The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-02-07

dicated TO him that the gates We're
shut down at the dam. He returned
home from an investigation of his
traps Saturday night after the big
rain storm which WAS responsible for
the freshet. had commenced. He
noted that the river was higher and
that refuse was noticeable in the riY-
er. Saturday night Mr.. Hughey said
the water had come into his cellar
and had wet his vegetables. On
Sunday morning he said that the wat
er measured two feet in his cellar
and rose TO thirty-one inches. On
Monday, following a conference with
William Taylor. nearby neighbor. he
went 10 the dam and saw the water
running over the spillway. Some OF
the gates were way down, according
to the witness and some were up part
way. Witness claimed that Monday
night the water had risen to a greater
height, had gotten up over the ground
around his buildings and then spread
back over his land. Mr.. Hughey
claimed that he suffered damages IN
the vegetables in his cellar, that
about one and one-half cords of wood
in the cellar were damaged, that his
furnace was put out of commission as
the water rose above the fire box
door The plaintiff also averred that
the cellar wall was damaged, that the
cellar drain will have to be dug up,
that the chimney in the house had
apparently settled, that a bad odor
came from the cellar and that there
were great quantities of flies in the
cellar Mr.. Hughey said that health
conditions were SO bad that he took
his children down to a camp which
he owned at Long Pond for the sum
mer. He also claimed that his gar
den didn't dry off until about June
and that his crops from the same
were much interfered with. He
claimed damages to motor boat equip
ment, timbers and other articles in
the store building. A childrens play
house. Mr.. Hughey testified, went
down stream in the food and the
store building was caused to settle
because of the high water. Under
cross examination by Carroll y. Per-
kins of Wateryille, attorney for the
defendant company. witness said that
during usual spring conditions. Es.o-
would flow into his cellar to the
height of ten inches. flooding the low
er part of his garden. He was also
questioned as to why he did not clean
out the cellar drain to protect the
health of his family. He stated that
when he moved the store building 10
its present location. he expected the
water to come up around ii in the
spring Attorney Perkins question
eG him much as to why he didn't at
tempt to save more of his goods on
which he claimed damages during the
freshet 1t Was brought out in di-
rect testimony that if the gates were
raised clear UP they would topple
over. W. A. Taylor, a grocer ip
Jackman who lived in the vicinity of
the Hughey place, told of the river
conditions and of the weather. sub
stantially corroborating the testimony
of Mr.. Hughey. He described the
conditions as he found them at the
dam and under cross examination
said that it was impossible to raise
the gates of the dam clear up. Wit
ness said that he had left the matter
of damages caused 10 his property in
the freshet with ". K. Pattangall.
Bert l.. Clark. a photographer who
LOOK pictures oil the dam ana al the
Hughey place was called and identi-
fed the pictures taken
Saturday forenoon Mr.. Clark told
of conditions at the dam when he took
the pictures, saving that the water
Mas going over the dam from Is or
2Q inches to "a inches. Some of
the gates were UP part way, the
witness said Ezekiel L. Chase, land
surveyor and engaged in the lum-
her business. said that he had built
four dams and had charge of several
other dams. He prepared the plan
Of Jackman village. took measure
ments Of the Huchey premises, and
told OF certain elevations at the dam
and at the Hughey place He de
scribed at length the mechanism of
the dam. which he said WAS not so
constructed as To make use OF all the
gate arrcas.
purIhE " SeaeN ha' lengthy fore