Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-03-04
RIVER FRESHET
CONTINUED from Page One)

Caratunk stated that a foot of snow
had fallen there Monday and that the
weather was cold. 1t was impossible
to get reports from the Dead River
region because the storm had put the
telephone service out of commission.
The rise Of water in the river since
Sunday, because of the colder weather
along it's upper course, has been COM
paratively small, the height Of water
on the Kennebec dam at 6 o'clock
Tuesday afternoon being but 40 inches,
and of that height % inches was due
to the flash0oards on the dam. The
gain for the day was less than a foot,
and as colder weather is promised for
today it is not considered that there
will be much of a gain over the height
Of water Tuesday night.
Much concern, however, had been
felt since sunday for fear that the
Kennebec was about to go on the
rampage and perhaps repeat the scenes
of the March freshet of 1896, especi-
ally by the men in charge of the work
of putting in the foundation or the
new Maine Central railroad Drldge,
and everything possible was done IN
the way of getting the machinery ana
other apparatus out of the way IN
case a big rise of water should come.
EVERYTHING with the exception or Two
derricks was moved to a place OF
safety, but Supt. Doonan did not WISH
to risk the lives of his men in trying
to get the derricks, SO they are still
standing where they were last set.
Quite a lot of work was done Mon
day for the safety of the piers OF the
new bridge by removing the heavy zee
around and below them by the use
of dynamite, thus securing open water
for the greater part of the distance
down river to the Kennebec bridge,
and Tuesday afternoon the river was
further cleared by the ice moving
down river to tie latter bridge OF its
own accord. At about 2 o'clock Dig
field of ice between the Kennebec dam
and the breakwater on the west oank
of the river below that structure
swung out and came down river, and
striking the leo below forced 1t down
ae far as the Kennebec bridge, where
II was firmly jammed. Some OF the
ice was very heavy, being fully "a
inches thick, but it split on striking
the new piers and did them DO dam
age. A report was current that the ice
was coming over the dam, but IL
anv came it was only some small
pieces at the edge of the field above
the dam.
Another structure concerning which
some anxiety was felt was the Ken
rebsc bridge, not on account or the
bridge itself but because of the fact
that it carries two water mains con-
necting the east and the west sides OF
the city and also connects the Nation
a; Home at Togus with the Augusta
system. On account of the heavy ice
which came against the piers oil the
bridge Tuesday afternoon II was rear
ed that a jar to the structure mlshl
in some way start the caulking De-
tween the joints of the pipes OF the
two mains and thus cripple the water
supply on the east side of the river
for the time being. To that END Chie1
Engineer Buckley of the fire depart
unent had his men out during the att
ernoon and filled the three reservoirs
on that side of the river, and also
hauled the steam fire engine TO that
side. woere it is for the present sta
toned in the garage of F. Z. Mooflen
on Cony street. 1t is not consluereu
nrnbable that such an emergency Will
arise. but 1t was deemed best to De
prepared.