The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-03-22
Great Deal of Damage Was
Done in Half an Hour
Last Evening
HILL STREETS WASHED
AND GOUGED BY RAIN
Main Street Was Filled with
Water-Damage of More
Than $1,000

) A thunder shower lasting less than
thirty minutes did damage last night to
the extent of 81 900 and more to prop
erty owners and to the city streets. The
rain began few minutes before 6:30
o'clock and continued until shortly be-
fore the hour Of seven In that short
space the sidewalk of Hooker hill was
torn bodily from its moorings and swept
downward to join the alluvial deposits
on the level OF Main street. Washing
ton street was badly torn up and the
fury of the storm seemed to center on
upper Elm and Franklin streets Main
street from the Washington street june
tion down to Depot square was trans
formed into small river that had for
portion of its outlet the Easements of
several stores and small shops along the
west side of the street.
Surface sewer outlets We're inadequate
to carry away the vast volumes of water
/ that rushed down from the heights as
I soon as the storm was well under way.
Street Superintendent j. G. DeBrune had
a gang of ten men at work soon after
the storm in opening elogged outlets and
otherwise alleViating the condition in
which the streets were left after the fury
of the small tempest had abated. The
work was continued at daybreak.
The storm followed on the heels OF one
OF the mildest March days on record.
Soon afte rsundown lowering clouds began
to gather and the inminence OF storm
grew more apparent. The hot breath OF
a south wind strengthened the signs and
by 6:l5 o'clock the anticipated storm
was ready to burst. With the first
dcwnpour, the street lights were extin-
guished and many householders found
themselves suddenly surrounded by
darkness. But little wind accompanied
the rain, although there were frequent
flashes of bright lightning and thunder
pealed for a short period The torrent
seemed to center around the east side Of
the city as residents of Hooker hill say
that the rain fell in that section with
much less volume, while the heavy
sheets of water coming downward to the
east could be plainly seen.
North Main street, clean swept yester-
day for the first time this spring, was
the basin for tons and tons of mud. The
junction of Washington, Elm and Main
streets formed delta of alluvium which
extended clear to Depot square. Barber
shops and other business places in the
French block were obliged to barrieade
their doors and plug the cracks at the
to keep the water from enter
ing Small streams, however. trekled
through unguarded openings in nearly
every place along the street. The open
ing of the outlet near the French build
ing relieved the threatening condition
somewhat Depot square was lined with
mud but the flood never assumed the
proportions that inundated the square a
year ago.
Early this morning the street super
ntendent had large gang of men and
cams engaged in working the streets
nto a passable condition. Washington
street was stripped of its top layer and
he surface deposited in the flats below.
franklin street was badly gouged by a
leep trench that resembed corkscrew
Is it wound its way down the hin to
evel. On Elm street ditch three feet
leep was caused by the rush of water
nd it is there that the greatest damage
vas done Superintendent DeBrune cs-
mated this morning that T50 loads
would he necessary TO make the street
Whole again.
Water sweeping down Elm street hill,
ook a short cut across-Airs. Smiths lawn
t tlfe head of Eastern avenue and
ound escape in the brook at the rear of
er residence. The lawn resembled
ond after the food had done its work.
III along Elm street from summer out
O the square, quantities of mud and de-
ris were deposited on lawns and over
he street.
For just short interval the b. & NJ.
raction Co.'S service was seriously i'm.
aired by the storm. The main line cars
lade their trips with little interruption,
owever, although the Washington street
ar became stuck fast to the rails early
the evening and it was over an hour
ter before it could be moved. The
ghting cOmpanys system suffered but
tile from the deluge and lights extin-
nished at the first down pour were soon
operation again.
In its results, the storm cannot be
kened to the heavy food of last Easter
nnday or last summers storm whisa
.rried away the roof Of the Daylight
ore: but for short lived fury. last
ght's disturbance in the heavens was
lite as memorable as any storm that
is visited Barre in recent years.