The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-10-30
DAMAGE MOUNTS
INTO THOUSANDS
Brattleboro Deluged Today
by Storm of Unusual
Severity
STREET DEPARTMENT
THE HARDEST HIT
Three Inches of Rain Accompanied by
High Wind Floods Highways, Uproots
Trees and Causes Washouts - Heavy
Loss in Fenton's Store.

Trees and Causes Washouts - Heavy
Loss in Fenton's Store
Brattleboro was hit by one of the
most disastrous storms today which has
visited this section for many years,
leaving in its wake damages amounting
to thousands Of dollars. This resulted
principally from the tremendous down
pour Of rain which came during the
early morning hours, although an ac
companying heavy wind uprooted sew
eraf huge trees, swept big branches from
others and practically stripped them
of leaves, which helped clog up receiving
basins all over the town. just about
the time that people were starting out
for their various places of employment
rain fell in torrents, almost assuming
proportions of cloudburst such as is
frequently experienced in the West.
Probably the streets suffered the hard
est. as there is not a thoroughfare with
in the town limits which will not need
some kind of attention and in many
instances the washouts have made them
utterly impossible. Coming at the end
of the season, as it does, the selectmen
are in a deep quandary as to what to
do, as the road money is about exhaust
ed. Private property also has felt the
results of the watery blast, +. ]. Fen
ton 5 men s shop being so thoroughly
wet down that his stock is damaged to
the extent of more than $4,000. At the
Y Il l. I
worth of stock was soaked.
1t rained nearly all night, but about
Z 80 o clock this morning il more than
rained-it simply poured and for the
next four hours more water fell during
the same space Of time than ever was
recorded before in BrattIeboro. F. R.
Vaughan 5 records showed exactly three
inches in that time. Street cars were
stalled within a short time because of
sand and gravel which had been washed
on to the tracks Sidewalks were flood
ed several inches deep in many quarters.
Some of the streets, especially on hill
sides. were Transformed into veritable
rivers. Railroad trains were belated.
Electric power was hampered for a
brief period and telephone wires were
tangled up.
were few brave enough to face the
elements-reached their destinations
thoroughly drcnched and Immediately
there was demand for dry footwear
and clothing Many lost their umbrellas,
which the wind turned wrong side out
| Others remained at home, and they
| constituted the wise ones.
Shortly after it began to rain the
/ hoIlaSt thn hanan IN work
way through the roof at the rear of
! Fenton S store and it kept increasing
until several inches flooded the floor.
| 1t struck goods on the shelves and ta
| bles, and more which were stored be
meath the tables were thoroughly soaked.
In few minutes the interior looked as
if it had been struck by cyclone. As
| the floor slants towards the rear end
Of the store, there is where the heaviest
| damage resulted. 1t was necessary to
bore holes III the floor to allow the wa
| ter to escape. There was a leakage
about the show windows and there was
small loss to fixtures. Fortunately
there were no goods of value stored in
| the basement where the water could
reach them. The east end of the store
! is a onestory structure and was
| equipped with a new roof before the
present tenant moved in. In the center
is a sky-light and it was around this
that the rain first beat its way through.
Then it seemed to come everywhere as
if through a big seive. Shirts, under
wear, suits of clothes. overcoats, over
alls, sweaters. everything in fact, were
wet more or less.
Four of the large plate glass windows
recently set in the store fronts of the new
Barber building were blown to smith
Greens before the blast of wind which
forced its way through the open doors
and then took a peculiar outward course
directly behind the windows, carrying
four lights from the southeast corner OF
the building before it.
Early in the day people began to tele
phone reports of street washouts to the
selectmen, and they set out to do The
best they could to afford relief. Mer
were kept busy cleaning out the drainage
intakes, which had become badly clogget
with leaves.
Henry i. Whitney of the Crysta
Springs Ice Co. was one of the first tx
enter a complaint to the board, because
a water spout which carries surface water
had broken back of the ice pond and al
of the rubbish was flowing into the pond
/ 1t was certainly a dirty, roley looking
e proposition before noon. On Organ street
5 directly at the rear of the Estey Organ
. factory. loads of dirt were washed ava,
landing on the manufacturing propert,
with resultant damage. Chestnut street
near the watering trough, was made i'm
passabe where the rain washed away a
least 100 loads of gravel.