The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-29
TALE OF THE
CONNECTICUT
Stories of Various Freshets
of Many Years
Ago
FARM ON ISLAND
DESTROYED IN 1862
Meager Records of Rampages That
Happened Previous to That Date
Something About the High Water of
1895-List of Incidents.

1895-List of Incidents.
A history of the ups and downs of
the Connecticut river during the cen
turtles which it has flowed through this
section would make a story of more than
ordinary interest to all who take pleas
ure in familiarizing themselves with To-
cal happenings. And had a continuous
record of its varying heights been kept .
with any degree of accuracy the stats
ties would be of Unreasonable value to .
those whose business at present is that !
of Harvesting the stream for the devel- /
opment of power. However, 1t hap /
pens that no historian has concerned |.
himself particularly with the vagaries
of the Connecticut at this particular
point, and as rivers themselves are not
in the habit of keeping diaries and pre-
fer to erase from year to year the rec
ords of their past, searchers for his top
zeal data are obliged TO depend on old
newspaper files and the memory OF
& Oldest inhabitants, while knowledge
of more technical character has to he
gained by means of survey.
Like all rivers. the Connecticut is
subject to annual spring freshets and
occasional high water in the fall of the
year. As a rule. however, these pc
RODS of flood are looked upon as mat
ter of course, and it is only when con
ditions combine TO raise the river to a
height unusual even for the time of
year that the occasion is considered
| of sufficient moment to deserve more
than passing comment,
| Just when the Connecticut river
| reached the maximum height of its ca
reer is of course unknown to mOrtals.
| but tradition had it 40 years ago that
| in 1875 there was a flood of such pro
portions that the island opposite Brat
tlebOrO was entirely submerged. This
may be true, vet in view of the fact
that the island has never been wholly
covered with water since that time is
is probable that retrospect, ever widen
ing, has had something to do with the
tale. Records of the ConneeticutS ups
and downs during the first half of the
nineteenth century are meagre, but it
appears that in the winter of 1908 the
bridge across the river at BrattlebOro
suffered badly from a freshet. The vol
ume of this freshet, however, cannot be
ESTIMATED for the reason that the height
of the bridge which spanned the river
at that time is unknown. During the
winter of 1920 the bridge across lit
tie river, which was then called a
creek, was carried away, and the struc-
turc which replaced it went out in the
high water which is recorded in Jan
uary, 1S43. David Booth. former
LOngmeadow, Mass, resident who kept
some interesting flood data, reported .
| hi, az
, that year and height of IS feet {:
inches i'll 1884. These figures amount
to little nowadays for the reason that
they were undoubtedly taken from
gauge which long since has gone out OF
, use. In fact the latter date may have
I become confused with 1857 when ic,
came down the river in such quantitie,
= as to lift the old toll bridge from it,
abutments and deposit it on the mead
ows in Vernon.
Undoubtedly the greatest food 0
which there is any record took plac
during the week of April 20, 1862; a
: least it was greater than anyone the
living remembered and fully two fee
higher than any previous known MARI
After severe winter during which tn
snow lay from two to four feet deep i
the valley hereabouts the thermon
cter suddenly on April IS jumped to :
degrees in the shade. Although ther
was comparatively little ice in the Coz
necticut the melting snow fed it RAJ
idly, and when the weather continue
unseasOnably warm with a prospect {
rain the conditions were so threatenin
that the few inhabitants of the islam
. Immediately packed their belongin!
and sought higher grounds. RisiI
!" with extreme rapiditv the stream
threatened both bridges that no OF
dared cross them and communicate
between Vermont and New Hampshi
d was completely cut off
u The height of the flood was reachC
at about noon Sunday, April 90. al
at that time it is said that the emit
island was submerged with the sing
exception of the east ahutment of t
main bridge. The water washed t
bottom of this bridge to such an c
tent that each span was warped t.
feet down stream, and the bridge aero
50 little river was washed away {
tirelv. Water covered the floor of I
travel bridge across West river and Il
"A structure was lifted from its fOun,
IN tions and washed against the railro
bridge where it remained for seve
days. During Friday night a brio
. from WestmOreland came down sire
r. and landed on the head of the isla
with such crash that everyC
s thought the toll bridge had gone Q
The railroad tracks below the to
were undermined and the water in
II dated the Fort Drummer farm, then
cupied by David GoodelI, rising to ST
height that it reached the tops
~ the first story windows and made n
cessary the escape of Mr.. GoodeH ;
- his family by boat. Record has it t
y the farmer left his sheep and =
yarded in the attic for safe keep
The Brooks farm was also covered "
water.
vice This flood must have done vast d
age to the island itself, which was t
nlnned Ln Y 7, CnLnt ~ I'LL