The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-05-03


Monday, together with the big amount
of snow in the up-river sections hav-
ing caused an unusual rise of water
in the Kennebec River locally and in
regions above and below Skowhegan.
| The rise In the river at Skowhegan
was approximately three and one-half
feet above normal, or about $4,000
cubic feet higher than usual, accord
ing to the figures at the Weston Pow
erhouse, Monday forenoon. At that
time the water had receded one inch
but subsequently during the day 1t
began to rise until it had risen two
| feet and two inches more during the
day. Yesterday 1t was steadily de-
creasing. Tho Weston plant of the
Central Maine Power Co. was unable
to furnish any power because of the
/ unusual high water mark and as re-
| suit all industrial plants were closed
and lighting was available only. This
was furnished from the steam plant
at Farmingdale which alone was able
to furnish power for lights from Bing-
ham to Bath.
LOSSES TO SKOWHEGAN FIRMS
Quantities of logs and pulp wood
were swept down the river and the
Kennebec Pulp Co. lost about thirty
cords of pulp wood which was not
marked and probably can never be re-
covered. A small building close to
the river bank which was formerly
the Nolin powerhouse was washed
from it's foundation. The Central
Maine Power Co. lost several of the
irons used locally with the flush
boards and several others were bent
beyond repair. Otherwise in Skow-
hogan the actual property damage to
this concern was not large. Their
loss from furnishing power was much
larger and the total loss will be from
$4,000 to $4,000, the firm. however,
suffered heavy damages in down river
towns and cities. The Kennebec
Pulp Co. estimate their loss at about
$1,000, although not all in property
damage. officials looked after the
motors so that they were pulled up
out OF the waters reach but much
pulp wood had drifted into the COM
pany's basement and this will have to
be piled out which In itself will en-
tail considerable expense. Work
will probably not be resumed in the
manufacturing of pulp until the last
of the week. The boiler room of the
Maine Spinning Co. was badly over
flowed and contained about four feet
of water. No permanent damage of
great amount Is expected from this
however. The mill was closed for
two days
The Skowhegan Paper Co. along
with other manufacturing plants have
suffered loss because of having to
close down the plant and in addition
to this car load of soda pulp stored
in the basement was submerged In
water and was practically ruined.
Five motors were also soaked In wat
er and considerable drift wood was
swept into the building.
The American Woolen Co. sustained
no damages with the exception of the
loss of two days work, because of lack
of power. while other plants sustain
ing but little loss other than loss of
labor it is believed were the ID. e.
Cummings Shoddy mill, Somerset
Shoe factory, Thompson & Fox, Skow-
hogan Jersey Creamery. Novelty Mill,
st. Ledgers Woodworking Shop, The
Somerset Machine Co. and the two
grist mills
DAMAGE TO HIGHWAYS $110O
Tho damage to the highways in
Skowhegan Is OF course large. Water
covered parts of the streets in the
village and reached above the base
ment windows on some of the houses
AT the Thompson market, next to the
South channel bridge. the basement
was flooded with some four or five
feet of water. Provisions stored
there were removed and the main
damage was to fixtures, etc. II
would be impossible of course to
enumerate the losses sustained from
flooded cellars In the different sec
tions of the town. Many culverts
were washed out and roads badly
quilted. Street Commissioner Cow
cite believes the loss to highways in
cludlng culverts. etc. will be about
$1l00. A culvert on the state road
near the Roderick farm about four
miles above the village on the Athens
road necessltatad teams coming over
Hilton Hill to reach Skowhegan Mon
day morning, The driver of the Ca
naah stage, George w. Smith made
his trips to and from Skowhegan
contrary to reports that he did not
but Monday on his return one of his
horses broke through and both of Its
rear legs went down so far that the
water came up over Its hips near the
Great Eddy. The bridge over the
Turner Brook on the NorridgewocB
road was washed away and wash,
out on the Norridgewock road, south
side, made 1t impossible to get thru
to Norridgewock village Monday
, Traffic officer Cushman in making an
attempt to post warning signals on
the state highway south of Skowhe-
gan got into an overfowed gully and
had to leave his car and wade to the
shore in water up to his arm pits.
RAILROAD SERVICE DELAYED
Owing to overfiows at several points
between Skowhegan and Fairfield the
incoming and outgoing trains on the
Maine Central were cancelled Monday
forenoon. The first train reached
Skowhegan shortly before one O'clock