The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-02-08
lCEBOl Nd
CRITICAL CONDITION OF TIM
STEAMERS IN THE GORGE.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH
OF PROPERTY IN DANGER.


~ mart Avn the evening Of the -o,h UI- c'Nl1
d an account Of the situation VI he lS2s-
Is worth and four other steamers snd esS
Il bsrs, all locked fast in an immense lee
>, Hoe some siyle n miles below Caro-. lht
4" gorge il represented as eight or ten miles
: in length and ten 10 fifteen feet IN depIh
r and the boats are in the utmost danger oil
f destruction by the moving OF breahlhS up
of the ice, The amount OF the property
thus involved in imminent peril Of loss
TO the owners, and the interest of our peo-
nla in the boats and their freights, justify
Us in going to some expense and trouble to
present an accurate view of their situation.
Our correspondent think. there is some
hope of all the boats coming out safely, II
the ice is thawed by mild weather but if
there is break up, or if the whole gorge
moves, either Of which may take place
under the great pressure Of the water
which is damned up by the accumulation
of the ice, it will be hardly possible for the
Great Republic, Ions. worth and Bodmann
to escape being cru, he'd to pieces, and the
other boats viii probably be very much
injured, if not totally wrecked. Thus far
they have suffered no damage of conse-
quence, and it is hoped that they may be
released from their perilous situation
without seriou. injury. Every precau.
ton possible under the circumstances is
being taken to avert the threatened
catastrophe, and the hope is general,
among officers and crews, that they will be
able to weather the danger. Some here
who havc had similar experiences think
| that the fears expressed for the safety OF
| the boats are exaggerated, and the fact
that we have no account of the valuable
! corgoes being removed TO the shore seems
| to bear them on, in that view Of the
matter.
| The value of boats ana cargoes thus in
volved is variously estimated ut from two
and half to five millions OF dollars. The
magnitude of the loss, therefore, should
| the boats be destroyed renders their stu.
alton matter of great concern, not only
/ to the owners of the vessels, but TO the
shippers and 10 the insurance companies
The Great Republic originally cost in the
neighborhood of 5000, 900, and has recent
! ~ been fitted up in magnificent style for
the accommodation of the Grand Duke
| Alexis and suite, who chartered the steam
! er for n trip TO New Orleans, and proposed
going on board at Memphis, to which
place the vessel was proceeding when
! caught in the ice.
| a special dispatch to the Cincinnati
Co"meTe'o' rom Nul;n n,e. Ps rt
concerrihs tnc iniperin.u iee'; INC ,on''
weYc'a' torrss Poh I ana n;' I'm 'Dna inc
W." "'lu D' - ., =, ny ~
o.o us - ~, risi, 80 Cai iU t"''
Kentucky and the aeet of boats ice.bonnd
above that city found that the variou:
rumors concerning their condition in gen,
eral were very much exaggerated, and
| that while the gorge holds they cannot be-
seriously hurt. The transfer steamer,
was told, lost her rudder by the ice, and
the Great Republic unshipped hers to keep
! it from being broken, but aside from this
no injury had been sustained by any o.
the fleet The Bodmann is raised
up fifteen inches by the ice anc
the Kllgour six inches. The foot of tn,
gorge opposite the rocky point inundated
above Columbus, and the clear water runs
up in the shape of II V, tho highest poin
being in the middle OF the river; To thu
right oil this point, near the sbore ant
about three lengths OF herself away, lie
the Bodmann. Directly IN 'front.' oi TN
point, and probably .our hundred yard
distant, the lllEols Is lying across TN
channel. Near the Kentucky shore, three
hundred yards above the Bodmann, tn,
LongwDrth is situated Above her II LITTLE
further out, and Just opposite the saw
mill, is the ferry ST. Louis, and above her
out in the river is the Great Republic
She is probably three-fourths of n mile
but no more. think, from the foo, of the
gorge.
IAN the danger to the feet is apprehend.
ed from Tho brcnkino I'M of the lee. and ey.
org ma, on hoard all of them seems 10
hnve - different opjnion AS To its results
Can, VII nf M Nitrb.ll saws II roro.
/ lv ncrur. tb,t n bout fast in a gorge is in.
/ i1red by the breuk.up, and believes tina,
/ ihov viii como ont nli right. The general
| oni.ion. however il that the Longworth
! and Rndmonn which lie in the bend So
! close IN shore. viii be crowded o the bank
and nns.ihly ruined Lonkin, nj them
,,,,..ol,, a,'J ironin,, ohon,i, I CONCLUDED
! ;f!',d " w., la ,uissos 80 ,,,,roho.o oi,har -,
! ~, "Iu'a "ot ~
'"c oo"'s "nl' sP'"S'
DAY before yesterday tho current
VI tHc river cHhHscu " t"e heItuNhy
shore, just below Island No 3, and little
! way above the Republic broke through the
! ice aud rushed down along the bank like
! II mill-rncc, carrying ice aud everything
with it, and yesterday at noon advanced
to point opposite and just outside the
Iohgworth. Some hopes were INHERITANCE
that it would continue 10 push its way
toward clear water until 1t would cu'
through and cause the lover end OF the
gorge to give away. The belt OF clear wa
ter formed by this $ loo was about twenty
| f.at vida and its yplDcity WIS terrific.