Flood Details - 1912-08-08 - 1912-08-14

Saint John River Basin: Bridges, culverts and railroads were washed out in the vicinity of Perth, Hartland, Woodstock and Blissville. C.P.R. freight trains north were cancelled and all passenger trains were running late. Considerable damage resulted to crops in various parts of the Province. At Six-Mile Island, near Grand Falls, a boom was carried away by the sudden increase in water. Near Bath, the Monquart Bridge was undermined and left impassable. The C.P.R. railway bridge, across the Shikatehawk Stream, was badly damaged. The dam at Lockhart's Mill, Bristol, had broken. A large quantity of lumber was lost. About 200 rafts belonging to the Peel Lumber Company and B. S. Smith had also gone adrift. Another C.P.R. washout had occurred between Newburg Junction and Hartland. At Woodstock, the Meduxnekeag Creek had risen to flood the interval destroying the hay crops. The Lake Company's Power Plant was threatened and the Meduxnekeag Bridge was in danger. A large warehouse used by the Frost and Wood Machinery Company, at the south end of the bridge, was being undermined. About 0.5 million feet [1 177 m3] of logs were jammed in the Meduxnekeag Creek. At Mouth of Keswick, all the fields were reported to be under water. Portions of the islands above Fredericton were inundated. The Glasier Boom, downstream of Fredericton, broke and was carried downstream into the Mitchell Boom. A portion of the Mitchell Boom gave way setting about 2.5 million feet [about 5900 m3] of lumber adrift. Water was reported to be over the road in the Maugerville area. Along the Nashwaak River, water was reaching spring freshet height. Logs were being carried over the Marysville dam. Miramichi River Basin: Two spans were reported as being torn out on a bridge crossing the Southwest Miramichi. The river channel was partially blocked by debris, preventing the passage of rafts. Thunderstorms were reported on August 12 and 14th in the Chatham area. Southeastern New Brunswick: In Albert County, the marshes were inundated, and many bridges and culverts were washed out. Severe thunderstorms occurred on the night of August 12 in Albert County which were reported to extend from Point Wolfe to Hillsboro. Tantramar River Basin: In Westmorland County, flooding occurred on the Tantramar Marshes, destroying the hay crop. Morice Mill Dam, at Morice Pond near Sackville, broke and heavy damage resulted from the flood that followed. A 70 foot [approx. 21 m] section of the dam at Morice Mill Pond had washed out and fears were expressed that the foundation of the mill would collapse. Another dam, further upstream at the Ogden Mill, gave way and damaged the mill. Several roads, near Beech Hill, were reported to be severely damaged. A section of Lorne Street was reported to be "a lake of considerable depth". A bridge on Main Street, over Mahoney's Brook, was washed out, rendering the street impassable. The railway lines, west of Sackville and towards Prince Edward Island, were inundated at several locations. In nearby Westcock, southeast of Sackville, a road crossing the hill to Bulmers Pond was almost destroyed because of large washouts. The highway and bridge at Westcock Crossing was flooded to a depth of 0.3 to 0.9 metres (1 to 3 feet). The marsh in this area remained flooded for several days. The dam at Bulmers Pond did not fail, but for a time the depth of the overflow was 12 to 18 inches [0.3 to 0.45 m]. Downstream, the road was damaged, and the dam at the sawmill and the bridge to Henry Harper's property were torn away. The Bulmer sawmill was badly damaged. The road crossing below the sawmill was flooded to a depth of about 5 to 6 feet [1.5 to 1.8 m] by the floodwaters. The low lying land in this area was covered by nearly 1 foot [0.3 m] of soft mud after the flood.

A heavy rainfall throughout most of New Brunswick.

General: The Dominion Meteorological Bureau at the University of New Brunswick reported that during the month of July there were 15 rainy days. A total precipitation of 4.43 inches [113 mm] was recorded during this period as compared with 3.52 inches [89 mm] in July, 1911. During the month of August, there had been eight rainy days to date and a total precipitation of 2.77 inches [70 mm]. The heaviest rainfall occurred on Saturday, August 10, which measured 1.33 inches [33 mm]. Saint John River Basin: The Saint John River at St. Leonard was reported to have risen at least eight feet [2.4 m]. At Perth, the Saint John River was reported to have risen four feet [1.2 m] on August 11. At Fredericton, the river was reported as having risen between eight and nine feet [2.4-2.7 m], peaking on August 13. Conditions were reported as being similar to the mid-summer freshet of 1881. Miramichi River Basin: Heavy rainfall was also reported at Chatham. Sackville Area: The surge of water from Morice Pond flooded large sections of the marsh between Sackville and Middle Sackville, inundating crops of grain and hay. A temporary, "artificial lake" formed in this area, approximately 1.5 miles long [2.4 km], and 0.5 miles [0.8 km] wide at its widest point. The flooding was reported as being the most severe on August 12, when very heavy rains fell. Residents near Bulmers Pond stated it was the worst flood since the "great Saxby Tide".

Sackville Area: A washout was reported on the Inter-Colonial Railway. Several culverts on the highway from Sackville to Moncton were washed out. Cattle were also reported to have been killed in the Sackville area. Damages at the Ogden Mill were reported to be in the order of $200 to $300. Estimates of the cost of replacing the dam at Morice Pond varied from several hundred dollars to one thousand dollars.