Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-06-29
BREAKING OF THE ICE BRIDGE.

Men have their pecularities, SO have
rivers. You must live with people to
know them, and, on the same principle,
the experience gained on the banks of
the Hudson will not do for the Ohio,
nor the last for the St Lawrence. This
| found ont for myself in the narrowest
escape with my life that | ever had, or.
| hope, ever will have.
The early spring of this, my most
eventtul year, found me stopping at the
village of st. Quel'qu'ur, Lower Canada,
on the great river of the Dominion.
Two things, the most important in life,
had brought me there, namely, love and
business, the object OF my first being a
Miss Adele Ange, an acquaintance made
in the pursuit OF my second, as agent
for a Wholesale stationery firm in New
York. My host, Mr.. Ange, was French
Canadian, though no mere peasant, like
most of those around him, but a gentle
man of means, retired from business,
and surrounded bya charming family
the most interesting member of it to me
being the before mentioned Miss Adele
Their residence faced the River st. Law
renee, which here expanded into a
small lake, about two miles wide, and
tIlcu, uOWl SlItdIll dS SuuutlIN
contracted, and divided into two short
branches by the island of ST. Helen's
This feature of the great river, to-
gether with an exceedingly swift cur
rent. causes a peculiar phenomenon to
occur ust here, as well as in other parts
Of it. When the intense frosts of winter
bring down immense blocks of ice from
the lakes above, they gradually accu,
mulate in the narrow passages and shall
lows, until they dam up the waters,
which rise to the height of twelve or
fourteen feet above the summer level,
lifting the ice with them, when, the
banks being full, the current finds way
enough beneath the masses, which
freeze together, and fern a solid ice
bridge, from shore to shore, for the
rest of the season. This is taken ad-
vantage of by the country folks to con
vey their produce to market; and many
were the exhilerating sleigh-rides had
on its snowy surface, when fortune and
my good-netured host favored me.
During my stay, q wedding took place
among some Of the relations of the
family on the other shore, and being all
invited, we set out with our sleighs, in
high glee, to form part of the customary
cortege to the parish church.
Although the river had shown some
signs of the expected breakup, the
knowing ones said that it was not time
vet, and that there was no danger.
Sure enough, we arrived safely, and had
a Jolly time among the wedding guests,
dancing nearly all the night, and drink
ing the bride and bridegroom's healths,
rather too frequently for my unseasoned
head, 50 that became AS reckless as any
of the young men in the company.
My memories of that part OF the even
ing are considerably mixed up, being a
.jumble of a wedding service in dark
Old church, among priests and pictures,
along with tiddles and dancing, pretty
girls and ugly Frenchmep, etc. How
ever, | managed to pretty we'll monopo-
lie the attentions OF my own particular
charmer, and on Joe Valiant, the son
of the host, insisting on her testing the
speed of his fiery ponies, followed him
to the door, as he was helping her into
the sleigh for a short drive. when sud
denly Adele found out that she had for
gotten her gloves, and asked Joe to get
them for her. Now was my chance.
AS he turned his back, snatched the
relns: sprang into the sleigh, and drove
OFT. amid the laughter of my fair one,
and the yells of Joe for me to stop. The
moon and stars shone with a brilliancy
unknown to more southern climes, and
exhilerated with the beauty of the night,
rs well as that of my companion, |
drove wildly along, until we arrived at
the river front, with its ghostly expanse
of srow and ice shining and twinkling
from myriads of jagged points before US.
at once proposed drive across and
back. The temptation was irresistible.
Adele, after some little demur, ac-
looked backward where she pointed,
and beheld long black streak extend.
ing and widening up and down stream,
just where we had crossed two minutes
quiesced, and down we went on the face
of the harbor like shot. An exclama-
ton of fear from Adele, and the splash
ing of water, told me that something
was wrong, but supposng it to be only
the usual rise over the edge of the ice,
forced the startled horses forward, and
soon felt the solid path clear before us.
We now went merrily enough for
close upon a mile, without needing the
signs around but on slackening the
speed to converse more freely, became
aware of an oscillating movement in
our seemingly solid roadway. The
horses, too, had noticed it, as evinced
by their snorting and uneasiness. 1t
was too late to turn back we were more
than half way across. l at once applied
the whip vigorously, the good team
dashed on like mad steeds, but still the
motion underneath increased. A noise
like the explosion of cannon tool,
place, and ran beneath in lines of sound
IN every direction
l cast look at my companion her
lace was CHASTITY in the moonlight.
Mon Dieu, mon Dieu r' she cried, i" the
river is open behind U.S."
before. From the height of excitement
l became as cool as the glaciers around
us. l addressed word of nope to her.
and bending forward, urged the scared
animals on with whip and voice.
But the horrid tumult increased, the