Recent rains have flushed the Penobscot River watershed, sending a charge of water downstream and threatening to destroy the Bangor Dock Facility.

The privately owned docks failed in stages. It started about 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Ben Glidden, Bangor harbor master, said Friday evening as he watched the twisted floats bob in the swift current.

The docks are 2 years old, cost about $60,000, and were insured, said Orman Twitchell, whose son Robert runs the operation.

Twitchell said he hoped the docks could be saved. But, he said, nothing can be done until the freshet eases and the river returns to seasonal levels.

It started with the heavy rains, Glidden said. Able to measure the current speed at one point Friday, Glidden said that it was running at least 8 knots, about 10 mph.

The river washed down debris that piled against the floats. Compounding the problems were about 20 huge timbers from the old dam a short distance upstream.

One of the smaller timbers still was wedged against the dock Friday evening. It measured 20 inches to a side and about 12 feet long. Luckily, Glidden said, none of the timbers on their way downstream hit any of the boats still in the river.

The city-owned dock survived the high water in fine shape, Glidden said.