Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-30
ICE JAM AT HAL
LOWELL FLOODS THE
AUGUSTA WHARvES
Ice Packed Solid for Nearly a
Quarter Mile Above the Ferry
Blocks Crowded on Wharf
Wreck Coal Stagings at Hal
lowell-Augusta Coal Sheds
Injured by Flood

With less than six feet of water on
the Augusta dam and with a rise OF
but few inches of water between
sunrise and sunset. the freshet condi-
tons Thursday in the Kennebec river
which had existed, SO far as Augusta
lis concerned since Tuesday night, ha6
changed but little. except that the
water had gained in height about one
foot, which carried it to the highest
pitch 1t has reached since the rise on
account of Tuesday nights rain began
The rise carried the water over the
wharves and into the several coal
sheds along the water front, but uI
to last night no damage had been re-
ported.
Many people entertained the idea
that the rise of water was due to
freshet conditions up river following
such was not the case. The rise OF
water below the dam is due to an ice
jam at Hallowell. This ice, which in
cludes that along the river from be-
low the dam as far down river as the
ice has gone, has for the past few days
been moving down river until yester-
day the jam formed by the moving ice
had lodged and formed compact mass
extending from opposite the Tayntor
sheds nearly down to the ferry at Hal
lowell. The jam had crowded in SO SOL
idly last night that the ice had been
forced on to the Hamilton coal wharf
and wrecked the stagings. At another
point the pressure of the ice tilted a
new pier of the Kennebec Log Driv-
ing Co.
The river is narrow where the jam
has lodged and the ice is said to be
packed in solid, so that but little water
gets through it, the result being that
the water is backed up until the rise
reaches as far upriver as the Augusta
dam. something that is very unusual.
The last time that there was a jam of
any considerable proportions in the
lower portion of the kennebec was the
first week in March, 1896, when dur
ing the freshet which began March 2,
an ice gorge formed between the Rich
mond shore and Swan Island. The
backing up OF the water on account of
that gorge, together with the flood that
was coming over the dam. raised the
water at Augusta so that it measured
IS feet on the steamboat wharf.
Regarding the possibilities attendant
on the freshet in the lower river be-
tween Augusta and Hallowell nothing
definite could be learned last evening
The general opinion appears to be that
there is nothing to be feared from up
river unless there should come heavy
rain storm that would set the ice COM
ing. but this does not appear to be
probable A we'll known river author
ity from HalloWell, w. H. Sawyer; was
Of the opinion last night that the jam
might possibly work it's way through
and out of the way by tonight. but just
what 1t would DO was of course uncer-
tain.
Conditions on the dam yesterday had
changed but little from the preceding
day. The height of water on the dam
yesterday forenoon was five feet and
two inches where Wednesday forenoon
it was four feet eight inches. and it
rose but little during the day. OF
course though the rise on the dam is
not heavy there is a lot of water COM
ing over and this with the water COM
ing into the river from Bond brook all
goes to help swell the amount already
in the rtxfEso that the question which
naturally Rises Is how much water
can the fee jam at Hallowell hold be-
fore it breaks. This question is one in
which many people on the Augusta
end are interested.