Chenango County, NY Flood of 1905

Chenango County, NY Flood of 1905

Chenango Union, September 7, 1905

 

Continued from posting of January 16, 2017

 

Two Horses Drowned

Frank Sullivan, who lives on the Edward Tiffany farm, King Settlement, started for Borden's with his milk Monday morning. The bridge at the Buell Barnes' place was reported out and Mr. Sullivan attempted to ford the brook an eighth of a mile above the bridge.  His team had reached the west bank and men who were assisting him had seized their bridles when one of the horses slipped and fell into the stream, dragging the other with her. The efforts of the men were unavailing and the team was swept down stream and both horses drowned.  One of them, still hitched to the wagon was caught by the debris just above the bridge and the other was carried more than a quarter of a mile down stream.

 

Dam Goes Out

"My dam which has stood for seventy-five years has gone out and I have lost every dam thing," was the message which Blinn Buell telephoned to Norwich Monday morning.  "Every dam thing" referred especially to the saw mill which stood by the dam.

 

Smyrna Loses Bridges

Four iron bridges and seven wooden bridges washed out and roads badly gullied sums up the damage to town property in the town of Smyrna.  Farmers suffered damage to crops and fields but no stock was lost.

 

State Road Damaged

A piece of the Plymouth state road between Plymouth and South Plymouth near the Charles Weaver place is washed out and the road is damaged in other places. The hill roads are badly washed and several bridges are gone.

 

In Lincklaen, Otselic, Pharsalia and Preston there was damage to the roads and some small bridges were carried away, but the loss to the hill towns is comparatively small.

 

Minor Incidents

A two year old heifer pasturing on the Maydole lot west of the Canasawacta was discovered by E.B. Crandall Monday morning, standing on the high ground near Main street surrounded by deep water.  He scoured a rope and with the assistance of George Stacy rescued the animal.

 

J.C. Taylor and family, who are living in a temporary house at the foot of Hayes street while their house is being built, found themselves surrounded by water Sunday evening and they feared for the safety of the building.  Some of the inmates were removed in a push cart and all the goods were removed from the building.

 

C.H. Latham got out his machine as soon as word of the wreck at Woods [Corners] was received and during the night made several trips to the scene carrying physicians and supplies.  He was able to cross the river bridge on the first trips but before morning the water had risen so high that the machine had to be abandoned west of the river.

 

Henry W. Breed, the trainman injured in the O.&W. wreck, boards at the National Hotel.  Sunday evening he told a fellow boarder that he had never dreaded a run as much as he dreaded to go out that night.  He had tried to get someone to take his place, but was not successful.

 

While the wrecking crew was attempting to remove the cars from the wreck Monday morning the heaving steam crane slipped down the sag into the ditch.  It was several hours before it was gotten out and this greatly delayed the repairs at that point.

 

Water came into the Borden Condensery buildings which are on the lower ground and for a time there was danger that the gas plant would be crippled and the soldering room shut down. The water also interfered with the waste pipe into which the steam is exhausted and a new line had to be laid.

 

J.J. Saladin, of West Main street, a trainman in the employ of the O.&W. is a member of the crew which took out the train wrecked at Woods [Corners].  He had a presentiment of danger Sunday evening and secured a substitute to take his place on the run.

 

Corn fields on the river flats between Norwich and Haynes could just be seen above the water Monday noon.  One field just above Haynes had been cut and shocked. The bulk of this crop is now lodged against the fence bordering the road which crosses the river at the Half Way house.

 

As usual the wildest rumors prevailed early Monday morning concerning the flood in other places.  The New Berlin reports were particularly exaggerated.  The death list there was placed as high as nineteen, and fifty houses were reported as swept away.

 

Conductor John Close, who runs on 13 and 14 and 41 and 42 says he has been laid off by wreck and flood many times, but never before in his 25 years experience, has he been fortunate enough to be at home.

 

Conductor Robinson who was in charge of train no. 5, arriving here Sunday midnight and held here until Tuesday morning, had his hands full, answering the anxious inquiries of his passengers.

 

The town of Preston lost about a dozen bridges. Seven were on the route of one rural delivery carrier.  The damage to roads and bridges in Columbus is estimated at $10,000.  The bridge across the King Settlement brook on the east river road to Wood's corners was washed out and dropped into the creek bed.

 

The largest individual loss in Norwich is probably that of George Wheeler, at the Red mill. The basement of his mill was flooded, machinery damaged and stock ruined.  His loss will probably be $500.  The total loss in the county, including the loss to the railroads, will not fall short at $40,000.

 

The Storm Elsewhere

The storm and flood was by no means local but spread in all its fury over five counties, Chenango, Madison, Otsego, Oneida and Herkimer all suffer heavily.  The trolley line from Oneonta to Richfield Springs was blocked on Monday, washouts occurring all along the road.  Between Mt. Vision and Hartwick the low land was converted into a lake and 400 feet of track washed out; the Otsego creek, the course of which was changed when the road was built, broke its new banks and sought its old channel.  South of Schuyler Lake there is a 500 foot washout and south of Mohawk there are a half dozen washouts varying in length form 60 to 200 feet.

 

in the Butternut Valley

One and a half inches of water fell and all streams overflowed their banks.  At Morris the abutment to the Broad street bridge was weakened and the bridge condemned. The mill pond above the fair grounds was raised and overflowed, carrying out the dam.  All the bridges at New Lisbon and Burlington, the iron bridge at Burlington flats, the Cross blacksmith shop and old tannery were swept down stream. the dam at Southworth's mills at West Exeter went out; there were several feet of water in the hotel at Schuyler's Lake and the occupants of the hotel had narrow escapes from drowning. At Cooperstown the water was five feet deep on Chestnut street and lawns which have been the pride of the residents were ruined.