The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-02-14
From the Baltimore Americas
THE ICE FLOOD in THE sUsQUEHAHNA.

The breaking up Of the ice in the Susquebapna and the
od that accompanied readers have already been
briefly informed committed terrible havoc at Port Deposit
and made the river at Havre de Grace vast Of
what Arctic nayig itorsserm "hummocky ice through
their powerful ferry boat the MAJ Yard and which
IL was not possible pass until Yesterday morning We
able TO give the particulars Of these occurrences
bAaAoE AT PORT DEPosr
The ice commenced coming down Monday evening
but IL was not until Tuesday morning that the river be-
gan 10 rise As the ice drove down and gorged the
shoals the water backed up and soon invaded The
streets and houses In Port Deposit The residents ths
lower side of the main street. which runs parallel WIN The
river from the lower to the upper stories OF their
houses thinking they would be sale there but the water
followed them, and many instances they were rescued
from the upper windows by the ala OF poas me rise was
not only unprecedentedy high but also very rapid and
the ice borne the angry current roared aud crashed
along carrying off demoshng everything with which
it in contact number OF the houses were moved
from their positions the street and several were total
ly destroyed Rowands brick Warehouse, large and
substantial building, nearly destroyed the whole OF
one wall was torn out and the warehouses belonging
all seriously injured by the ice and their contents on the
lower floors covered by water The board YARDS which
line nearly the whole of the water 'front.' OF the Town su
ved severely Thousands Of feet OF valuable lumber
entirely swept Off and large amounts OF II scattered In in
extrcable confusion about the streets.
During the height of the food the scene is described
fearful one Alarm end CONSERVATION prevailed and the
women and Chi dren with difficulty rescued from the
oodhouse- Fortunately lives were lost The houses
ususl tenants quartered upon their more fortunate
neghbors in the higher portion Yesterday boats We're
still used in the main street. and the Ice though station
ary remained thrown in huge masses against the build
incs The flood is the highest known 10 have occur
red and the water yet has but slightly aDated. No
proper estimate Of the amount OF loss can be made at PITS
emit but it supposed 10 be from $l50000 to 100000
When the ice Oegan to run it gorged against the old Pr
Deposit bridge This bridge has been mpas5ab BILE for
ea years pact the company being unable to replace the
spans carried off by previous eshet 1t stood tho
If he vxuf far
span gave way and carried down and lodged on the
Penny Shoals below Havre de Grace Six other spans
subsequently gave way and scattered along be-
tween Port Deposit and avre de Grace All that left Of
the bridge is in lettering condition. and its final desruc
ton will result whenever the ice moves again.
The wires of the Magnetic Telegraph Company laid
along the bridge, and Of carried of with it
The operators and agents OF the company were iudus
ousy engaged Yesterday afternoon in planting posts in the
ice which they placing wire SO as to ecure
communication with Philadelphia.
HAvRE DE GRACE
The higher position of Havre de Grace and the wide ex
panse the river that point saved it from the damage
inflicted at Port Deposit though the watar here
to au unprecedented height The warves are Hooded and
the lower floors OF of the warehouses covered with
water but every instance their contents had been
serious loss occurred All the boats in the canal
basin safe. The collectors Office is surround With
ice aud the water within five inches of the top Of the
outlet lock Of the canal The towpah Of the canal is
cred up to Port Deposit and it is not known how far be-
yond What damage been done be ascertained
until the food subsidies but ii hardly fail lie Of
pretty serious character.
At Perryvile, Cecil county, opposite Havre-de-Grace
the ice has been driven up III Immense Masses Against
Watsons island the ice has been thrown up from thirty
forty feet.
THE CROSSING
Tie river at Hav edeGracs presents Wild Arctic-look.
ing aspect The ice forced and driven by the great mpe
Of the current has been crushed together and pushed
upward into the most rugged ard singular shapes I'm
blocks thrown about as If by Titanic power
and others stand reared up With ons end high in the air
whilst the other is deep down in the water. The gorge
strong and Solid the ice along the shore being driven
down and twelve feet thick and the whole has
CONCEALED tightly together by the sharp frost of the las.
two nights. Except under the most favorable crcum.
the gorge viii probably remain for. weeks
to come.
The steam ferry boat about midway in the river
aud is thought scarcely possible to extcate her until the
ice again. She is well provided with fuel, having
sixty of coal aboard and her strong and
viceabe qualities will insure her safety whenever the gorge
breaks up. The boat left this side Wednesday afternoon
with the passengers who had left Baltimore that day.
The ice sill running them and it was hoped she NIGH
open track After FIVE hours hard work. the mid
die Of the river was reached and further progress in either
direction found mpossibethc ice having nearly stopped
Conductor j. Ii. Wo accompanied by his assistant Peter
McGurk, made ,enturesone effort to reach the shore
TaLng with them small skill they succeeded though not
falling through into the water The transit having been
accomplished by these determined explorers gangs Of
men were set to work, and planks laid over the Ice,
and psssabc road made, by the means Of which the
pas sengers by the different trains crossed the river
yesterday. Toe Baltimore passengers caught on The
boat Joined early yesterday morning by large
number from Philadelphia nearly three hundred persons
being thus gathered on the boat time. They
hungry, tired assemblage and the boat not pro-
visoned for long voyage had but poor prospect Of
getting the rereshment they needed Mr. Felton, the pres
dent Of the company, with provdsnt care sent the
boat on sleds large supply of provisions and the pasn.
gers were furnished with plenteous breakfast before be-
ing despatched to their separate destinations
The railroad company had large force of men employ
ed yesterday to facilitate the crossing of the passengers
and baggage The baggage has TO be carried over and
the work is both tedious and aborous The passenger
however are sent and the baggage transferred and for
warded by the succeeding train The large amount mails
transferred yesterday afternoon and forwarded to its des
nation. l
The railroad company are ALREADY making preparations
to lay down track the ice similar to that which
was 80 successfully used years since and should the
gorge promise to last the work will no doubt be
pleted in a short time.
1t was reported yesterday at Hasre de Grace that the
keeper OF the lighthouse the Donohues battery four
miles below had been drowned whilst attempting reach
the shore.
We indebted to the attention of Mr. Hitchcock col
lector for the canal company Havrc de Grace much
OF the above information.
LARGE CfiEEsE MANDATORY THE Louisville (Ky) Cour
Ter contains account of the cheese mandatory of E
sander FELTON, OF Gustavus Trumbul county Ohio where
the past season. about 200 of cheese were manua
tured and but for the dyness Of the weather the guam
tity would have reached 300 tons Mr. Peton buys and
collects the curd from the cows Of all the farmers for
miles around him. keeping six eight teams constantly
employed The spacious rooms in which the cheese is