Flood Details - 1887-04-25 - 1887-05-14
Fredericton Junction
Perth-Andover
Mactaquac
Maugerville
Oromocto
Sheffield
Saint John
Nerepis
Douglas
Fredericton
Jewetts Mills
Miramichi
Gagetown
Woodstock
Grand Falls
Edmundston
Keswick
St. Stephen
Perth-Andover
Mactaquac
Maugerville
Oromocto
Sheffield
Saint John
Nerepis
Douglas
Fredericton
Jewetts Mills
Miramichi
Gagetown
Woodstock
Grand Falls
Edmundston
Keswick
St. Stephen
Ice jam
Heavy rain
High tides
Snowmelt
Heavy rain
High tides
Snowmelt
$500,000.00
Affected Areas
Saint John River Basin: On April 26, the ice began running above Andover. A serious jam formed six mile upstream of Woodstock. The jam released the same day and caused water to rise five feet [approximately 1.5m] that afternoon but no serious damage occurred. On April 26, the ice moved about 100 yards [approximately 91.4m] at Fredericton and then stopped.
By May 2, a large jam had formed at Douglas, five miles [8.0km] upstream of Fredericton. Water was backed up for 25 miles [40km]. The islands in the Douglas area were completely submerged. Ice was reported to be covering an area of 20 square miles [approximately 52km2]in the Keswick Flats.
On May 2, the ice ran out at Grand Falls. The river has never been known to be so high when the ice left.
At Woodstock, the river peaked around May 6 or 7th. It then subsided about two feet [0.6m] between May 7th and 8th, and then rose a foot [0.3m] by May 10th before finally receding. At Fredericton, the river rose rapidly until about May 5, then remained steady for 48 hours and gradually crept up another foot to peak on May 12. At Indiantown, the level showed a steady rise and peaked between May 12th and 14th. The relative levels near the peak of the flood at Fredericton and Indiantown are shown on Figure 14. This figure has been constructed from newspaper reports on rates of water level change and areas flooded.
Extensive areas were flooded throughout the Saint John River Basin. Upstream of Woodstock, the main railway line was washed out and railway communications with the west were suspended from May 2 to May 13. Lowlands in the Woodstock area were flooded.
At the peak in Fredericton, water lay four feet to five feet [1.2m to 1.5m] deep in Brunswick Street between Regent and York. George Street was flooded between Regent and Saint John and the lower portion of King Street was under water. The Fredericton gas house was flooded, and as a result, the City was without lights from May 10 to May 16.
The hardest hit portion of the Saint John River Basin was the Maugerville-Sheffield area. Water was halfway up people's homes, and up to the first floor of the Sheffield Academy, which was situated on the highest piece of ground in the area. No division was visible between the waters of Grand Lake and the Saint John River.
A vast expanse of water also extended from Fredericton Junction to the Saint John River. Railway tracks were covered near Blissville and at Nerepis.
St. Croix River Basin: The floodwaters on the St. Croix River swept away King's Mill at Baring, Maine, while at Milltown, Maine, two bridges leading into the mills were destroyed.
The freshet was also reported to have been interfering with the operation of the cotton mill at Milltown, New Brunswick.
Miramichi River Basin: On April 26, ice began to move and jammed some six miles below Boiestown on the Southwest Miramichi. A half mile long washout on the Northern and Western Railway was attributed to this ice jam.
On May 2, the ice began to move again and jammed opposite Sargent's Mill.
On May 3, floating ice was observed all along the river as far as Curr's Mill. Toward evening, the ice along the shores began to move, and the river was cleared rapidly. The ice also began to move at Newcastle.
Ice jams, melting of a heavy snow accumulation, heavy rain from April 29 to April 30 in the upper and middle portions of the Saint John River Basin, and high spring tide in the Bay of Fundy.
Saint John River Basin: At Fredericton, the peak level, according to a recent survey, was 26.82 feet elevation [approximately 8.17m]. This figure, derived from a mark on a stone wall, is questionable when compared to newspaper references which implied that the maximum stage exceeded the 1854 flood (probably by only a few inches) but fell short of the level of 1832. The level was reported to be 13 inches above that reached in 1923. As indicated by the levels reported for the 1923 flood, there is some discrepancy in the reporting of maximum stages.
Newspaper reports indicated that the peak level at Sheffield was 14 inches higher than the 1854 flood, while at Indiantown it exceeded the 1854 flood by about a foot and may have exceeded the 1817 level.
Southwestern New Brunswick: The freshet on Magaguadavic River was reported as not being so high for upwards of 30 years.
At Milltown, New Brunswick, the waters of the St. Croix River were reported as not being so high in 60 years.
Miramichi River Basin: The freshet was reported to be higher on the Southwest Miramichi than it had been for years. The water was said to be eight feet deep on Cliffs Flats. Newspaper reports indicated that it was comparable to the freshet of 1854.
Saint John River Basin: A newspaper report estimated the total direct and indirect damage at $500,000. Highway and bridge damage was estimated to be $100,000. Mills of various types were washed out or severely damaged at Edmundston, St. Leonard and Green River on the Saint John River and on the Eel River, Monquart Stream and the Presque Isle River. The closure of mills in Indiantown put 600 labourers out of work. A mill dam at Grand Falls was washed out. A large loss of lumber occurred throughout the Saint John River Basin.
Nearly all bridges along the Saint John River were either damaged or carried away. Among those carried away were bridges at Grand Falls and Mactaquac (Jewett's Mills). The 75 foot [approximately 23m] Nerepis Bridge was observed floating past Indiantown on May 13. Railway washouts occurred on the Maine Central and the New Brunswick Railroad lines in the upper part of the Saint John River Basin. A washout also occurred on the New Brunswick Railway near Sheffield.
At Woodstock, buildings on low lying land were carried away by flood waters. Barns on the Keswick Islands were destroyed and several sheep were drowned. Fredericton residents sustained considerable damage as a result of basement flooding. Both City Hall and Government House were flooded. Damage occurred to waterfront businesses and some houses at Oromocto and Gagetown. Storage sheds were washed away and business establishments were flooded at Indiantown. The river flowed through several buildings at Millidgeville.
In the Maugerville-Sheffield area, severe flooding of houses occurred. Church contents were damaged. Barns floated off their foundations and fences were carried away. The loss of cattle was described as "something terrible". About two thirds of the residents of the area abandoned their homes for higher land.
Miramichi River Basin: The newspaper reports for the Miramichi area stated that "no damage of consequence was caused by either the ice or high water".