Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-26
Rain Which Has Drenched Au-
gusta for Past Two Days Ex-
tends Beyond Moosehead Lake
Still Raining Last Night.
WATER IN RIVER ROSE
STEADILY THURSDAY
Ice Moved Down Below City
Wharves Thursday Morning
Big Rise Today May Cause
General Breaking Up.


day morning and continued at intervals
during the day was followed by a hull
during the evening, only to resume op-
erationS soon after midnight. From that
hour the rain came down. at intervals
at first but gradually settled down to
business and continued throughout the
day and into the night. From about 11.30
in the forenoon and until after the noon
hour the rain came down in torrents and
sent floods OF water running everywhere.
The water came SO fast that the catch
city could not take care Of it and the
result was the overlooking of the high
ways in some places to the extent that
serious damage was threatened. One of
these places was on Stone street on the
east side of the river, where the water
from the high land to the eastward of
that street came down in foods. Coming
down the grade from the Manley estate
the water crossed the street at the Will
liams estate and from there followed the
car track down to Middle street, washing
the gravel and debris onto the track in
such quantities that the 1870 car from
Togus was delayed until the track could
be cleared.
From Middle street the flood ran down
through the gully and found its way to
the river. Another flood was in progress
at the same time on lower Store street,
fed by water which found its way down
across the Williams athletic field. follow
ing a course which carried it between
the High school grounds and the resi-
dence of DR.. o. c. S. Davies to Stone
street, along which it followed the car
track to the corner of Cony street and
from there down the nil as far as the
corner Of Arsenal street, at which point
it changed its course and ran down to
Howard street and along that street to
the river.
On the west side of the river one of the
biggest floods is said to have been on
lower Sewall street, north Of Capital
street. where the water from the Haynes
pond overflowed its east side and rushed
down Sewall street in such quantities
that the catch-basins could not take care
of it, and at one time the lower section
of the street was flooded. Other sections
of the west side had similar troubles,
and the cutters along the sides of the
highways on the hills were veritable mill
races. So far as has been reported, how
ever, no washouts occurred.
The effects of the storm was early
noticed in the river. During We'd
nesday night channel was worn
from the Kennebec bridge nearly down
to the steamboat wharf, and at o.
clock Thursday morning all Of the ice
along the west short below the bridge
and as far out as the channel moved
down river, going as far as the lower
end Of the steamboat wharf. while
portion Of the ice along the west shore
below the point went further down.
At about 100 in the afternoon quite d
lot Of ice came down from above the
bridge, being some that had been left
along the west shore, together with
some from Bond brook. This drove
night a channel had been opened near
~ down to the steam mill. There were
other open places down toward Hal
lowell, and with the rise of water
during the past "a hours 1t would not
be surprising if the ice should be found
this morning to have moved quite q
distance further.
The moving Of the ice interfered to
some extent with the sucker fishery
in progress along the east shore Of
the river. but the ice along the shore
is little heavier than that which
moved yesterday morning and was
still holding last night. Some Of the
fishermen pulled their nets yesterday
morning and did not put them back
into the water, but a few set their
nets again, determined to take an
other chance. 1t looked however last
night as IL the time for ice fishing
for suckers were about over. for the
ice along the east shore could not
stand a much further rise Of water.
The report Thursday from the Ed
wards mills was that the water on
the Augusta dam, while it had not
been great during the day had been
steady, and in view Of the fact that
the storm extended well into the up
per sections Of the State it is proba-
BILE that the rise today will be con-
siderable.
President Ira H Randall Of the Au-
gusta Lumber Co., when asked about
the matter last night. predicted a big
rise Of water by this morning. Yes
ferday afternoon he was up above the
dam where the company has lot