The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-12-29
THu Rryrn-rhe Z sudden fall Of the

The Rryzn-The sudden fall Of the
mercury hssput 3 damper on the hopes
Of our rivermen,whoNe were making every
calculation on q heavy resumption OF
navigation. The cold of the past two
days 1t is feared will close the river
again. .-...
The ice was running very heavy yes.
terday and gathering in volume as it
hoated down. 3 30 - ~ 's'
!Telegraphic reports from Pittsburgh
yesterday stated that the river is falling
there, and the probabilities are that the
two rivers will close again, but the
Chronicle OF last evening says: .-
The Monongahela river was rising
very slowly at noon to-day, with five
feet eleven inches in the channel, as
indicated by the new marks. Tele-
grams received this morning report
eight feet of water at Greensboro and
Brownsville, showing at former place;
river falling at both ports. At Oil City
the stage OF water was four feet and
rising slowly; weather growing colder.
Our coal merchants are not in very
good humor over the turn things have
taken. The heavy ice now running,
with reports OF colder weather in the
West, puts a quietus to any idea of ship
ping coal to lower ports at this time.
Should the river become free OF ice, the
weather moderate, and a further rise
take place, large shipments would be
made.
The steamer St. Charles, arrived last
evening from Industry, is loading for
Cincinnati She will depart at noon
on Friday,
The Carrie Brooks left McConnells-
vile, Ohio, yesterday, for this port. 1t
is said she has forty miles Of !our.inch
ice to pillow through before reaching
Marietta. The Brooks will probably
reach here in time 10 depart on Satur-
day. H.,
AT seven o'clock this morning the
mercury marked $50; at noon 29',
showing q lowering in the temperature
of 60. We anticipate still colder
weather by nightfall.
The breakup in the rivers has been
attended with considerable damage to
coal barges which were grounded during
the late run" at various points on the
Ohio. The ice is unusually thick, and
moving as it did in such heavy masses,
the barges were cut down and sunk.
We have not been able to obtain full
list OF the losses, but give below such as
we have been able to ascertain.
Messrs. Walton & Co. had five barges
grounded on Merrimans and five on
Line Island. Two of those Oh Merri-
mans were cut down by the ice and
sunk, and will prove total loss. The
other three barges are in safe position,
and it is thought they will escape dam
age. The five barges on Line Island
were carried away by the Ice, and three
were sunk. One other was beached,
and the fifth was secured and tied up
near Wellsville in O safe place. The
barges sunk contained about fifty five
thousand bushels Of coal, and the loss
will probably reach $4,000.
Four barges laden with coke, and
owned by w. II. Brown, were cut down
and sunk by the ice in Cables eddy,
four miles above Steubenville. The
boats contained about $4,000 bushels
OF coke, and with the barges was worth
about $4,000. Mr.. Brown has also
two model and four square barges laden
with pig metal and iron ore lying al
Burlington, at which point the new
towboat Mary Alice is also lying. The
barges are in very dangerous posi-
ton, and tis feared they will be lost
The towboat Panther, with two boats
Of coal, is lying at Bellville, 200 miles
below this city. 1t is said to be one
of the most dangerous positions in the
river, and it is feared that the boats
will be destroyed. The property, we
understand, is owned by Miller, Lynn
e. Co.
There are other barges in imminent
danger, but we have not received any
definite information concerning them.