The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1849-03-30
terrible Calnmitr.
Frsatsst Flood sper kpopa h Chicago.
From lh9 Will Couhly Democrat

AelttDA9 Calamity.
Frsatsst Flood sper knopa d Chicago.
FEom lho VIII Coualy Democrats
CaleAaa, March IL 20 I'm.
betors hat Chicago been vistsd BY J
. great a calamity as this day has witnessed. =
D Our haF6or exhibits a scene Of the most terri.
PIE devastation. In the confusion whreh pre-.
> V"'s' 1t would be Idle to attempt to give tn,
details; but we believe it is OF too much Il
'oy that one halt of the shipping in the har
Dor has been destroyed, an every bridge ups
on the river has been swept away.
A. 8 O'Clock this morning a compact dam
Of ice, raised two Of three feet above the Sur
face Of the water, nearly opposite Gage &
Halnes' steam mill, on the North Branch, and
above which a large body Of water and ioat.
ing ice had accumulated, suddenly gave way,
driving down the rapid current every vessel
lying below that point.
Madison street bridge offered a momenta.
~ check TO the floating mass, but il was mo-
mentary; for the next instant the bridge il.
'slf vac added to the wreck. Randolph stree,
bridge was the next obstacle 70 the rush of
.'hIhgs-but hardly an obstacle. II resisted
'or q moment, and then it too gave way and
SUNK INTO the chaos below, and all rushed with
swift destruction upon the large number Of
vessels and canal boats lying in the branch
in the vicinity Of Raymond g. Gibbs ware
house' The fleet Of destruction thus swept
INTO the main river, where the banks were
llned with steamers, propellers, briggs, schoon-
erss and canal boats, and then such confu-
sion ensued as no pen can describe. Well.
street bridge was open, leaving the middle Of
the stream clear; but the vessels were closely
together from bank 10 bank, and the
ends Of the bridge very soon gave way and
with the general wreck. On, ON
rushed the terrible fotilIa, the whole river
being completely filled with steamboats,, pro.
'%eIlers, schooners, canal boatS, Scows and
'very kind Of craft. /
10 the harbor above, the boors, bowsprits
md other portions Of the rigging crushing on
mass moved on belo ". the bulls coming
with still greater crash, smaller craft =
elng ground to fragments between the lar.
or and the ice, which covered the whole sur
OF the water, and was often wedged in sew
raj feet above. Clarke street bridge was :
omple1ely swept away, and large humber ;.
large vessels were wedged together at this Il
'lnt' with smaller ones filling the space be
Veen' and such a crushing it is impossible TO- c
'scrlOe. The hulls gave way as if they had ;,
egg shells. Those at the edge g%rounuI .
'a'lst me wharves tearing up the planks, the ;.
gglng was mingled together in the greatest !
ntuslon-spars and cables Of the largest size :.
aPPed every moment as if they mad been -
INES The vessels were crowded with :
rsons shouting and endeayoring to do some-
ing % arrest their progress below this point
1~eIve o'clock THE mass Of vessels still re- d.
llns wedged in above the garrison, and an
mense amount of ice andwreck is accumu- =
ing above, rendering the pressure againstthe +.
iPp'ng fearful. A number Of vessels have l.
en- swept beyond the piers and are now rid ~
Ut anchor. Several boats are out upon the -,
some with men on board and others en-. (.
ely destroyed, The whole surface of the :,
%, for miles ont, is covered with floating ~.
ecks. The vessels on the North Branch are H.
II safe, though fears are entertained that :,
" wo may be swept out. l6 schoon- +,
and vessels are injured and sunk, 9 propel. bv
8 and steamboat, do. % canal boats do s = ~.
lldren, 4 men, a nd l woman kill d. . ~,