Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-05-03
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS
Great Flood Of SO Years AGO.

Great Flood Of so Years Ago.
1t is an interesting fact that so years
ago this spring there was a freshet
Saturday, April 10. 1862, when the water
in the Connecticut reached the highest
point that ever had been recorded and
the record never has been reached since
The conditions that year were somewhat
as they have been this spring except
that the continued early warm weather
has not been present. At that time the
best obtanable authority said the water
was six feet higher than ever BEFORE
although in April, 1869, 1t reached
point within Is inches of the record of
1862.
In 1862 the ice went out early andt no
rain fell at the time of the highest
water The snow lay on the ground to
a great depth and a sudden thaw with
bright sun for a few days caused the
trouble The river began rising rapidly
Friday and by evening caused some
anxiety. on Saturday morning the
alarm became general and increased
during the day with the constant rise
of water. AS early as Friday evening
the peg shop of w. j. & ]. G. Flint, north
east of the coating mill of the 1nterna-
tional Paper Co, was cleared out as II
was expected that the building would be
washed away. On Saturday morning
the water poured over the canal guard
gates on Bridge street and lacked but a
few inches of running through the Ver-
mon Valley railroad tunnel under the
square
Early Saturday Superintendent Sloat
saw the necessity, for the first time
since the tunnel and railroad were con-
structed in 1850, of building dam
across the upper end of the tunnel, and
he began work with a large force of
men there and at the bridge over the
guard gates. The contest ragged the
entire day and until after midnight.
The earth had begun to give way on
each side and pairs of oxen with carts
were continually engaged to replace the
dirt washed out. For a number OF
hours 1t was expected that the gates
would give way. At dark the water al
the tunnel dam stood about two feet
above the rails and 1t continued to rise
nearly all night. Old inhabitants esti-
mate that at its highest point it stood
six feet above the rails. Late in the
afternoon it worked its way around the
dam there and began running with a
mad rush through the wall of the sides
of the tunnel, Carload after CARLOAD
of gravel was hurried into the hole
and a little after l O'clock the next
morning the danger was considered &c
be over. Some weeks later large par,
of the street in the square, in front OF
the O. D. Gray building caved in and II
was found necessary to use large
amount of gravel to fill the opening
This was caused by the water working
it's way through the embankment al the
side of the tunnel wall and shows
probably the narrowest escape from Sc
rious disaster that ever came to Bel
lows Falls.
So great was the fear in relation L
the. tunnel being washed out that OF
Saturday a number of stores and Of
fees above it were cleared out. Som'
of the families in the Harris building OF
Canal street removed their goods. ;
small dwelling occupied by a Mrs. Fl
field on the bank of the canal, jus
south of the Depot street bridge, wa
abandoned The house on the islan'
Just north of the Depot street bridge
then occupied by Josiah Bowtel, tn
veteran conductor, was undermined ant
partially settled into the canal. Tn
covered wooden bridge from Canal stree
to the station was raised from its abut
ment, and Captain Walter Taylor, hav
ing procured boat and a strong ca
BILE fastened it to trees, thus preventing
it from floating off.
The water was two feet deep on Ca
nal street just above the bridge. Q
nine small dwellings on the New Hamp
shire side of the eddy five were carrie
away and four others SO badly washe
out as to be useless. The highway an
railroad in North Walpole were entirel
washed out above the Cheshire brids
near what was the Walker ggrocer
store. At that time there was a hig
water mark on the abutments of tn
bridge across the canal on Bridg
street, made with red paint in 1925 an
at this time the water rose five an
one-half feet higher than this mark. tn
railroad service in all this locality wa
discontinued for from one to thre
weeks and mails were sent over tn
hill roads to Brattleboro, Windsor an
Rutland by team
The damage in all parts of the tow
by this flood was great. The meadow
of the Connecticut were flooded an
great damage done to the land. Shee
cattle and horses were lost. The tc
house at the bridge at Brattleboro W;
carried away, as were the farm buil'
ings on the island, as well as the bridi
to the mainland on the New Ham,
shire side and the West river bridge
mile north. 1t was estimated that Il
damage in the Connecticut valley b.
tween Bellows Falls and Brattlebor
including both these towns, exceed'
$4,000.