The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-02-04

banks of the river were crowded with
people eager to ses the sights, and anx
iouS insurance agents and steamboat
towners. The ice moved q short dis
lance and then came to . stand
still. The rain was descending in
torrents, and tho flashing lightning
and rolling thunder betokened o
fearful storm. So anxious were our citi-
Gems to see.the result of the breakup in
the river, that, Notwithstanding the
storm and rain, the crowd steadily in
creased. About four o'clock the ice
again commenced moving, and then
came the crash. The steamboats, were
all fastened with o number of cables
and heavy ropes, bnt when the pressure
came the ropes snapped like so many
pieces of thread or small cords. The
steamers Hillman and New State were
carried out into the river, and drifted
away with the ice. Acable was thrown
from the New State, and she was again
made fast to q post on the wharf. Inc
most. which was imbedded in the earth
to the depth of six feet, was uprooted'
and the boat was again afioat. She
was a third time tied up, and
n third time she broke loose and drifted
away. The last heard from the Hillman
and New State was o telegram from
Moundsville, twelve miles below here,
which stated that both boats passed
there, in the midst of heavy floating ice,
about ten o'clock on Saturday night.
The HiIlman is valued at $4,000, upon
which there is but little insurance. She
is owned by Capts. Mason and Fink, OF
this city, and a gentleman in Cincin-
natl. The New State is owned by
Messrs. Booth, Battelle & Co., of this
city, and is valued at $4,000. She is
insured for $4,000. The cabins and
guards of both boats were badly broken,
and the wheels and warehouses of the
Hillman were crushed and mashed.
The wharf-boat of Messrs. Booth, Bat
telle & Co. broke loose from her moor
ings and drifted off. In floating down
the river it caught against the steamer
Eagle, that boat was also broken loose,
and the two floated down the river, side
by side. When near the Belmont mills
the wharf-boat parted company with
the Eagle. The steamboat was caught
and tied up, near the Washington Iron
Works, where she lay last night, in o
badly damaged condition. The wharf
boat foated down the river, and at last
accounts had passed MOundsville. The
Eagle was owned by Booth, Battelle d
Co., and there were but $4,000 insur-
ance upon her.
The little steamer Concert, which lay
at our wharf, had q hole stove in her
hold, but was prevented from sinking.
She was not moved from her fasten-
ings.
The steamer Hudson, which was lying
near the Belmont mills, escaped serious
injury, and was not broken from her
moorings. Captain T. c. Sweeney's
new boat, and the following named
steamers, which were lying near swee-
ney's works, were not harmed, although
it was at times feared they would be
carried away: Gipsey, Viola, Webster,
Leslie Combs and GAINESVILLE.
The scene of the breakup was one OF
frightful grandeur, and will be long re-
membered by al! who witnessed it. Had
it not been for the heavy loss of proper
ty consequent upon the smash-up, the
sight could have been better appreci-
ated by the thousands who saw it.
p. S.-The following was received by
Messrs. Booth, Battelle & Co., about
nine o'clock last night:
PARKERsBURG, Feb. 3, g p. NJ.
Hillman, New State and wharf boat
lust passed. The Allegheny Belle has
gone after the Hillman, and will prob
ably catch her. The Lynch and Zebra
have started for the New State and
wharf boat.