davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-29

the east end of the bridge if an ice
lam from some point north should
break away and come tearing down the
river for a rear-end collision with the
ice which then remained intact almost
as far as one could see from the bridge.
This thought doubtless was prompt
ed by the memory of happening of
( like nature few years ago, when an
! ice jam plowed through a solid field Of
| ice down across the island, smashing
/ the. north wing Of the baseball grand
/ stand and moving the pavilion off its
/ foundation.
Notable Spectacle.
Bur shortly before o'clock Satur-
day afternoon blocks Of ice from the
north cut channel through the solid
ice north of the bridge, following
the current which had worn it thin.
Then a few large cakes broke off north
of the mouth Of Milestone brook.
which had become somewhat turbulent,
and at sic 0 clock the entire mass ex-
tending from the bridge north to an
opening above the head Of the island
began to move in immense sections.
As the river narrowed down the bio
sections began to crush and grind and
some ice cakes We're forced out of the
river channel on to the Island Park
premises. They piled up against the
pavilion piers, reaching to the lower
veranda, making notable spectacle
but deing no special damage.
Cakes which stood on edge were
seen to be 10 inches to a foot thick
and as the river became clear and the
Z spectacular scene vanished a sense oil
satisfaction was felt in the idea that
the danger for this year had passed
At that time, although there were
! pools of water on the island ball field
? due to the melting of the snow, the riv
} err was not high enough to overflow any
part of the ball ground
The effect of the warm sun on thu
! perabundance of snow in the woods
However, was just beginning to be felt
All the flood gates in the big dam a
, Vernon were open and were discharg
! ing all the water they could, but thai
was not enough and the rest had to *
, over the crest Of the dam
E Flood Proportions Reached.
Brooks swollen by the contents o.
other brooks fed by smaller tributarie.
I had been pouring into the Connection
+ for days, and the accumulated volume
5 during Saturday night reached tiooC
4 proportions, so that by yesterday morn
t ing a large part of the island had beer
: overlooked
t The water continued to rise yester
: day, but comparatively little ice wa,
running until O'Clock in the after
/ noon Then jam which had formed
t between here and Putney came int
t view, and the grinding, crunching mas
: completely obscured the water from tn,
railroad bank across. to the base O
c Wantastiquet mountain and as far W
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-29

bridge was accepted Dec. 10, 1908, by
the commissioners of the two towns.
The bridge was about 200 feet long
and had a roadway &c feet between the
trusses. On the south side was walk
six feet wide for pedestrians. An inter
esting fact which comparatively few
persons knew about is that on the
north side of the roadway, underneath
the planlling, provision was made ac-
1 cording to contract for a street rail
road track, as there was a possibility
| that at some time a street railroad
might be built from Brattleboro to
Hinsdale and Mortified. The bridge
did not contain rails, but every other
provision for the track was made.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-29

boards are in use. All the food gates at
the dam are wide open,
When the bridge was built it was
placed five or six feet higher than the
old one. and it was believed that the
bridge was out of harms way for all
time but later the Vernon dam was
built, and ever since then in times of high
water the possibility of damage to the
bridge has been apparent.
Question of Liability.
Whether the Power Co. is liable for the
loss Of the bridge is a question to be de-
termined, but it is the opinion Of the Sc
lectmen, or at least some of them, that
the company is liable,
A new bridge cannot be bought for any
thing like the amount that was paid for
the old one, and at the present prices Of
steel and labor it is believed a bridge
such as necessarily will have to be bought
| will cost from $4,000 to 100000. Doubt
| less it will be set up enough higher than
/ the last one to be secure against ice dam
age. Doubtless there will be a consider
able salvage from the old bridge. A new
bridge cannot be secured in short time
and the question of traffic between the
/
tme is erected will have to be considered
right away.
Several carloads OF logs to be used in
the construction of boom across tho
mouth of West river were brought to the
mouth of the river a few days ago and
were drawn out onto the ice by horses
They have been fitted and are waiting
for the arrival of chains by which they
will be fastened together, provided the
chain arrives before the ice breaks up
! The boom is designed to retain the pull
/. wood logs which are to be floated dow
from the West river tributaries. The ic,
at the mouth of the river is about two
and a half feet thick
Conditions Seemed Ideal.
The mild weather of last week anC
the gradual, although rapid, disappear
ance of the snow, together with the ap
parent rotting of the ice without warn
rains, were conditions which seemec
ideal for clearing the river with a min
: imum Of damage, and it was common
remark that the snow and ice wer,
going away in the best possible fash
ion.
No one dreamed that there was ;
; possibility Of serious damage in the vi
entity Of the bridge or Island Park thi
I year, especially after the river from
the bridge north to the mouth of Yves
river cleared itself of ice Saturday aft
ernoon, and considering further tina
the water at that time was not alb
, normally high for this time of year.
Up to Saturday afternoon there ha,
! been some question as to what Nigh
happen to the Island Park pavilion a
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-29

