Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1859-03-26
roR,AssocIArE JUSTICE OF SUPREME coos1'
BYRON PAINE
=. :oF MILwAUKEE
Ehs Ioe-Damage to Lumber.

The warm rams anu the e"'''"S
winds Of March have at last cleared
the "Old Wisconse" OF its mighty
burthens of ice. Last week the '!!et
began slowly to raise. Heavy rams
did not retard, and by Thursday that
norton of ice at the foot Of the Rapids
slowly crowded down. Friday morn
inc found the river much higher; and
the small cakes continually breaking of
and either sliding under or washed by
the sweeping current over the surface
of the ice, caused much uueasiness TO
those having lumber i'll the eddy be-
low. Those most interested began the
work of saving channel. Large
quantities Of powder was exploded be-
meath the ice with but little effect.
Friday afternoon the vast body start
ed, and the river being completely
damed, raised: some ten Of fifteen feet
above its usual heighth. So completely
was the ice wedged, that the whole
body came to standstill.
On Saturday, again it started with
tremendous power, carrying before it
lumber despite of cable), booms and
piers. But, unable to force its way
through the unbroken ice below, SEEM
ingly fatigued, again it stopped to rest,
throwing the water into the street and
inundating the Post Office and the
office Of Powers & Lang. Some ten
or twelve cribs of lumber belonging to
n. p. futile was turned topsy-turvy.-
The whole owned by Butterfield and
whitney was crowded some fifty feet,
the outer pieces being thrown into the
road, and displacing the bridge on the
Portage road A portion Of the road
between Mosher's and the Bangs
House, constructed by Mr. Rablin the
past season, was carried away.
On Saturday, large quantity Of ice
coming from above, caused the mass
again to move, and this time forced a
channel on the west side of the river,
greatly iniuring the lumber of Natwig
Brothers, John NJ. Eddy, Hall, Bench
" & Co., DR.. Whitney, and perhaps
others. Again the whole body ceased
to move, but on Monday large mass
coming from Reeds, accomplished the
work. Nearly the whole passed down
doing but slight damage, except re-
moving portion of Neeves' dam and
piers, and carrying to an island below
the lumber Of Judge Wood.
To stand on the bank and behold
that immense mass Of the frozen sub
stance rushing dehantly through every
obstacle, tearing large RATS of lumber
in pieces and scattering the fragments
hither and thither, swapping heavy
cable as though it was welting cord
reminded the finite how pnny, how
helpless, how little he is, when con
trasted with the Power that controls
Nature. The scene was awfully grand
no pen can correctly depict it. May
our citizens never again witness a'rep
etition of the panorama displayed du
ring the past week.
We understand that the largest suf
farer is Mr.. J. M, Eddy, some three
RATS, or about 10000 feet, being car.
ried away. The damage throughout,
the county, to lumber. boons, piers
dams, &C., is probably about $4,000
Notwithstanding this great loss, unde,
the circumstances our citizens have
reason to be thankful that He "whe
dcettf all things welr' has been SO len
szent.
wv learn that some whose prcpert,