The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-04-04
THE OBSERVATORY

the suffering and damage in oul
country by wind and water. 1t make:
us think of previous floods in various
sections of our land; in recent years
there have been several devastating
floods in the Mississippi valley and in
the Ohio, which has to receive the
waters from the mountains of Penn
sylvania and West Virginia, and if
weather conditions are alike ip both
those regions, the Ohio is pretty sure
to have its freshet, with more or less
inconvenience and damage, and fire.
quently it has been great. My early
home was in the flat country, and l
recall travelling with my father into a
billy region where, frequently, as we
crossed bridges over small streams |
noticed piles of rocks on both ends
of the bridge-planks; my father ex-
planned it was to prevent the planks
floating away if the spring freshet
OVERLOOKED the bridge, and then ex-
planned to me the difference between
hilly and flat land, and told me of
some of the sudden rises he had seen
of water in small creeks and rivers
from heavy rain or quickly melting
thus my father taught me physical
geography in my young childhood.
The greatest flood we recall in this
region was in 1886, when the lower
road above the old Wheeler place,
north of town, was under water for
days, and the Roswell Parma bridge
was carried out. The layers of sand
on the sides of Canyon Hill tells the
geologist a story of water action in
this valley when it was part of great
fresh water lake, fed from these sur
rounding mountains.
Most of us can recall the stories of
the great floods on the Yantze and
Hoangho river OF China, when thous-
ands of Chinese have been engulfed
and drowned; and on the shores of
Japan's Inland Sea, where tidal waves
have taken dreadful human toll; there
having been several in China in recent
years.
The first Monday of October is
town-meeting day in Connecticut; on
that day in 1869 it began to rain early
in the day over all of western New
England, and by noon it seemed to
fall in sheets of water, drenching an
umbrella in going a few rods; the hills
shed the rain; the rivulets sent it on
to the brooks, which bore it to the
smaller rivers and they in turn to the
Connecticut; all streams were over
flowing; bridges were washed out,
factories on the banks undermined,
and in some instances started to float
away before workmen inside were
aware of it, The harvests had not
been gathered from the bottom lands,
and the next morning presented such
a sight as the oldest inhabitant" had
never before seen; the Connecticut,
Usually a third of mile wide, now
nearly three miles wide, covered with
Dose lumber, wrecks of buildings,
ogs, cord-wood, corn-shooks, pump
sins bobbing in the mildly whirlling
waters, cattle and hogs, but no human
bodies. 1t was a sight to make
'ivd impression and to remember all
If ones life.
1t is an interesting fact that public
:alamities often come in groups;
ometimes this can be accounted for:
,ftener it cannot be; but it is a fact |
hat in the decade following 1870 |
here were more bad floods in New
England than for a century before or
ince then. These were almost all |
aused by the breaking of storage
lams; during the war period of the |
ixties manufacturing had vastly in
reased, and more streams were
tilized and at the head-waters of |
many of them storage lakes were
ormed to supply an even flow of |
,ater through the dry season. Being
nterested in Cotton Mills during that
eriod it was my lot to live in two
laces which were devastated because
UGH retaining dams gave way; but l
'as not a resident in either place
then the disaster occurred. A COM
aratively small stream empties into
he Connecticut at Northampton,
lass; on it in distance of seven
niles were four thriving manufacture
1g villages; in Ma 1874 it rained for
Wo days; country milk man was
IMPLYING his customers, when man
hoted to him that the William sburg
am had given way; he knew what
hat meant; he could not see the
oming waters but could already
ear them; he turned his horse down
ne valley, shouting as he dashed the
nlmal, thus warning many, who
ushed from their homes to the hill
ldes and soon saw their homes 20
ancing off on the crest of the awful
rave, which swept the valley clean,
reat factory buildings disappearing
Ike cob-houses. A lady with her two
aughters was sitting sewing when
ne noticed water coming into the
ard, and called the attention of the
theirs; by that time it had risen two
three feet; they concluded a local
am might have given away, but the
rapid rise of water caused
lem to seek the upper floor; the
ig house faced the river and a large
behind, was towards the hill; the
aughter who led the way, told me
ne did not know why she turned into
he l. at the upstairs landing unless
was to turn to the right; the three
ad just left the stairs when the
hole main part of the house was
'renched from the L, and off it went
own stream; and there standing on
hat was now the open front of that
art of the house, they saw the dread
Il sight, the great nearby stone fac
Dry dissolve and disappear as though
lade OF sugar and everything float |