and down the river as tie eye could
reach.
Meanwhile the river continued to rise
and in a short time the ice cakes which
protruded out of the water farther than
normal began scraping against the low
er trusses of the bridge.
News that a flood was on spread
through the village and persons began
gathering on the bridge. As the wa
ter rose the hammeriugs of the ice
against the trusscs became more fire.
quent, and the people began to scent
| danger.
Bridge Roped Of.
The police took in the situation and
telephoned the selectmen that there
] might be trouble They were instruct
ed to rope off the bridge to keep back
the crowd, which now numbered sever
al hundred. Ropes were secured at the
fire department headquarters and We're
drawn across the bridge approach on
The Vermont side
1t was but a few minutes after this
that open water again appeared and
damage was believed to have been
averted, but it was not so.
At the Vernon power station it was
said that the water there at $50 last
night had risen but about two feet
, since o'clock the previous afternoon
, and it was believed jam was hold
, ing the water back farther north. Tele
phonic inquiry made by The Reform
: er office Of persons living near the East
, Putney meadows brought the informa
2 tion that big jam which formed there
in the afternoon set back the water
and ice so that it covered large part
of the 500 acres which make up the
meadows to q depth of several feet
The ice and water ran through the rail
road culverts and flooded the highway
which skirts the base of the high bank
to the west
: The Jam at East Putney broke away
+, about ; clock, swapping off trees OF
the river banks as though they were
toothpcks in giants hand. Whcr
the river here began filing a SECOND
time, therefore, il was known that the
} East Putney jam had arrived.
With the water higher than ever The
thunderous grinding and pounding
against the bridge girders became !
continuous rumble and roar, and under
! the pale light of the moon it filled ono
) with awe and sense of impending
! calamity.
Pen Picture OF Disaster
l From behind the rounded embank
ment wall at the west end of the bridge
: a monster cake of ice insidiously crept
5 into view and planted itself against
the trembling framework Of steel. Il
| would turn neither to right nor left
} nor would it sink beneath the surface
S and pass on. 1t was brewing trouble
2 simultaneously, as if by villianou.
connivance, another big cake forced it
, self up on the east end and found Sc
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-29

