Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-05-01
Flood Waters High Mark Throughout the Kennebec Valley

and with Waterville but a mile and
a half away, 1t seemed as II 1t woul6e
not be possible to deliver those pa@
pers at the station and post Office irts
time to make the proper train and
stage connections. =
While one OF the party endeavoPeeI
to find out how deep was this ponds
which extended for a distance Of SOC
feet on the highway. the circulattoR
man at once made arrangements with
the crew Of a work train which hapS
pened to be on the track nearby tQ
take the mail through to the Junction.
All three men then proceeded ia
carry the mail from the truck to thH
train, a distance of 100 feet or better:
1t was no small job to move this mau
weighing about 1900 pounds, down g
slippery bank in the dark, and thcR
hoist it to the top Of fiat car load
ed with stone, as there was no ca-
boose on the train in which 1t might
be put. The train then moved along,
cautiously crossed the bridge on the
SebasticoOk river and stopped long
enough to leave the Winslow sack q
the Winslow postofflcc. The rest az
the journey to Waterville was then
made without mishap.
AT the Waterville station the sacks
were sorted again as Trey had been
mixed up in the change from truck
to train. Then two of the men
started back to the truck, and it was
necessary to walk the entire DISTANCE
from the Waterville station to the
Winslow station. The trip back to
Augusta was peaceful and quiet. ana
at 5.45 the truck drew up in front
of the Journal office. 3
ut the nights work was not over
y any means with the completion
Of this trip. After rest sufficiently
long to put on the tire chains which
j ad not been necessary up to THIS
time, the truck headed for HalloweN
and Gardiner. The start of this trip
was made at 6 o'clock and the voI-
age to Hallowell was uneventful.
After unloading the HALLOWEEN
papers, of which there was a goodty
number, the truck continued on the
way to Gardiner. AS that section
of Hallowell known as Joppa was
inundated, detour was necessary DIP
over the hill on the west side of tho
town returning to the main road at
the foot of Loudon Hill. From thu
hill to the new road in Farmingdale.
was one succession of jounces. until
the men in the auto began to feel SEA
sick. Once on the new cement roap
the journey was easy but 1t wos
again necessary to take to the hilla'
when entering Gardiner as the street
by the Maine Central Station wes
flooded. The papers were all deliver-
ed in Gardiner at 6.45. 49,
After absorbing a milk shake.
several passengers were picked up
who would be delayed in their bust
ness If they were forced to wait for
the train, and the return trip was
begun. In Farmin zdale there was a
place where the back water had run
over the road to depth of probably
two feet. Here, in order that the
engine might not stop and leave the
machine in the midst of a pond, a
good run was taken, and when the
auto hit the water a solid sheet of
liquid was thrown upon the top of
the truck, cascading down the wind
shield and the sides of the truck like
a miniature Niagara. So thick was
the stream of water on the wind
the road and was forced to hold the
wheel steady and trust to luck I'M
til through the water. This process
brought gasps from the five women
who we're in the truck. and this as
we'll as the experience itself was
very amusing to the three male
members OF the party.
The nights work was one that
will not be forgotten in a hurry by
any member of the party. The
driver and director of operations
during the entire night was the above
mentioned circulation man, and he
was accompanied by a reporter on
the entire trip. and by the assistant
circulation man as far as Water
willie. The papers were taken through
without mishap although some of
them received quite a wetting on the
train as there was nothing with
which to cover them. This sort of
service is the kind that the Kennebec
Journal always tries to give and is
not peculier to that one paper alone
but to all newspapers, their chief
aim being to get the news to the
public while it is fresh.