Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-06-19

Continued from Pace one)
climbed onto the running boads and
shouted Justify for help. Some people
living near there heard him and got
a nair 81 horses and long rope and
succeeded In dragging him TO dry land
a saddnr and wiser man. Tho plant
NJ the Texas OIL CO. was almost com
rletclv SURROUNDED by water and the
river was close up under teh bridges
over tho Schasticoolt The back water
hAd forced the Fort Halifax power
station out ~ business and the lines
verc forced 10 depend on the steam
plants for their power.
Al tho Head of the Falls in Water
yillc rho water was up in a great many
~ Tho houses and one small one had
N he anchored by the fire depart
rsnt 70 insure its safety. officials or
the Lockwood CO kept 2 careful watNh
m conditions all during the day ana
ma = crew of men ready for any emer-
genry.
Back OF the colleges the water was
rushing IN great waves which were at
once beautiful and terrible rs showing
the power ~ the water.
Tho electric cars were off time on all
tho roads and frequently there would
no yearly nm hour during which no
cars would run when they did start
.hnv were sure OF getting to the ned
~ the line and the usually reliaole
waterville & Fairfield suffered with
tho rest,
All sorts ~ wild rumors were afloat
during the day hut as a rule they could
ha favnyfp one
was that the dam at Moosehead had
broken but the nearest thing TO tha'
was the breaking Of n small boom up
that way that could not possibly cause
any damage here. There was also a
consistent report that the upper rail-
road bridge was in danger and there IL
no doubt hut what IL would have been
had the logs from the Shawmut boom
come down the river with a rush as
was expected but IL so happened that
they did not and there was no danger
from tho logs which were piled up
there although they were close up to
the steel work.
In the local telephone office the girls
put In the day OF their careers. The
calls commenced TO como early in the
morning and they lasted all day. Dur
ing the greater part OF the day 20 girls
were continuously on the switch board
and even then they were unable to
keep UP with the lights and someone
had 10 wait II was one of the hardest
DAYS that they have ever had at the
local office. according to one of the old
est operators.
There were also great number OF
toll calls to places up the river to find
out II there was any truth in the re-
ports coming from there. In the eve
ming calls were sent through TO Moose
head regarding the dam there but the
report came back that IL was all right.
Early In the evening II was stated
by the local men who are familiar with
conditions on the river that the worst
was over and the water would not go
higher and would commence TO go
down fast before morning. The highest
point that was reached was IL feet
over the dam at the Waterville end
and ~ feet at the Winslow end. while
the depth Of the back water was about
IL feet
The damage TO gardens is almost
complete and In many cases 1t would
take a dredge 10 find the stuff that has
been planted. A number of men who
had gardens said Monday that If 1t
dried UP a little they were going to
have them plowed again and start all
over. The storm will undoubtedly go
down In history as the worst summer
storm in Maine for a great many
years II there was ever one that equal
led IL.