cure Judgement, hemmed in by myr
lad of smaller accomphces. Gradu-
ally the banks of anchored ice ex-
banded toward the middle of the river,
slowly but surely sealing the fate OF
their victim.
Finally the movement ceased. The
jam was complete and comparative
quiet prevailed. Men looked at their
watches 1t was little past clock
Was the cessation of the groaning and
hammering favorable or otherwise /?
Would the firmly braced and riveted
structure withstand the stupendous
and constantly increasing pressure?
The crowd waited an hour for the an
swer. There was an ominous creaking
of floor timbers. Men and women fell
back instinctively to be out of harm 5
| way. There was a man on the bridge.
A moment before he had started to
cross. Now he was returning. Why
does he take such a chance? 4 chorus
of voices yell at him. He moves leis-
| urely, then increases his speed.
| Then something happens to divide
| the attention OF the crowd between the
bridge and the man. Huge pieces OF
| steel in the center of the structure be
gin to bend, rivets snap, the flooring
| heaves. In their excitement the PEG
pie cling to each other The bridg,
buckles in the middle. the high archie
topple over, and with a mighty crasl
that startles persons many rods ava,
1t gives up the ghost and sinks heavit
to the bed of the river. said to he A
feet below the surface in some places
while the victor rushes over the $40
and conceals every .vestige Of its Vic
tim from sight
But what Of the man2 He bega
hurrylng too late. He couldn t max
The distance and-he went down wit
the bridge.
1t was the irony of fate that the il
jam, released in its destructive bourne,
should proceed but a few rods and the
be halted again by more Of its oW
kind to remain quiet the rest Of til
night while the water recedcd to 4
extent which would have made til
bridge safe.
Old Wooden Structures.
Earliest available records show tn.
a bridge across the Connecticut riv,
between this village and the island W;
swept away by high water in 1851
similar fate awaited its successor. M
then came the old toll bridge, bui
IN 1869, which later was made a fir
bridge and was torn down in 1903
make way for the steel bridge whit
now lies in the bottom of the river
The old toll bridge was wood
structure, covered, and the middle
rested on a granite pier At the ca
| end WAS n toll honSn near ,ubern +
Island Park pavilion stands.
In July, 1908, the work of teari
down the former toll bridge WIS begl
After the planking had been ripp
Id up by means of ropes or chains and
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-29

In order to prevent \ netian ladies' in
olden times from going al distance from
home, kind Of stilt-like s.oe was intro
duced for their use. BY Il uniting the
wearer on cork soles from six , eighteen
inches IN thickness, this shoe. Il e walk
ing unassisted impossible
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-29

Headaches from Slight Colds.
LAXATIVE BROMo QUININE Tab
lets relieve the Headache by curing
the Cold. \ TOME laxative and germ
destroyer. Look for signature L. w.
GROVE on>box. soc.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
Winnipeg Man Has
Gained rs Pounds
All His Troubles Were Overcome
And He Feels Fine Since
Taking Tanlac.

II have gained twenty-five
pounds by taking Tanlac and
never felt better" said E. j.
Coleman, well-known painter
and decorator, of 1875 Michigan
Ave, Winnipeg, Man.
About year ago | hac
double pneumonia, said Mr..
Coleman, land it left me q
wreck. | was too weak to walk
by myself and my stomach was
in such bad shape could hardly
eat enough to keep a bird alive.
My nerves were so shattered
almost collapsed when friend
one day unexpectedly slapped
me on the back. 1t was out of
the question for me to sleep at
night was even afraid to be
alone in the dark and had to
have someone in the room with
me all day. My kidneys were so
out of order that | had a pain
across my back nearly all the
time and | lost so much weight |
actually looked like a frame.
Il had taken so much medi-
cine without getting better that |
was discouraged and when my
folks brought me a bottle of Tan
lac | didn't want to take it; but
finally | tried it and, much to my
surprise, | began to improve
right away. Now l am on my
fourth bottle and am so well |
can do as hard a days work as
any man. | eat heartily of any
thing want and never have the
trouble or pain of any
sort whatever now. AS long as
| live I'll never be able to praise
Tanlac enough for what it has
done for ME. :"
Tanlac is sold in Okolona by
w. E. Bearden, and in Houlka
by J. F. Haney & Son. adv.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
o. The -
Scrap Book
TAKING UP YANKEE METHODS
Chinese Beginning to See the Virtues
Of the Sewing Machine and the
Typewriter.

