#spring flooding

"River Laps Indiantown Square--Rothesay Park Cut Off--Spar Cove's 'Back Door' Is Under," Saint John Times Globe. May 3, 1935. Page 13. ---- When Ol' Man River comes visiting-

These photographs show views of what veteran observers believe is the zenith of the petulant freshets on the St. John and Kennebecasis rivers in the local district. The pictures were snapped yesterday. and since that time neither river has shown any gain in its level, probably because the weather has continued "cold."

At the left is the square at Indiantown. Boys play near the fountain among driftwood and flotsam. The zig-zag boardwalk goes from dry land to the Milford ferry dock. Jutting out of the water, with a tugboat as background, is a gasoline pump, now isolated from auto-mobiles, and near it is a vacant store surrounded by water. The adjacent wharves are inundated, and part of the street car tracks is likewise under water.

The middle picture was taken when an enterprising motorist was coming from Rothesay Park around the curving "roadway" whose border is marked by partly submerged shrubbery at the right background. This trip gives the passengers an impression of riding over the waves, although in fact they are riding through the waves. The Journey to and from Rothesay Park is no easy one, what with the danger of muddy water obscuring the direction of the road, with deeper water on each side of the road, with the possibility of the engine stalling while the exhaust pipe is saying "Blub, blub, blub." The cameraman snapped this from the road at the water's edge. The coming of the freshet forced Leonard Pierce and his family to move from the park.

At the right is Newman Brook, which has aspirations to become something bigger and better than merely a brook. The Indiantown freshet has backed it up until today the brook partly surrounds numerous houses along Spar Cove Road (shown in the picture) and River Street, its continuation. Ducks in this locality have been about the only ones to enjoy the creek's rise. Stairways at the back doors of the houses lead down to the water, and back fences disappear under the surface. Woodsheds and hen houses have been "anchored" with bricks.

"THE BOTTOM DROPPED OUT of part of the main street of the village of Gorrie, near Wingham, when Maitland river flood waters washed out 150 feet of the bank on the Gorrie dam. The hole washed out of the main street is nearly 30 feet wide, 15 feet deep, and residents ventured near the edge to survey the damage.

"RESIDENTS FLEE FROM RISING WATERS - More than a dozen homes in the Ship street area, foot of Wentworth street, are endangered by the bay, which is now at the highest mark ever recorded. At top a walk can be seen at left floating on the water and at the back is an isolated building. Below, structures where families have lived for many years are seen with water reaching reaching the floors. Many of the residents have abandoned the premises and carried their belongings to a place of safety."

"SPRING FLOOD NO BAR TO ENTHUSIASTIC VICTORY BOND SALESMAN," Toronto Star. May 13, 1943. Page 2. ---- CLOSED TO TRAFFIC is this section of the Queen Elizabeth Way near Jordan. Several tons of earth were sucked away by heavy rains.

"River Thames Still Rising at Thamesville," Border Cities Star. February 27, 1930. Page 12. ---- ABOVE are shown views taken yesterday by a Star staff photographer in Thamesville, where the swollen Thames river invaded the business district, cutting the town squarely in two, as far as pedestrian traffic was concerned. The water is about eight to ten inches deep. THAMESVILLE, Feb. 27 - After receding yesterday afternoon, the River Thames, which put Thamesville under water to a depth of several inches yesterday, was rising again this morning.

The water dropped about eight inches yesterday, and residents who had been alarmed at the situation breathed easier again, but this morning it had risen to within two inches of the high mark reached yesterday. It is believed, however, that today will see the peak of the flood, which has been the worst in the history of the town. To cause really serious damage. the water will have to rise a foot or more beyond the point reached this morning, and this is regarded as impossible.

East of here, where there is 34 inches of water over former Provincial Highway No. 2 for a stretch of about 30 rods, and here traffic was ordered stopped by the provincial highway department on Tuesday night. Thamesville garage men have organized a towing service and are taking motorists through for from $3 to $5 a car.

Two wrecking cars are used for towing purpose. The one in front merely serves to hold the engine of the one in the front above the water. The wrecking car in the rear, with its front end hoisted above the water and securely lashed to the front machine, furnishes the power, and it takes two men to run one of the tandem towing outfits.

Although the highway department has marked out the road with closely set stakes, motorists are only allowed to be pulled through the submerged portion at their own risk. CHATHAM, Feb. 27 - In Chatham this morning a drop of almost one inch in the level of the flooded Thames was reported from the city water works pumping station where the only official watch is kept on the river banks. This drop at first indicated that the peak of the flood had been reached but was at once dampened by advices from Thamesville. North Harwich township is reported to be in a bad condition with all low-lying farm lands badly flooded and no prospect of relief in sight. As far as can be learned there is no hardship. a armers are able to get out fairly easily to obtain food and fuel. To date therehas been no loss of live stock.