The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-02-27
WATER REACHES
RECORD HEIGHT
West River Overf|ows Highway Near Covered
Bridge Suspension Bridge Over Connecticut
River Lifted Off Foundation Stage From Here
to West DummerSton

The record high water mark along tie
West river near its mouth was reached a
little after 1 O'Clock this morning At
the home of II. NJ Barrett on the Brau-
ley farm for the first time in history the
water got into the cellar of the house and
the lower milk room was deep with water.
Nelson Derby and family. who occupy the
smaller house on the farm, were driven
out during the late afternoon by the en-
croaching water.
All through the night the noise OF the
ice breaking up, Mrs Barrett said this
mite, but after 3 O'Clock the water began
TO recede little. The highway on the
Brattleboro side of the highway bridge AZ
the three bridges was ankle deep with
water last evening and the water was
against the sides of the bridge, but did
not get high enough to cover the flooring.
y gang of men Is doing all that Is pos
slble tc do on the tracks near the Brad
ley farm, which are under water, also be
yond that, where the tracks are buried
under huge ice cakes for Il distance of
half u mile.
On the lower Dummerston road condI-
tions are such that IL looks doubtful Ii
the road can be opened for travel for sev
eral days. Water was over five feet deep
on the highway south Of Linden lodge last
night, and tins morning, although il had
receded somewhat it covered the long
wall on the Retreat farm and showed no
promise of permitting men to begin re-
pairs on the highway. Beyond are some
of the ice masses which the men, under
direction of Road Commissioner Warren
l.. Walker, We're engaged in removing yes
terday morning when the rising water
drove them from the task.
Farther up this road, near the home Of
Charles Z. Adams, the highway is impas.
siblc for a long distance. The water
reached the doorstep OF the Adams house
at IL O'Clock last night, but by midnight
| it had begun to reeede and this morning.
| it was two feet lower than at midnight
West Townshend Trestle Gone.
The greatest damage to date to the West
River railroad, caused by the food, is al
! West Townshend The trestle at that
| place has gone out. This was a wooden
| structure about 100 feet long. Near where
the first serious trouble by the flood was
encountered half mile of roadbed and
| track are missing. They have been com
| plctely washed away SO that for much 81
that distance there is absolutely no evi
dence of the past location Of the roadbed
There Is comparatively little water in thy
river, but there is more ice Ill huge
masses than was ever known before !
lot of additional trouble Is expected with
the first warm days, especially if there j,
a rain.
Anyone desirous of making the trip bc
tween Brattlcboro and South Londonderr.
may do SO 10y taking the time necessary
l.,,, L.. L
and trains. a drive to West Dumn.er
ston TO the quarry VIII make the frs
connection with a train This train run
to the washout at West Townshend. An
other drive around that will make cln
nection with a second train that is nayi
eating the track from the waShout to tn
) northern terminus of the line. There
no guarantee of reaching any particula
place on schedule time, but by this metl
cd the mails and such passengers as il
sist upon making the trip are being cai
ried.
1t was announced this morning at til
railroad station that West River servil
by stage and train would be begun o
schedule at 6 o'clock tonight and woul
: continue until further notice
a stage viii leave Brattleboro at
> o'clock every weekday evening, connec
ing with a tram at the W est Dumme
, ston quarry. There passengers will |
transferred around the washout to al
: other train that viii eventually get thel
to South Londonderry. Similar arrang
ments are to be made for the return tril
:, Passenger service on the Boston
II Maine railroad was resumed this mornm
II 4 big crew of men worked all night g
II the roadbed near East Putney, where q
L water yesterday was four feet over Il
Il tracks, and this morning the go o'cIoC
/ train from the north arrived here near
II on time.
Jam at Suspension Bridge.
II The suspension bridge above Brattl
II boro, across the Connecticut, which
Ii high above the water. was raised fo
III inches off Of the foundations on the Ne
III Hampshire end by the ice jam yesterdi
III afternoon. Moses Chickering, when t
| ice stopped moving, tackled the job
u saving the bridge and with his axe G
= the ice away and the bridge settled ba
:. into place. One Of the big girders is ba
II " bent as the result of the banging fro
III the ice but Mr.. Chickering saved, for I
II time being at least, an expensive structu
II from probable destruction.
II At the Matthews place occupied by CT;
II ence Matthews on the New Hampshi
II side of the river, below the suspensi
II bridge, the water came up SO that
II stood three feet deep in the cellar.
II never reached that point before. NJ
III NF.44t.z..-. -. 4,,-l, L,,c1 &