Here and there in Manchuria new
sounds have recently become audible
"a steady, whrring noise emanating
from some Chinese household that has
recently become possessed of sewing
machine and cick-click-click from the
firm that tells the initiated that some
body within is operating a typewriter.
Or perhaps the click-cick- click is err
ratio. and then one may know that
some ambitious young Chinese has ac-
quired a, typewriter and is sedulOusly
teaching himself to use 1t, probably
with one finger. The sewing machines
are more common than the typewrit-
erS, for an American company has
sent its travelling men up and down
the land, and they have been selling
its useful product even in remote cor
ners OF. south Manchurla. AS for the
typewriters; the only variety yet avail
able is the small travelling machine
for which the Chinese student will
lingly pays 125 gold yen. His type
writer, in terms of American currency,
costs him $6250.
The demand for typewriters, in fact,
is greater than the supply, and none
of the larger machines is yet on the
market. Sooner or later, no doubt,
there will be plenty of them, for the
foreign firms are opening more and
more local branches, each of which
needs Chinese assistants with knOwl-
edge of English, and if possible, some
skill at the typewriter. So far the
schools teach English, but the student
must learn typewriting as best he may
If he seeks to qualify himself, as a
good many are said to do, for starting
a commercial career as assistant in
one of these foreign businesses
Christian Science Monitor.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
AN OKOLONA MAN GIVES
EVIDENCE.
His Testimony Will Interest Every
OkoIona Reader

His testimony WIN InteTeSt Every
OkoIona Reader.
The value of local evidence is in
disputable. 1t is the kin0 of evidences
we accept as true because we know
we can prove it for ourselves. There
has been plenty of such evidence in
The Okolona papers lately, and this
straightforward testimony has estab
lished a confidence in the minds OF
Okolona people that will not be
easily shaken
Jas. S. Rowe, farmer, Silver St.
Oklona, says: Several years age
found it necessary to use kidney
remedy as my kidneys were out OF
order and caused my back to ache.
used Doan's Kidney Pills as directed
and they proved satisfactory for they
soon rid me of the complaint"
Price O0c, at all dealers. Don't
simply ask for kidney. remedy-gct
Doans Kidney PiIls-the same that
Mr.. Rowe had. Foster Milburn Co..
Mfrs, Buffalo, N. Y.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
How's This :

We offer One Hundred Dollars Reward
for any case of Catarrh that cannot be
cured by Halls Catarrh Medicine.
Halls Catarrh Medicine has been taken
by catarrh sufferers for the past thirty
i've years. and has become known as the
most reliable remedy for Catarrh. Halls
Catarrh Medicine acts thru the Blood on
the Mucous surfaces eXpeiling the Poi
son from the Blood and healing the dis
eased portions.
After you have taken Halls Catarrh
Medicine for short time you will see a
great improvement in your general
health. Start taking Halls Catarrh Medi-
cine at once and get rid of catarrh. Send
for testimonials. free.
F. J. CHENEY & CO.. Toledo. Ohio.
Sold by all Druggists. TIC. \
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
I oEnlan.

Ossian, a mythical Gaelic hero and
bard, is said 10 have lived In the third
century. and to have been the son Of
Flngal, a Caledonian prince and hero.
whom he accompanied on various ex-
pedltions. The story goes that Ossian
was carried away by his fairy hind
mother to the isle Of the ever
young" but he returned later, and
then old, blind and alone. "Ossian after
the Feinn,' he told the story Of the
heroes to st. Patrick. In l76C-63
James Mcpherson published two epics,
which he claimed to be translations
from Ossians poems.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
iron Clothes with the Feet.

In Cairo men employed in the ma
tive tailoring establishments irons
clothes with their feet. EXCEPT for
the long handle, the irons are shaped
Ike an ordinary flat-iron, but are
larger. A solid block Of wood rests
on the top of the iron, and on this
the men place one foot, guiding the
iron in the desired direction by means
OF the handle. For the sake of con-
venience, ironing boards are raised
only a few inches from the ground,
and, however strange the method may
seem, the work is done well and ex-
peditiously.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
ADVERTISING RATES

Display advertising, 10 cents per
single column inch for space, with a
charge of 5 cents per inch for all
composition. This rate means without
position.
Readers, cents per line. Polit-
ical advertising and other long read
ers are charged at display rate.
One price to all alike.
We employ no agents; we pay no
commissions.
No advertisement taken for less
than % cents.
All notices will be charged for
where an admission fee is charged or
money collected for any purpose.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
why Go 10 pcntlst7

If you have the tOothache Just press
one of your big toes and tile ache will
disappear.
That's zone therapy. It's the lat
est thing. according to DR.. William IL.
Fitzgerald of Hartford, Conn.
He was one of the speakers before
Tie Central Society Of Physical Their
npeutics, in convention at Chicago re-
Gently.
Your whole body" Doctor Fitzgef-
aid explained, lis divided into ten per-
pendicuInr zones. corresponding TO the
ten toes or fingers. There are hun
1reds Of little--what we might call
electric buttons-on the body.
IF you press one YOU switch off the
pain somewhere else" It's a sort of
medical jiu jitsu
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
chlcauo,s Giant Maple.

