The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-04-20
Section Of the WilliamstoWn
Branch Railroad Line Is
Consid ] Unsafe
'P SER FREIGHT
AND PASSENGERS
Water in Jail and Stevens
Branches Highest in
a Year

| High water which caused a wash
out that disrupted traffic on the Viii
| Jamestown branch of the Central Yer
mont railroad last night and the sudden
rise in temperature, coupled with the
heavy rains, threatens to do considerable
damage in the valley of the Jail and
Stephens branches. Near the Grearson
& Beckett shed in Williamstown, the
branch road for a distance of nearly 300
feet is unsafe for travel. The washout
was discovered by Central Vermont
track-walkers early this morning and
after communications passed between
the local station and the railroad offices
in st. Albans, arrangements were made
for continuing the service throughout
the day. Since sunrise all trains have
proceeded to a point below the washout,
and passengers, as well as freight and
express, have been transferred by teams
to the station.
Repairs on the line were started at
once The damage resulted from an
overflow when the river swollen by
many little brooks, leaping its bounds.
swept over the highway to the tracks.
None of the track was washed away but
for distance of several rods the road.
bed was undermined. Section men who
were busy this forenoon patroling the
Barre branch from this city to Mont
pelier reported that the tracks were still
intact and perfectly safe. although it
wasn't predicted that the road would
escape damage altogether if the river
continues to rise.
Following yesterdays hard thunder
shower and the continuing rainfall, there
was a good deal of anxiety among local
merchants and other business men.
Many hurried to their mercantile estab-
lishments and began to transfer mer-
chandise from the Easements to the
ground floors Little fear of nundation
along North Main street is expressed by
the interested persons, although an addi-
tional number took precautionary meas
ures this forenoon. Stephens branch
rose is inches after the rain last night
At midnight it was higher than at any
time since the big flood of Easter Sun
day in 1912. Toward morning there was
a recession of nearly foot but during
the afternoon instead of continuing to
recede. the waters began to approach
the bank levels again. In the past two
tricts has been melted and the water. to
a certain extent, has sunk into the
ground. The ice in the larger streams
left several DAYS ago. When ii disap-
peared in the Winooski branches it was
so thoroughly honeycombed that it
could do no damage.
With the rain still falling brisklv at
noon. there were few who would fore
east the outcome. Bridge No. s on the
Barre branch and the highway bridge
at Blackwell street short distance
down the streams were in no danger of
being washed bv the water althoug.
the river was already tapping some o.;
the higher trusses of both bridges. The
water in Gunner brook was running near
y bank-full and the lower part of the
little trestle on the electric car line was
in water. The bridge is
strongly buttressed. however, and the
.ar men We're not at all alarmed by
.he appearance of the stream. Some
lime during the night water flooded the
ear end of the Harrison Granite com
,any shed at the north end. Much of
he loose boxing timber lying in the
structure was fioated around, but the
lamaee was slight. In the North Barre
section. where shed own
RS have experienced heavy losses from
Ugh water in years past. the water did
lot threaten. and the belief was ex-
PRESSED that any threatened inundation
n the center of the city would not be
ollowed necessarily by similar trouble
t North Barre.