Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-02-07
breaking Up Of the River at
ft.ar 1i w ne cling. frav .t-

as 6i wheeling. iaa9 "A r,1
THE STEAMERS nILLaAN AND NEW STATE
AND THE WHARF BOAT swElT oFF--A
GRAND SPECTACLE. ! .dF ful
The Wheeling Iutellisedcsr Of Monday
contained The following, account Of tho
breaking up of the river st that point:
The breaking up the river was the all
absorbing topic Of Saturday. Notwth'l
standing the inclemency Of the weather,
large numbers Of people fingered about the
landing all day, as if determined thnt the
great event should not take place without
their being witnesses Of II. At last between
three aud four o'clock the news that the
ice had begun to move spread like wild fire
through the city, and soon from the Sus-
pension bridge to Ritchietown, thousands
of peotle gathered on the banks to witness
the grand spectacle. For several days the
steamboat owners had been endeavoring to
| prepare for the event, and had large force
Of men working With might and main en-.
! deavoring to cut away the ice from about
! the boats, they were, however only partially
successful On the river side of the Hill.
man and the Eagle (both side wheel boats,)
the ice was found to be clingug in enormous
masses, many feet thicker than the ice on
the surface of the river, and it was found
impossible to remove il before the river be-
gan to break. The boats lying at tbs land
ing we're the wharfboa Of Messrs. Booth,
Battelle & Co. and which lay nearest the
| head of the wharf; the Concert, small
craft belonging in Pittsburgh; the Eagle,
belonging to the Parkersburg Packet Co;
the Hillman. belonging to Capt. Sam Ma.
son; the New State, belonging to Capt.
John Mcclure and others. Notwithstsud
ing the ice clingng to her wheel, the own
era Of the Eagle had succeeded in clearing
a considerable space on the land side Of her
and hauling hor pretty near shore When
the ice moved il was in vast fields, reaching
entirely across the river, aud il soon became
evident that there was no resisting the tre-
mendous forces which nature was bringing
into action. .a ~
The Eagle was the first to part hor chains
and hawsers, but having supply of new
lines was 5000 made fast again. Shortly sf.
ter tho Uillman parted her chains, and all
her lines snapped like threads, and she
started out into the great food of ice. She
had steam up in her donkey engine, but
could not turn 3 wheel on account OF the
masses Of ice clinging to them. The New
State, which had been wedged between tho
Iiman and the shore, next parted all her
lines and was driven into the eddy at the
mouth OF the creek, and line was run out
and made fast, her stern being ~. tho river.
The 100 at ,his time being much broken
she was thought to be safe; but soon large
} field of leo with great beak like q govern
, ment ram, was discovered bearing directly
upon her. The stern WAS quickly swung
round. and only just in time to save them
from instant and complete destruction. The
huge mass struck the shore just above her
stern, and shivering its great point against
the bank, rushed on with unresstable force,
and the lines which held the boats proved
as little able to cope with il as the green
withes with the strength of Sampson, and
she went on broadsde to the stream, and
was soon below the peint and out Of eight.
II had been thought that tho Eagle,whict
had held on to her mooriDgs SO brare'y
against the immense fields which had al
already passed her, would be able to rid,
the danger in safety. A number Of nev
lines had been made fast, and it seemed i
, there was any good in cordage, sbo mus
hold, buta new source OF danger now mad
itself manifest.
The wharf. boat, which had the heavics
chain cable On tho Upper Ohio, parted i
/. on dead pull She also dragged the mas
sive stone and ring bolt, to which her othe
/, lines were fastened, from its bed into tn
river, and was borne down against the Ea
{ gle. For q few moments she sustained th
tremendous pressure. but it soon becam
/ evident that nothing but the eternal bill
could endure such pressure. Ono after an
: other Of her old lines parted, aud tha ne,
: ones were strained until they sung like
}. fiddle string. Her capstan aud bits CAV
4 way with terrible crash, stripping he
head as clean as the head of the anclen
q mariner. She was then driven with grea
!, force upon raft belonging, the Messrs
Hubbard. Everything crashed as if tn
: whole side Of the boat was being stove in
She. however, rode over il safely, and, wit
the wharf boat lashsd to her, passed dow
n the stream. Fortunately, the ice drove he
!. into the shore by the Wasbington Mills, be
lines were again made fast aud the, wharf
. boat being cut loose frcm,her, her lines bel
] aud vast quantities of broken ice pilin
around her. literally raising her out at tn
water, she lies high and dry, and isihoueh
to be perfectly safe from further damage. =
! The Hiliman, in passing Benwood. tor
. nway the transport flats belonging TO tn
o moorings, and all went together. AT thi
o. point Captain Nilsson abandoned the Hill
man. leaving her in charge Of the mate an
a number OF hands. She was provided wit
| full supply of coal. and IL she passed ore
tho night 10 safety, il is thought her vince
would be sufficiently clear oil ice TO spab
s those in charge TO use her engines. TIL
1t New State had three men only on boarC
~ George Peppers, Thomas Glasscock an
" Downs, who will stick to her as long as thel
J. Is plank left. All the boats lying
Il Sweeney 3 landing aud the water works o
" capped without injury. The steamer Hu
10 son, lying below the cinder bank ofthe Be
n mont Mills, parted her iron cable, but hA
], ing steam up and her wheel in good wor
- inE order, ran up to her moering again az
,r made fast. Yesterday she was found 10
n fast for about one fourth other length TO
- large mass Of ice which was high on shor
5 Allher efforts to pull on we're futile, nm
% Capt. Hsrrison, of tho b. & o, r.. r. m
!, chine shops, came TO her aid with loc
motiye,, Two lines were run out from 4
ut boats head and snatch, block made "a
n. TO the timbers Of the railroad bed and h
lines passed and attached to the loeomotiv
70 when long pull, astreng pull and p,
st altogether bfought the boat of the Ice q
he set her in water - nicely as her owa'
=. could desire.