Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-03-13
River Intelligence.
The Tx cltemcns Over.-rhe First
Doaa-lhe Ferry.-Jas. Means
Chartered by lhe Rail.
pnnA Eo~uDny

opening Ot thc fivee, una ice 6or9es wv
flooding Of the city and the damage to the
Railroad Bridge has about subsidsd, and
eur people have returned to their usual avo.
cations, that Of many being waiting foi
business and trade to revive. II has gives
everybody something 70 talk about, and
something 70 write to absent friends. 1t ii
. new and strange freak Of The venerable
old creek, and pasasth the msaory Of "
oldest inhabitant. The little usshins Of to.
day will tell it 10 wondering and, perhaps
unbslieving ears in years. TO soms. 1t is I
grand sensation, unparalleled in the expsr
isnes Of Davenport locals.
The lsvse 10 still covered With the hug,
cakes Of ice that are melting fast under tn,
influence Of the warm, spring like weather
Of to-day. The ice in the river has run I
little heAvisr to-day than il did yesterday
but not 10 as to sop the running Of th'
small skiffs.
AT the landing, at the foot of Main street
during the greater part Of the day, sine,
early morning, . crowd has been assembled
waiting to cross 70 Rock Island, Or from th'
ice piles. idly watching the passage Of th'
numerous skiffs through the floating ice.
TnE FIRST boat
10 touch our levse was the little stern whsc
"LsClaire,' from LsClsirc, which CANT
down this morning and made several tripi
across the river. No boats have 40 yet ar
rived from below. This delay 10 probably J
on account of the ice going out 90 much
sooner than was expected and. are further
delayed, BY reason Of the heavy floating ice
Some Of the Northern Line boats or regulal
packets may be expected some time to-mor
row.
The JAS. Means" Was the second to ar
rive, having been chartered BY the Railroat
s,mpany to transfer passengers and through
freight from one side Of the river 70 the 9th
sr. During the greater part Of the day sh'
has had oil she could do to aceemmedas
passengers and transfer the freight ant
heavy express matter that has accumulated
during the past few days At the depots Of
either side.
THn FEnRY BOAT
10 asked for, and would bs extensively pa
tronized just now if it were running, bu
unfortunately for Capt. Robinson. o. vel
as the people, it was left. BY the rscedini
Aood, high and dry on the bank, below tn
point on the Rock Island side. For two
days Capt. Robinson, with . large force o
men, has been laboring TO ges the boa
ahoat, but without Success. II was forcst
up on heavy bed Of ice BY the food, ant
when the water subsidized, WAS lefs in tha
position. A large mass Of ice has been Gu
away from one side and every effort hal
been made. by means of ropes and wind
lassss. 10 draw il of the ice in which it il
imbedded. Men have been at work liter
ally cutting the ice from under the boat
the wheels are free, and the engines can b,
worked. butto TO purpose. Ways will b,
placed undernsatb aud the boat Launched
again. Ths people will b. obliged to pa
trsniss the other convenisncss Of orossin|
until some time tomorrow or next day.
The lows City lies inside of the ferry
boat. and can Be readily drawn out whsr
the lattsris got out Of the way. The wrecl
Of the chissl boat lies just below the ferry
boat, badly crushed BY the ice.
THE RAILROAD BRIDGE
presents the same aspect Of dsmoralizatior
that it did yesterday. Crossing 10 forbid
den-in fact but few have any desire tt
trust themselves ON its twisted timbsrs
The railroad company have acted promptly
In the matter, and will have the bridge pas
sibic - soon - possible. In the mssntim,
thoy will run = track from the freight hous,
t. the river bank, SO that passengers, and
all through freight, can be easily transfer
red to the JAS. Means" and conveyed I,
Rock Island. Those shipping freight to, Of
from Davenport. will he obliged to take il
from, and deliver II at the Rock Island de
pot Mr. G. w. Moors, Roadmsstsr, ha,
charge Of laying the now track, and thinki
it will bs completed this week.
The Rlver NJ DarlAngtom- Dam,
age 60 she New Bridge.
1t seems the Old River has made i,sslI
notorious at other points than this. W,
do not wonder that the people below though,
that something had broke loose, and thai
al Che ice regions Of the north were hast
sning to the Gulf, as the tremendous ic,
gorge at this point, with all its damned up
waters swept upon them in . hssdlone
COURSE raginE,rampsnt flood. Tho Bur-
lington HdrksyS says that at about twr
o'clock Wednesday morning, the les gorged
at the upper wooden piers Of the new bridge
and for the space of half an hour the frez-n
raft was held in check. The company for
several days had been preparing in antici.
patton Of such an event, ard had stripped
the piles of oil the cress timbsrs, and had
also just commenced removing the trestils
work which bad been put up for the iron
Of the fourth span. At about half psst
two the pressure became too ereat-aerss
OF massive ice blocks, some Of them twelve
10 eighteen inches thick and % solid and
crystslissd - when 6rst broken up. borne
On the bosom Of the rushing eurrsnt were
hurled against the bridge and its outer
works. With ~ crash Of falling forests in
tornado the heavy timber work snapped
and yielded before the impulsivs dash Of
the torrent. mo pent up Utca' contract.
ed its powers, aud the ehoked paseeees
were rapidly widsned % pisr after pier
bent. Twas torn from its bed o. shivered
In fragments by the furious onsaelt. until
one after another Of the different sections Of
the timbers were washed away. Not
content with the work Of devastation
50 far accomplished, land to the
satisfaction Of the coupsny) The nina
ture iesbergs swespsd down upon the
trsstls frame prepared to receive the iron
plates, and in . few moments il toe was
swept away. Nor yet was the hungry nav
Of the ics-king satis6sd, aad gathering oil
bic powers for one mighty charge. he hurled
grand Geld of dense ice against the draw
pier Of stone with the Napolconic hope Of
breaking the center eoDthe lines and then
dsmolishing the fragments at his leisure.
The Zoe swept With hsadlong speed to the
westward q the draw pier until its front
was nearly on line With the stsns. when
the eddying currents swsysd the msss to
the eastward and threw il with terrific
force aerona the proioctinR breokVoAee Doiut