The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-02-26
WATER swIRLED ACROSS STREET.
Depot Square Section Inundated By
Rampage Of Potash Brook.

in 1912 occurred late yesterday Afternoon
and for time nothing could have beei
more indicative OF very serious inunda
tion, more alarming in some of ils as
poets than any considerable deluge that
comes to mind. Jail branch, Potash an,
| Gunner brooks and tributary streams
swollen by an unusually heavy rain
storm, were largely responsible for tliC
! flooding of areas on Depot square, Brook
street and Maple avenue and North Main
street near the Depot square, Blackwell
street and Wiley street intersections
| Water rolled into the easements of thC
Nichols block, the Union Clothing store
the Sortwel building on the square ani
in the Daylight store.
The damage visited on number OF
business buildings in the mercantile see
tion is unreckoned, but the fact that
most of those who are directly Concerned
with the effects of fire and water lad
taken notice Of what was coming pre-
cluded the possibility of losses on large
scale One of the first to prepare for the
deluge was A. NJ. Flanders, who conducts
an automobile shop in the basement Of
the Nichols block. Nj. s. Levin was quite
as keenly alive to the gravity OF the sit
uation and both had their stocks removed
when the water began rising at 2:}0
O'Clock.
Before the flood IN Depot square had
reached its height, employees of the DAY
light store, aided by other willing hands,
had constructed something that strongly
resembled Golfer dam across the Barre
railroad tracks near the Perry & Noonan
establishment. Their endeapors along
this line were shortly to be justified for
when the water began to seek its level
in sweeping across the square, much Of
it was diverted from entering the base.
ments OF both the Abbott and the East
man blocks. IN the former building the
water attained a depth Of six inches, but
merchandise stored there had already
been removed to the first floor. The
water did not visit the Eastman block
at all. Easements OF the Reynolds
hardware store and the Cummings &
Lewis pharmacy were also visited to
some extent by water.
Tenants in the basement of the Mich
OILS block, as we'll as thQse Of other
business buildings in that vicinity, were
busy to-day removing their stock from
the high and dry places back to the
NJ s. Levin had a large
force OF men STRENGTHENING out mat
tiers in the cellar Of the Union Cloth
ing store Likewise, A. NJ Flanders was
back in his old quarters early to-day. |
In the flood Of three years ago Mr.. |
was caught unawares by the |
rapid rise Of the Potash brook and be-
fore the water receded, he had lost over
$500 worth Of automobile and bicycle |
,undries. Yesterday Mr. Flanders was |
1ne of the first to discern the dangers !
II inundation.
Transportation Lines Affected
Trouble in transportation circles was
shared alike by the Central Vermont
the NJ. d w. r. line and the
Barre a. Montpelier Traction a Power
o. The last named appears to have
,een crippled more than either OF the
team car lines. At late hour Wednes
lay night two cars came through to
Barre and until late last night they
we're unable TO make trip TO Mont
,elier. Throughout the day the elec-
ric road was blocked by ice and Water.
from lntercity park 10 the Aldrich
arm, so-ealled, the ice was piled 10 a
eight of eight feet in spots and the
rater was 4 feet deep. Around seven
'clock last night gang Of section men
rom the ear barns went to the park
nd with the aid OF dynamite they sue
eeded in dislodging much of the ice.
leanwhile main line and Washington
treet ears made their north-end trips !
{ regular intervals whenever water on
he tracks at Wiley and Brook streets
nd Depot square did not block their /
assage.
Late afternoon and evening trains
'ere greatly delayed On the Central ,
ermont road, although the causes were ,
raoeable in measure, II was stated,
D traffic disruptions on the main line. !
be train due to leave the local sta.
on al 3:l5 over the branch was trans
'rred 10 the rails OF the N. g. ". r.
lad The mail train. which i sched- \
led 10 arrive here az 4s40 O'Clock. limped {
TO the station az Z O'Clock. although I
be- DELAY Of two hours and more was not :
ne altogether 20 conditions on the Barre y
ranch At 5;45 the train leaving for v
lrthern connections had no difficulty IN d
aching Montpelier and the 7;20 train G
om Burlington and the south was only ]
N minutes overdue Suburban trains q
.er the NJ s W. r. road hazarded their a
gular trips between the cities with but =
BE- exception that being the 5:4s train 4
Il of Barre. which was cancelled. Trains 4
both systems encountered most Of a
eif difficulty al Tabor's crossing. " here
10 ice ~ times threatened 10 engulf
ctions oi trackage
Scarcely two hours after the choking :
Potash and Gunner brooks had flood.
az least three lHfae street areas, the {"
ifrr began q receie rapidly But in the .
rautima there was excitement enough y
. few hundred people to whom :
tch higher water level would hate
cant serious Losses. besides = good =
luy others aho were Inconvenience q
ttinn from their piaces 81 husiness to
pir BONES con North Main street in
q hms.ueas Grfion atrntrh af pave
.nf from Pearl street nearly ta Mer
lnt street uas practically fmpassalie =,
faf a. paiestriaus uere concerned
ans and aatauobil.s spias}s.A through
. temporary lake uith : good deal 81 =
p end people ah0 happened e. hase
i.oais ucFe ais8 ablf io nerot ate tl.a :
n Az Hro-k .treat Hud Hrsin - NH
stirred there ufre repetition ri tif
l,e ssanr Auir uunsrs nnd isaakn1en
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