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  1799 Hail Storm1802 Great Snow Storm  
ON Wednesday, March 18, 1801, began a rain storm, which continued until the next Saturday, four days in all, causing the greatest flood ever known in some sections of New England.

At Groton, Mass., it was very severe, and in the southeastern portion of Vermont, mills, bridges, and other property were washed away or destroyed to the value of more than two hundred thousand dollars.

Fourteen bridges, seven grist-mills, five saw-mills, two clothiers' shops and works, one dwelling- house, two barns and several small outhouses in Connecticut, situated on the Farmington river and its branches, were carried away and destroyed, besides great quantities of lumber and fencing material. From the banks of the river, near the residence of Capt. Dudley Case at West Simsbury, were seen floating down the stream, one after another, a grist-mill, a saw-mill, a dwelling house, a clothier's shop and a bridge intact. It is impossible to estimate the amount of damage done on this stream. No other freshet has equalled it.

Two incidents of this flood have been found recorded in the journals that were current at that period. One of them relates to two boys, who on Saturday, the last day of the storm, were travelling along the turnpike in Thompson, Conn., half an hour after sunset. One of them was Cushion Brown and the other Otis, son of Gen. Daniel Larned. They reached the Quinebaug river, and attempted to cross it, the water being above the road and running very swiftly. Larned was a little in advance of Brown, and after walking in the water a distance of about three rods, suddenly plunged into a hole that had been made by the raging flood. The current swept him into the middle of the stream, and he was not seen again. Nine days later his body had not been found. Young Brown continued on his way through the water with great care and reached the other side in safety.

The other incident was much sadder than the foregoing. A boy, whose age was fourteen, and his sister, children of Josiah Adkins of West Simsbury, Conn,, went into a mill belonging to a Mr. Cleveland to take down and remove an old weaver's loom that was owned by the family. They began to work upon it, and became so deeply engrossed ill what they were doing that they did not observe that the mill was afloat until it began to move off its foundations. The girl was the first to discover it, and she quickly ran to the door to make her escape. Water had surrounded the building before they had entered it, and a plank had been placed from the bank to the threshold of the mill door. She attempted to reach the shore by way of the plank, and had placed but one foot upon it before the other end of it was drawn off the ground by the moving building, causing her to tumble head foremost into the raging current. She was carried down the stream about thirty yards, to a point where some shrubs hung over the water. She made an effort to reach them, and being successful clung to them till she was able to draw herself to land. Her brother found his way of escape cut off, and he was forced to stay in the mill, which was borne down the stream a considerable distance in its ordinary position. The people along the shore saw the boy standing at the door and heard him beg for assistance, but no one could help him. His parents were among the crowd looking at him while he faced the dangers that would probably sooner or later prove fatal to him, and they followed along the banks of the river, keeping abreast of the floating mill. This continued some distance farther, and then the building struck a large rock, causing it to suddenly turn. The boy was heard to cry for help once more, and then there was silence within the mill. The building trembled for a moment and then crumbled to pieces. Then followed minutes of agony to the parents, as they stood on the shore watching for some sign of their son. Oh, what agonizing thoughts and feelings thrilled them when they saw their child in such terrible danger and were powerless to lift a hand to save him! They did not distinguish his body as it was carried down the stream with the debris from the mill, and which a few hours later was taken from the water about half a mile below. His death was undoubtedly instantaneous, as his head was found to be shockingly bruised, and there were many other wounds which were apparently caused by blows from falling timbers. His remains were carried home to his almost broken-hearted parents, and the next day interred in the family lot.

Source: Historic Storms of New England by Sidney Perley, 1891
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