The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-04-12


known in this section in many
years. The damage to the Inter
state bridge will reach $4,000.
Reports that the bridge at East
Barnet had been carried away
proved to be unfounded.
Word comes from Bellows Falls
that the Connecticut river is
higher today than for several
years and rapidly rising. At one
O'Clock this afternoon the guages
on the big dam indicated that the
water was 16.1 feet above the
dam. Advices from Wilder were
that the Connecticut river rose Is
ieet during the night which means
that 1t IS due to rise in Bellows
Falls much more today. Arrange
ments are being made to place
dam above the railroad tunnel
which goes underneath the vii
lage, an emergency step which
has been necessitated but four
times since the railroad was op-
ened. 1t is expected that all traf-
fic on the Connecticut division on
the Boston and Maine will be sus-
pended this afternoon as the
water is now within Is inches of
the railroad tracks and steadily
rising.
Owing to washout at Proctor
all traffic above Rutland is stop
ped on the Rutland railroad and
special trains will be made up at
Rutland for Boston and New
York.
st. Johnsbury is not an island,
but it had plenty of water on all
sides of it after the heavy rains
Of Tuesday night The rain added
to the melting snow and ice swell
ed every small stream into a ,or-
rent and filled the river banks to
overfiowing until the meadows
looked like lakes.
In several places there we're
small washouts on the railroads
and many low stretches of track
were under water. The highways,
too, had numerous inundated plac-
es, in some instances several rods
in length. This made travel a
hazard and put off everybody's
schedule.
The most damage in northern
Vermont was at Wells River,
where the big interstate concrete
bridge, connecting Vermont and
New Hampshire, between Wells
River and Woodsville, was
wrecked when one of the middle
piers gave way between and 3
O'Clock Tuesday morning. About
tWo-thirds of the structure pitched
into the river. The middle pier
was evidently undermined letting
the heavy mass collapse. 1t is es-
timated that it will take $4,000
to put this bridge back ino com
mission. This bridge was a com
paratively new structure as it was
built in 1916 and 1917. The piers
were laid in 1916 and the bridge
completed and dedicated with CON
siderable ceremony in the fall of
1917. Ttc selectmen of the town
of Ncwbury at the time were John
+. George, TAFT NJ. Richie and
Earl b. Greer. The architects
were Storrs and Storrs of Con-
cord, n. H; the contractors, the
United Construction Company of
Albany, N. Y; and the builders
the American Bridge Company.
The bridge cost between $40, 900
and $4,000.
The principal trouble on the
Passumpsic division of the Boston
and Maine railroad was between
Wells River and White River
Junction and the last train over
the line was the night mail north
which reached st. Johnsbury at
$50 Wednesday morning, over
two hours late. Three culvcrts
between Newbury and Bradford
were swept out early Wednesday
morning and all the way south OF
Wells River the swollen Connccti-
cut is over the track at every pos
Siblc place, in one place for more
than 800 feet. The mail train
south ran only to Wells River and
returned on the accommodation
trains time, arriving in st. Johns
bury only 80 minutes late.
No serious trouble is reported
on the Maine Central, or the Lake
road, although the track is under
water in several places.
A trip from Newport south
Tuesday was as good as a sea
voyage. Win Mastcn, the veteran
Boston and Maine conductor was
in charge of the mail train, and
he said he had seen worse con
ditions in his 81 years up and
down the Passumpsic valley, but
no higher water when there was
no accompanying ice to back up
and bother. The rivers are prac-
tically free from ice which simpli-
fes the situation considerably.
At Coventry the low meadow
lands look as if Lake Memphre-
had started south, and