street and broke |
Is bound in the open before the channel |
gain lodges under ground and flows
hder Main street to the river. Here |
gain the opening of the culvert was
tuch too small, and the charging food
bund its easiest course in and around
handlers garage until it went full tilt
painst the rear of the Nichols building
h North Main street. a basement stair
lay leads into the Nichols shop in the
birth basement store, and the torrent
tscended into this until the basement
las full TO the ceiling, after which the
later flowed out the front entrances into
lain street Some of the property in
bis basement was saved, but little was
kken from the electrical supply store
I c. c. Perkins in the south basement
tore, which was flooded just like the
lher. For hours thereafter the flood
pured directly through the Nichols base
ient; and similar conditions, though less
larled, prevailed in the Union Clothing
b.'s store just TO the north. Water
lied the cellar to the top and then the
nter broke through into the street,
laking another channel underneath the
hilding.
Jones & Nye's g-ery stable is next !