The weekly Minnesotian., 1854-02-25

DEsrRccrIoN OF STEAMERS AT ST.. LoUIs-THE
GORGE BRoKEx.-The st. Louis papers of the Sd
instant give particulars Of the breaking up of
the ice gorge in the Mississippi opposite that
i city. and Of the destruction which followed to
steamboat property. We quote from the Re.
I publican -
The steamers Garden City, st. Angc, Asia.
Elvira, Excel and F. X. Aubrey. have been
moored a short distance below the Marine Rail-
way Docks, at the northern part Of the city,
since the closing of navigation last fall Op-
! p0slte to them, and for some distance above,
the river is gOrged and frozen over, the ice va
rylng in thickness from two to ten feet.
! Night before last, between nine and ten
O'Clock, the gorge suddenly moved down the
river, crOwding in toward the Missouri shore,
at the point where the above named boats were
lying. forcing the whole six against the rock
bluff bank, sinking three of them, and badly
damaging the other three.
As the immense body Of ice moved down, it
struck the ASIA the first boat lying below the
docks, crowding her against the st. Ange, sink
ing both boats Immediately: the former went
down to her main deck. and the latter being
crowded against the bank. only sunk to her
lower guards on the larboard side. and the
other side remained out Of the water and the
hull broke in two. ri.a. ....
The next boat below was the F. X. Aubrey
She was crowded out of the water on the bank
and was lying when we left the spot, with her
larbOard guard on the ice and her sarboard on
the bank. The Aubrey was not badly dam
aged aD W.
The next below was the Elvira She is bad
ly damaged, and having been forced almost en-
tirely out of the water, badly twisted and ca
reened over. Her hull has not as vet broken
but v,ro " vii hraa in T,,.k
and between the Eivira and Excel lay a barge,
which was entirely torn to pieces, and will be
total loss.
The Excel was also forced out on the bank
and had her bow. forward guard and boiler
deck badly broken up, the loss on which will
amount. probably, to $1,000. The Garden CT
ty lies the lowest down of any of the boats sunk
or damaged. The ice struck her on the side,
breaking her timIers and sinking her imme-
diately. with the water on the starboard guard
about two feet in depth, and the other guard
out on the bank.
The three boats sunk will probably be lost :
their machinery and cabin furniture can be
saved. The furniture was taken of from all
these boats yesterday.
The six boats mentioned were valued in the
aggregate at $4,000, and were insured as fol-
lows:
Garden City, owned by Capt. II. Price. her
commander. and others, valued at $40 900: in
sured in offices of Pittsburgh for ST. 900. and
in an office OF this city for $4,000, making
$1,000 in all.
The Elvira was owned by Capt Dozier and
his two sons She was valued at $4,000: in
snred for l35OO,in Clendenin's Agency S5 600,
Cltlzens $4,000, and PhUnix $500. The f.
y. Aubrey was new boat and one of the fin
est and best at our landing. She was built dur
ing last spring at Pittsburgh at Il cost of $50. :
900, and was insured in Offices of that city for
$1,000. She was owned 10y Capt. Needer and
others.
The Asia was owned by Capt. Smith. her
commander valued at $4,000
The Excel was valued at 81 800, and was not
insured, her policy having expired day or two
since. She was owned by Captain Gray and
others.
The st. Angc was valued at $500. and was
owned by Capt. lIannum, Lewis & Brother and
Col. Price. She was insured for $1,000 in Citi-
zen once The barge was worth in the neigh
borhood of $1,000. Who owned it. or whether
it was insured or not, we did not learn.
1LLEois-TnE CENTRAL R,IRoAD.--A special
session of the Illinois Legislature convened on
the 9th instant. We have read the Message Of
Governor Matteson with much pleasure. II is
plain, practical, statesmanlikc document
|, devoid of political clap-trap or expressions
OF narrow views: which too often emanatc
!! from public men belonging to the par
ty OF which It's author is member The Go
vernor is strongly opposed TO Senator Doug
las tonnage duties for the Improvement of ri
vcrs and harbors, prefrrring the old plan of di-
, rect appropriations for that purpose lie takes
! clear and sensible view of the Erie Railroad
difficulties, and speaks of the duties of States TO-
wards each other in the following forciblc man.
ner -
81 feel called upon to mention the serious
and startling difficulties which have occurred
i'll a neighborn9 State. which have given rise
, to much Soictude on the part of the people Of
Illinois. and have been productive of very great
Pecnnary losses to many of her citizens The
whole subject being delicate and painful, | lav G
deemed 1t advisable to alludc to it in the ut.
most spirit OF forbearancc. Our whole free in.
; stitutions are founded upon the presumption
which has been thus far fully justified, that com
munities and individuals will govern them
selves properly with Just view to their own
rights, and the rights of the surrounding mas
se-. ] indulge this strong hope that the same
; presumption will he justified in the case of our
Erie ncishbors. The adoption of railways as
inland tborOHgbiares of commerce gives rise to
new and very interesting questions
Each State may justly reserve the right to
point ont to them their lines and manner OF
operation. but when they have been in opera
tion for months and years and the property o
people ofd;stant regions is pursuing their track
on its transit to market, the right of local COM
munities to obstr,ct th,m and pile up the pro
perry of innocent individuals, to the value OF
hundreds of thousands of dollars, to be exposed
to the elements and other means of destruction
entirely out of the reach and control ofits own
ers. presents other and very serious questions.
If such course is justifal,lc by the law, it ccr-
tainly is not by any rule of morals which /
have been accustomed to respect. While we
are not called upon to become parties to any
quarrel which may arise between the people
and railroad company. which has even by suf-
France or by permission laid its track and
been the channel of commerce for years. we
have clear right TO expect that we shall not
be made the innocent victims. Yielding to the
strong hope that these difficulties will speedily
disappear, l submit the whole matter TO the