Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-10-31
BIG GALE DOES MUCH
DAMAGE IN WATERvnLE
TREES BREAK WIRES

Waterville was struck by gale and
plenty of rain Tuesday, the latter part
Of the day being thoroughly disagree
able. The first rain of the day was
at about 4 O'Clock in the morning and
this continued for about an hour. Dur
ing that time a great deal Of rain fell.
The rain then let UP but it continued
cloudy and the wind blew with the
force Of a young hurricane. During
the forenoon a number Of trees in this
vicinity were blown over and the
streets were strewn with limbs.
The largest amount of damage was
done By tree which Liew down on
Elm street in front of the residence Of
Miss Augusta West. This crashed
across the light and power wires and
the trolley line, taking them all to the
ground. The tree went down at about
II o'clock and it was we'll into the
afternoon before it was cleared up
The crew of the Central Maine Power
Co. was on the scene very few min
utes after the three went down and
got the wires Strengthened up in a
short time and a hole through so that
the cars were delayed only about an
hour, but the street was practically
blocked until we'll into the afternoon
The tree was a large one and broke
off very near the ground. so that there
was a lot of hard work in clearing 1t
away Just after it happened the
small truck of the Gulf Refining Com
pany came across Winter street and
would have run into the lowered wires
had not Driver George Perry Of the
Chepoioal Shn1ItaI RI tho 1ri&ypr
He put on his brakes suddenly and
nearly came up against one of the poles
at the side of the street. clearing it
by few inches and then turning COM
pletely around, so slippery was the
street.
The second tree to do damage also
went down on Elm street near the res
idence of ]. A. Whitcomb and this
like the first took some wires along
with it, but the damage was not so
great and was easily repaired. A big
branch of a tree on Center street went
over a about II o'clock striking
across the Crane house and giving the
occupants quite scare This did no
particular damage and had not been
! cleaned up Tuesday night as it was
out Of the way Of everything Smaller
trees all over the city were also down
and the branches were everywhere
The rain started again at about go
and for nearly two hours it came
down in sheets famed by a high wind,
making IT about as disagreeable a day
to be out in as has been vouchsafed
this fall. The rain was not cold, which
was the only redeeming feature. The
storm continued until we'll into the
evening and the streets We're rivers
ana the sewers and cesspools were full
Whlle mud holes were very frequent
ne people who were at the pictures
ana the clerks in the stores all went
| AZ noon time without preparing for
.he rain and there was a great carry
ing OF umbrellas, rubbers and rain
coats 10 the people who were caught
ABOUT the busiest men In the citv
were the linemen Of the Central Maine
rover Co.. with trees across the COM
pahy hnes in a number of places
ne local lines were down in four
places and the Rockland transmission
Inc was fiat somewhere. There were
NUMBER Of places in the CITY that
We're without electric service durinc
the afternoon but the most Of the citv
was served in some way by the com
panv. The electrics were kent RIM
nlnS and practically maintained their
time all during the dav.
street Commissioner Marshall was
another man who had a busy after
MON ana evening with plugged up
! sewers and cesspools and catch ba-
SINS. The streets We're also badly
washed In some places and that caus-
ed the usual amount Of trouble. while
the HAYDEN and Mullholland brooks
went on their usual rampage when
tharn L. hna,