Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-03-05
From The Missouri. Democrat, Of FEB. 9Th.
Twenty three Steamboats, wrecked
100000 Damages.


BREAKING Up OF THE Ice YEsrERpAY-As Ac-
COUNT or THE REsUIrs.-Before this account of
the greatest calamity that has occurred on the
Mississippi for years, reaches the eyes of our
readers the news viii have flashed along the wires
to many points of the Union
1t would be in vain to attempt to convey in
words anything like the reality OF the grand scene
presented by the moving ice, the awe it inspired
in many, and the great excitement that took pos.
session of the vast multitude collected together
to view the passing scene"
1t is not necessary that we should speak of the
alarm caused by the crashing and sinking of the
boats, nor of the confusion and many ludicrous
| scenes consequent on the suddenly hauling tau,
OF thousands of ropes and chains, and we shall,
therefore, briefly and correctly as possible de.
scribe the great event of yesterday, beginning
with the Starting Of the Ice. This occurred al
a few minutes after two in the afternoon. Re.
ports had reached the city tine before thu,
the Missouri had broken lose and was pouring
out flood, that gorge had formed ten miles
above this place, and that the Mississippi at AL
ton had risen seven feet from backwater. Upon
the receipt Of this intelligence, river men said
to each other that the ice in the harbor would
certainly make start in the afternoon and they
were right.
The whole mass, the upper end of which was
to move at little after two and passing on slow.
ly, it encountered the Submarine No. 1. which il
| tore from her fastenings and hurled against the
| dismantled Federal Arch
The immense power of the unfettered ice hur.
| ried away these two and the following boats
pressed tightly IN one compact group: Australia
Brunette, Paul Jones, Falls City, Altoona, A. B.
Chambers and Challenge. 1t was sight of in.
tense and fearful interest, that group of steam.
ers, almost all valuable ones, moving away to al.
most certain destruction, with the all powerful
ice acting as both engineer and pilot.
Speeding on, the group of boats made terrible
havoc amongst the fleet offats, keels, woodboats
1 and barges stationed below, some of which float.
ed away with men on board, whilst others sunk
at their moorings The fugitive steamers KEEP,
on their course along the whole range of boats
below, taking along by compusion, the Ben Ac.
cord, and damaging large number of crafts
more or less, i'll their progress.
They finally lodged on the head of bar near
the Missouri shore, and two miles down the riv-
er. The ice which came after did some damage
to boats below the icehouse and carried away
the Highland Mary after repeated attacks. 9th.
err boats were injured, the names of which shall
presently be given
On returning up the levee, we found that du-
| ring the time we had been engaged below, sever.
| L
been sunk, or badly damaged.
Among the former were the Sam Gloon, Shen-
andoah, the two Alton wharf boats, upper ferry
fiat, and among the latter, the G. w. Srarhawk,
Ben Bolt, J. S. Pringle, Badger State, &C. AZ
ter literally moving passage amongst the steam
ers for about two hours, the ice suddenly gorged
again, and afforded a safe crossing to large
number of persons from Illinois. ...
| There was a u and steamboat men whisper
ed to each other their dread that the next break
up would be traught with still more disastrous
| consequences than the first.
| Thousands of persons continued to parade the
| levce until eight o'clock, when the ringing OF
! bells, noise of crashing timbers, sounding not
unlike thunder away up the dark street, amour
| ced second movement of the ice. .t
/ Proceeding with all haste to the foot of Lo-
Gust street, saw, very distinctly, the night be-
| ing pitch dark, several boats moving down
| close to the bank, and making continual aces
cessons to their number, until not single craft
of any description remained, from Washington
| avenue to the ice house, when the Niagara was
! the first of line of boats extending along the
bank for distance ofhalf a mile
| The boats carried away at this time were the
| wreck OF the old Alton whartboat, Shenandoah;
Sam. Gloon, Clara, Sparhawk, the Ben. Bolt,
| Keokuk wharfboat, Polar Star J. s. Prnge and
ioiSsI AaosS' lHSSe ali SpGu vi, uo"u stream,
at speed of six miles per hour, until we had
| lost sight of them. The probability is that they
lodged on the bar in the vicinity of the first lot
| The second movement of the ice has thrown
out of the water and injured, in greater or less
degree the following list of boats Nebraska-a
| submarine not tinished-Alice, Lucia, Gossamer
and Badger State
Those injured below the ice house, are, the
New st. Paul, badly strained or twisted; Lacede
| badly broken; Die Vernon, starboard side much
torn by the Highland Nary Louisville, badly
| damaged reported sunk;) Westerner and Jen-
ME Deans severely injured. Other boats are in
jured, but we have not ascertained their names
| AS to boats sunk, we are positive as to the
| following, and the list we fear will be greatly
extended by what we learn to-day: Upper ferry
| fiat, Shenandoah, Sam Gloon and Sparhawk, the
Sam Gloon being almost full of water, and both
she and the Sparhawk resting on the ice, and the
latter much listed when they were carried away.
To continue our lst--the two Alton wharf
boats Submarine No. 4. Federal Arch, Bon
| Accord and Highland Mary. 1t is feared also,
that the hulls of several of the boats stranded
on the bar are greatly damaged, ii not destroy
ed, ere this time Some river men think they
are in safe position, but this is very doubtful.
A terrible calamity is this. We extend our
sincere sympathy to those who:havesufered by it..
1t is even affirmed that many lives were lost
This is very probable. ,3...-. b
The entire loss ofproperty will probably amount
| to at least 10000 This is mainly covered by
insurance, we presume, and will be,,a heavy blow
to the Offices