Chicago has giant white maple
nine feet in circumference at the base,
so feet high and estimated 10 be 1000
years old. The big maple stands in
the Cook county forest preserve near
Glenview.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
Newer Too Old

agnes Is getting along in years, hut
She still keeps up with the new styles"
We'll. one never gets TOO old to ac-
ire the attest wrinkle you know
nst0n Transcript.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
Natural Use.

"Ths storm is an instance of the
economy of nature
GLOW So?'
1.-THE rain is coming down in sheets
10 cover the beds of the streets"
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
ussIn ulIInS :

..'ussaD ulInS somBfs
AHEUp sssuIsnq a usAs JlssmIg
SuBo an .usslB 6IuR ssILIum qlImS
bsmBf snqL 'ssmBuAns scala IISql "a
BsAissuIsql HBa EnusnbsLJ 6IsA usmIs
sqsU sul puBno5S 10 ss8Ud smOs u
'ssmsuIns .ssAIM s4sL
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18

Colds Cause Grip and influenza
LAXATIVE BRoMo oUNRSE Tablets remove The
cause. There Is only one "BrOmo Quinine.
E. w. GROVES signature on boz. Soc
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
2,Sg,
G4Q8 RIBBON
60 <Gt9
G -
C.1op Construction Built According to
US Government Upholstery 0pecifca

The top construction of Blue Ribbon Bed Springs
follows identically the construction required for
upholstery by the-U United States Government
Blue Ribbon Bed Springs conform to the body
the body does not have to adjust itself to the
springs. This means perfect relaxation. Each row
Of springs acts independently ~
They cannot sag. Double-tempered springs insure
lifetime Of resiiency Blue Ribbon Bed Springs
have no projections to wear or tear mattresses.
This, coupled with an endurance far beyond the
twenty-year guarantee, spells economy
Blue Springs found in the bethomes of the South
Know them by their distinctive shade Of cleaning blue
enamel
If you "loOk before you Sleep you'll sleep Blue Ribbon
Springs.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
Give Us somethlno Positive.

GtNC 70 OSt1SbuuI4 TOotItNC
There Is much advice on the subject
Of kissing, but all of 1t Is when not
to.-Toledo Blade.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
Strange If IT'S True

For many, many months the
wise ones have been telling US
that the Yorld is on pleasure
bent; labor is unreliable; more
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
NO NEED

Music Teacher: You should pause,
there. Don't you see that it's marked
rest?
Little One: Yes, teacher, but
aren't tired.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18

sary to take off many trains so
that the few who will work may
have enough to do, that the
shopmen idled away so much
time that it is impossible to find
jobs for them to idle at and
many thousands must be turned
off; that factory hands are so
generally at their jobs that the
only possible thing to do is to
run on short time or close down
entirely; and that the farmers
have been so 'lazy and worked
so little that the whole world
has caught his habits and are
actually too lazy to eat his
bread and meat or wear out his
cotton when made into clothes.
1t seems strange that laziness
and idleness can produce so
much more than the world
needs.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18

LIE Made Up Of Surprises.
Life is series Of surprises we 40
not guess to-day the power OF tomor-
row. Emerson
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18
Announcement Fees:

Announcement Fees:
For District $500
For County ffices............... 1000
For Beat ffces....................... 500
Other political advertising will be
charged for at regular display rate.
Cash must accompany copy to in
sure Insertion.
Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1920-11-18

Robert Watson. a native Of Massa-
ehusetts, who came 20 Washington a.
ehlef clerk Of the department Of la
Dor In 1918, IL the new precedent Of
ehe United States Housing corpora
Sion, whose chief concern now IL to
dispose Of government property worth
approximately s40,eOO.OOo.