New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1866-01-16
The Second Ice Catastrophe at 81. Louis.


The following account of the disastrous break.
up OF the ice in the river at st. Louis on Saturday last
is given Geographically In The Cincinnati Commercial
and embraces grea. number of facts not contained in
the Associated Press dispatch
As was anticipated, after a hours, rain with a
south wind. the ice in the river commenced showing
indications OF breaking up about O'Clock this morn.
ing. The signal Tor such catastrophe was loud,
heard by people in their beda The mail steamer Belle
Memphis which has been ice.bound near the center OF
the river for several weeks had the ice cleared about
her on the starboard side. breaking in large hole
when the hold Of the steamer commenced filing With
water and she sunk down to her guards. Capt Mus.
selman. the engineer and crew. who were on board at
the time Immediately sought safety by abandoning the
steamer and pushing for shore. They brought on Der
lamps The engineer fell into an ice gully and got a
duckiDg
This morning at o'clock the weather was spring
like. with a warm breeze from the South. large
crowd of spectators lined the wharf in momentary
pectation Of general upheava In the body OF the ice
The Belle Memphis still seen, up to her guards.
supported by the ice. with prospect of sinking In
about thirty hye feet Of water whenever the surround
ing Ice gives way. Since last night up to the hour
ABOVE mentioned. she was moved down about hall a
block, and remained fast opposite Vnest About nifty
men were employed in the morning in bringing on the
wharf all the furniture from the sinking boat that could
be got at.
down the distance Of four blocks from the foot OF Carr
and Ferry.sts. Footmen were still PASSING in crowds
at "a. H. The ice.bouEd steamers hugging the leyee
from the Big Horn down sire9n were In statue quo.
At IL O'clock in addition to the Belle Memphis. the fol-
lowing boats were sunk:
TIE Warsaw n steru.wheel steamer. belonging to
the Keokuk Packet Company, was lying sunk at the
foot OF MiIlor.st the Gen. Grant also wheel
steamer, belonging 10 John j. Roe Co. running IN
the Upper Missouri Mountain trade. was reported sunk
near the sectional dry docks the John Friendly ana
another ferry boat belonging the Wagons Ferry are
lyng their sides near lbelin0is shore the Itale
Rose above the grain elevator had also sunk-she De-
longs 10 the Ohio River trade; the Submarine NO. e.
wrcking boat 10 wrecked on the Illinois shore; the
Mepphis Packet Companys whaTfboat, ut tue loot 0i
Pinest. has been pushed up on the wharf ana ias ca.
reened over; the Nebraska which started from the FOOT
Of Spruce-st this morning las cut channel up ~
Oliyest outside the feetshe is working beautifully
the Mary Forsyth has backed ont and run in back OF the
wharfboat the Omaha was swept down from above Ihe
Big Horn full block-she lies at the foot OF Pine-s
perfect wreck her machinery having been taken ont;
the guards OF tbeCora Of the finest OF the Missouri
River boats, have been smashed; the Argonaut aSd
Molly McPike have been carried down afuli BLOCK, lying
at the foot OF MaEket-st.
At least TO- COO people occupying every oonspcu-
ous point the leyee The river had risen three ieet
with rise Of four feet coming down from the mont. VI
the Missouri River The banks OF the Usage Gasconga
and all the upper rivers. are full AT l2 the Ice Droxe
near thu foot VI Cherryst, making channel some ~
feet in width. The whole field Vi ice below moved ta
Two or three men. crossing the plank bridge Just
above went In, and had 10 swim ashore: Inc B.lc
Is reported that two jumped from the stern and
went under the ice. .
The Nebraska, which is employed by the Under.
writers at O. 600 per day at II o'clock bad cleared
channel up to the foot Of Vine and within hundred
yards Of the Belle Memphis A small ferryboa ran N
the wake of the Nebraska picking w the small crumbs
At a O'Clock the Belle Memphis had been pressed sew
eral blocks down stream by the ice. and Is apparently
total loss She Is insured FOR $4,000 mostly In foreign
Offices At that hour the river was free from this SIDE
to within few yards II the Illinois shore and many
railroad passengers were coming over In ssifs
The Chicago passengers attempted 30 cross abont one
o'clock the ice but when near this side were fright
ened and returned TO Bloody Island at full speed men
ard women alike The New Admiral was carried so
near to the store that she row lies quite easy and VIII
be saved with small damage She Is the boat reported
as total loss Oh the occasion OF the former smash.np
OF the ice No additional casualties have bee9 reported
Dispatches received last evening from 81 Joseph ana
LeArenworth report considerable rise In the river
from heavy rain. which has been pouring down inces
sanity for IS hours similar state Of affairs no doubt
exists In the upper river which 10 bound to carry oil
the ice and afford good boating stage Of water To-
days dispatches report the Missouri River open be.
tween Washington only 80 miles above ST. Charles and
Kansas City. A heavy rise Is expected from this