The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1867-02-01
An Ercitiag Scene.

AMI BrsnAlyn, Is thus described bv the y.
u papers:
/ Two l;lIge cakes Of ice, each nearly a
quarter OF a mile in breadth, floaied up
ile last river Together with the tide and
iile wind and hen they came TO the
narrower part Of the river, Just below
Fulton sileet in BROOKLYN. and between
Fulton street and Peek Sip in New York,
they crus"ed upon each other in the mid
die. and were fastened at the wharres AT
each side of the river and thus their mo
tion w;ss stopped, and they formed the ice
bridge that a little Later became 80 great a
thoroushfare, and finally 80 dangerous.
Three men who were al pier No 20. at
the loot of Peek Slip, in this city. the
point nearest the extreme upper edge Of
the ice, saw. at nine O'Clock, the position
OF affairs, and comprehending their oppor-
iumly OF adventure, and perhaps of fame,
they jumped upon the ice, and cautiously
SET out for BROOKLYN. AT first they went
slowly, but as they advanced courage came
and they ran. In the centre oi the stream
The broken ice, which was driven together
and !lutted above the surface in little crags
was passed without much difficulty. They
had no. gone straight forward. but had
made a detour souihward toward Gorer-
nors Island and aS ii became necessary,
in their Judgment, 10 turn further up, or
northwarj. they reached Deioresl's wharf.
Just below Fulton Ferry. I'm Brooklyn.
heir track MAS like the arc of circle.
They clanbcred upon The dock, having
accomplished Tie ieat in perhaps SIX or
seven minutes. Two or three inches of
SHOW covered tie ice.
Many hundreds of persons saw these
men cross from the ferry boats, and from
piers in New York and Brooklyn. and
shortly afierwari the crowds on the dock
uecame Large -Four persons immediately
started from the brooklyn side for New
York and when they had zone a lew
hundred ieei others veaiurel on the ice;
from thai time the ral which had been
markell out MAS crowded The procession,
covering 4 space of perhaps fifteen feet in
breadth. and extending across the river.
kept moving ior AN hour. There Were
Old men and young inen, and large num-
bers of boys There were also lame per
soils, with dogs and the people carried
bundles and dinner paii>, and all The ac-
couireneniS of labor oi various kinds.
There w;l> Il general feeling of excitement,
bat more ut eNlilaraiiOn. mingled with
some fe.ar. The rcsuli was thai tne mass
went rapidly. nearly ali persons going ON
Il run, sometimes slow and sometimes fast
NJ The same time people Were going from
New York TO brooklyn, and Il cou>iders-
ble proportion of these returned. 50 1laat
they mi glt have il 10 say that they had
don. something that was perilous. Two
women wene tln, n,ng The last wlo went
from BROOKLYN to New York. Ii Is esii-
mated THAI the number of persons who
81, SD daring ;ile hour WAS from eight 10
len ihou>;i.l.
-At ahoI; 10 o'clock the lie At pier No
20. Peek Slp, in this ciiy) began TO
move up Win the lille. ana two vessels
We're quickly driven Ear inio the hu4kheld
between piers No-, 20 ani2--, where they
were lyin-. This made an opening for
ihe ice. which brol up AT once. where the
people were scrambling from L. The pro-
ces>ion yei covered the who'll route: and
the thousands of persons who naw were
on iae various docks. IN the rigging of
vessels and elsewhere. looking ON. soon
learned The fact. ami called lo The people
10 90 hack, AMI warned them with loud
cries against approaching nearer 10 the
cliy. The excitement w;i> great bai the
tug y X GRAY, which lay out in the
stream, and wa> able 10 take on bolri
Inamy Of those on the Ice in case there
was no otlicr means OF escape, gave some
confidence The ice NOW PARED ia the
ctnire. We have no fine or space for a
inl. de-cli piion of the danger which threat
enei the pooPle, ot whom there were from
i've hundred 40 4 Thousand ON the ice.
NJ the Peck SIP pier pianh> were ub.ain-
el. AMI upon lir,>c two ur three hundred
persons reached lhe wharf Some of them
Were greatly alarmed ana exciled. and
lh,ir cries tf lac lp were exceedingly pain
full IL l. but Jlu-i 10 ssy that The persons
oa shore We're almo,t equally alarmed
Fro,h The ship James Ru>>cll. which lay
direcil X In ihe track ot the moving Ice,
hawScr> were thrown. and fifty cr a hum
dree perscil> were saved hr crawling up
d the sides of The vessel Tie tug Gray
took on board about lily persons. and an
ot.acr from BROOKLYN SAVED Il few Small
boais also assisted somewhat in the work
In tn midst of The excitement, Two Id
dies, accompanied hy gentlemen. appeared
upon liie scene Tney Jil moi seem 10
reallze The peril in which they were Cor a
time Soon, however. The situation be
came ap;arent even 10 them. Shouts
;lrose iron all sides 10 save the women;
they enjeavored 10 Reach the Peek Sip
dock, but the ice llsal parted and that
means oi escape no longer existed: they
e.sayel The ships, caught The ropes which
were thrown them, bul wiliiv ran from
there TO the dock on the opposite sile,
against which The current WAS keeping the
Ice Close Up, but breaking, nevertheless.
~ the jeopardy oi, the women increased,
- did The excitement on shore. They
couil not Ia taken irom their alarming
situation, rs each one was struggling for
his own preservation. Al length couple
of nlen, i:lore venlureSome, came TO their
. re.iei; inc>e forgot their own safety, and,