The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-05-27

Half Il Mile Across the Fields--SsriCu
Damage TO Lands, Buildings AND
Bridges.
From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
A tirst-class break occurred In the
Erie Canal about eleven o'clock FRIDAY
night, within mile and half of Fair
port, at what Is known as the "o1
bow" This locality has always beer
looked upon with fear and tremblinc
by canal men generally and by boat
men IN particular About score o.
years ago break of even greater mag
nltude than the one on FRIDAY night
last happened near the COX bow" II
1864, we believe, another break of great
Importance was witnessed IN this local
ity, and one week ago small break,
which caused a delay of twenty-fou
hours, was made in the bank not many
hundred rods from the present one. Sc
1t may be readily understood that the
: OK bow Is just the place for disas-
tiers OF this character ANY one who
has inspected this part of the
canal can scarcely fail to be surprised
that occurrences of this nature have not
been more frequent there The tow
path ut this point, for a stretch of a
quarter OF q mile or more, is made
ground, and rises 10 a height of from
twenty-five TO forty feet. On one side
IS whitewater or a fiat of nearly
twenty acres, which is covered with
water, having an average depth OF ten
feet. On the west side Of the tow-path
IS meadow land, which is on a level
with the bottom of the basin and
through which n small stream Of water
passes downward from the canal. So
having on the one side an immense
body Of water and on the other from
fifty to one hundred acres of land much
below the level of the bottom of the
ditch, it is not at all strange that once
IN while this body of water would
break It's way through the belt of made
ground called the tow path and sweep
everything IN It's way.
Along towards midnight of Friday,
the scow Barney Bird Capt. Terriil,
was moving along the canal about 800
feet from the place where the embank-
ment gave away. Suddenly a rushing
noise was heard, not unlike that made
by railroad tram when going at full
speed through the country. 4 few mo-
ments more and the boat moved faster.
and she slipped away as though dragged
by three score OF invisible mules going
at fuu gate. The master and his mate
became alarmed and tried to s'snub -
the craft, but she could not be snubbed
Just then. Everything in the way of a
toW-llne snapped, and the Bird >
started under full headway toward the
mommoth gateway made in the bank,
and sweeping around in the whirlino
waters, shot through the opening atn0t
less rate than ten knots an honr. Her
course was due west and the channel
helnS clear of everything, even rail
fences, she was staunch enough not to
break IN pieces before she was landed in
safety against tree about halt mile
from her starting Point The Bird is
the only boat that ever sailed over
highways, fields and fences in safety.
IN looking over the grounds one is as
tonlShed that even light boat couId
nave been carried to SO great a dis
lance. At the point where the boat
was landed, the creeE, or rather we
sAould say ravine (for it is worthy of
the name), takes a sudden turn. From
the way the boat is situated we shouId
say that her bow struck the bank in
tuls curve, and, swinging around with
the current, she was brought broadside
against tree and could not hudoe
her fender irons on the stern took tbe
bark from tree at the height of about
sixteen feet. The trees all around IT
tins point have hanging from their
naked limbs tufts of grass. etc fiat
We're swept down on the surface of tbe
current. In many cases these weeds
are suspended twelve to fifteen feet
from the ground, showing the height
the water went at that distance from
the canal. The waters swept away the
foundation OF barn and flooded over
twenty-five ceres Of land. There is not
a great deal of the soil washed away
and the damage done to the farm. ex-
cept IN the Immediate vicinity of the
break, is not extensive.
Ihls immense body of water had to
md an outlet. 1t did not make much
delay ln-dolng So, but followed its own
inclination until it emptied into Iron
dequolt Bay, near the FLOAT bridge
which Is estimated to be, by way of the
faNlne or creek, about six miles. Of
course flood of this kind, fed by
reservoir IN the first place and then bv
seventeen miles of the canal. which is |
the length OF the level, could not pass
through the country without DESTROYING
lands and buildings.
Among those who sustained DAMAGES
were August Balzer, Amos Smith. Nv
ron Smith and Jacob Stahler. in the /
own OF Penteld, and Andrew Lincoln,
a the town Of Perinton. The dam
ages to land and buildings in those
owns will reach thousands of dollars.
barn on the lands of the late E. B
strong was carried off, and COW was
Lrowned. The bridges at Havward's
ills, on the stage road to Fairport.
nd at Lincoln's Mills, were carried
way.
Many estimates were made of the
lze of the gap through which the water j
owed. As soon as the embankment
ave out the current rushed from two
lrectlons'towards the opening. The I