Evening star., 1927-11-06
New England's Tragedy.

newspaper men, rather bitterly, that II
New England suffered the horrors OF
a catastrophe food an extra session
Of Congress would be called soon
enough. His statement, of course, re.
| fiected a political bias and not be.
lief in his own words. The Senator
was thinking of New England as the
home Of the President and as a Sec
tion not likely to experience a flood
comparable in any way to the tragedy
of his homeland. But New England
today presents picture of desolation
and loss Of life that becomes sharply
significant because Of the fresh mem.
ory Of the Mississippis outbreak. Sew.
eral days will pass before the toll of
the New England tragedy may be
counted, but even now the loss of life
is reckoned in excess of two hundred.
| The loss Of life in drownings during
the Mississippi food was placed Of
| fcially at 246.
But while the aftermath Of these
two floods lend themselves naturally
to comparison, one Of them following
so closely upon the heels of the other.
the comparison must end there. For
days, and even weeks, the great
Father Of Waters rose, slowly for the
most part, occasionally breaking
through it's bulwarks on each side to
reach out yellow fingers in a sudden
grab. But in New England there was
little time for preparation. Heavy
rains of few days changed small
streams to rushing torrents; reservoirs
gave way. dams were broken under
the strain, and great walls Of water
came rushing down valleys. carrying
away strong bridges and homes before
them. The larger rivers have not sub
sided. But it is probable that the
greatest damage has been done. Be-
fore the casualties are fully counted
the flood will probably be over.
The greatest loss Of life so far, &C.
cording to the still meager reports at
hand. has been in the western section
Of Vermont, section through which
flow many creeks and small rivers on
their way from the uplands Of the
Green Mountains to Lake Champlain.
Montpelier, on the Winooski River,
has been hardest hit, dispatches re.
porting that bursting reservoir sent
a ten-foot wall OF water through the
city. Lower down, on the same river,
is Burlington, city whose elevation
may save it from great damage, al.
though reports indicate that several
Of its bridges have gone out. Rutland
and Middleburg. in Vermont, both of
them on Otter Creek, another stream
flowing to Lake Champlain, have boti,
suffered, and this swollen stream has
carried away one Of the largest bridges
In the State, fact more remarkable
when it is considered that Otter Creek,
ordinarily. is little larger than Rock
Creek in the District. But the flood
has not been confined to this water.
shed Of Lake Champlain. The White
River, which flows east into the Con-
necticut River, passing such towns
as Hartford and Bellows Falls, VT,
has risen thirty feet, according to one
report. and similar rises have been re.
ported on other tributaries of the Con.
necticut River. The Connecticut itself
is on rampage, and some Of the
cities in the Connecticut valley In
Massachusetts,, which have not yet
felt the full force Of the food. are In
part endangered, among them Hol.
yoke, Northampton. Chicopee, Spring.
field, and, in Connecticut, Hartford
and Midd.etown. The other great
river Of New England. the Merrimac,
likewise threatens danger through an
industrial section of Massachusetts,.
Damage in the New England food
area Is therefore widespread, being
confined to no particular water course.
Every creek and small river, appar.
entity. has played its part in adding to
the destruction. Flowing swiftly as
they do from high uplands, these
streams have lent themselves peculiar.
ly to hydro-electric development, with
scores Of dams providing power for
turbines which turn dynamos and mill
machinery. The waters. rising quick.
ly from extraordinarily heavy rains.
have put these dams to tests greater
than any contemplated when they
were built. and some of them have
given way with resulting disaster.
This food has been one of the unex
pected tragedies which comes once in
several generations. There is little
which could have been done to pre-
vent it. But its example will stand
for many years as a warning to New
Englanders of a danger which, how
ever remote II may have seemed a few
| days ago. must for all time be
reckoned with and forestalled.