Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-02-07
rnE susaUrHANEA ICE uoRGR.
AFFAIRs AT PoRr DKPosIT- -lEEsE IN TnE RIVER
ARCTIC EXCURSION PARTIEs-PRoPosAIs TO
BLoty Up THE GoRGH, SC. E&&

AFFAIRS AT PoRr DEFosT-REE N EllE RIVER
--ARcTIu EXCURSION PARTIEs-PnoPosALs TO
BLOW UP THE GoRGE, sc.
PoRT DEPOSIT, Feb. SO p, M--Aa6airs here
remain almost entirely unch1nged. The damage
done BY the last overflow might have beon FepalT-
cd long ere this and business operations resumed,
but the uncertainty is such thai none Of the bnsi-
ness people seem inclined 90 expcnd time, labor
and money so long as the great lce-aeSert exists
In threatening proximity. Enough labor has
been expended, however, TO make the previously
submerged houses In Port Deposit tepable, but
the ice wall along the linC Of the Port Deposit
railroad, ten TO twenty feet high, Is q standing
wonder for excursionists and Others who visit the
arctic regions OF this vicinity,
The ice in the river has become comparatively
smooth by the melting Of the peaks OF the hum
mOcks, DC The Port Deposit railroad was open
ed at p. NJ. to-day, and the cars brought an cx-
cursion party of about l25 persons, Including
many ladies, from Wilmington, Del, and the sur
rounding country. The party came In two spec.
ial cars, In charge of Superintendent kenney, OF
the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore
railroad. Some Of the ladies were afraid that the
ice wOvld move before they could get away. An
arctic excursion party of about 100 persons, by
the Baltimore Central cars also arrived during
the afternoon with slghtseen frOm Media, West
Chester, Old Chester and Philadelphia.
In order to break ub the Ice gorge, several
scientific proposals have been suggested OF
canvassed. One of these Is to blow up the
gorge with nitro. .glycerine; another to batter
IT down with heavy artillery: third, by
Captain Myers, Of Havre-de-Graee, who pro
poses to dig out channel through the gorge
with his tugb0at Atlas and o steel plow. Cap
tain Myers offered TO carry his plan Into eject
for 500, and the offer, il IS said, was accep-
ted by committee Of citizens ofPOFt Deposit.
but up to this evening there has been no at
tempt to carry out the idea.
Telegrams from above ara not very reasSur-
ing. There had been nOthlngat WllliamspOrt
20 create alarm, though there was rise oftwO
feet on Saturday. The rise was one foot to-
day at Harrisburg, Pa, and two or three feet
at Columbia, Pa, within the last tWenty-f0uT
hours. There is new gorge at McCall's
ferry. At COnowingo bridge there was a
great deal of apprehension. This point Is OF
the head of the Port Deposit gorge, nine miles
above, and the water had risen to the top OF
the ice ten to fifteen feet above the ordinary
level. There was sudden rise at noon to-
day of two to three feet in the streets at Rock
Kun, one mile above Port Deposit There was
9 general alarm and general scampering,
but at T. III. the water had gained not an
inch, and tue inhabitants became treasured.
The rise was attributed to the thaw. OctoFaFa
creek, five miles above Port Deposit gave
way at O'Clock Tuesday evening, the Ice,
from ten to fifteen inches thick, breaking up
with crashing noise, which startled the
Inhabitants. The town Of Rolandville, where
Mccullough Iron Works are located, was over
flowed to depth of from one to two feet. Nc
material damage was done to the town or tC
the iron works.
ALI accounts agree that so much ice has
not been seen in the river for hftY years az
there has been this winter, and if q freshet
comes suddenly to break up the existing gOr
ges there may be much disaster. The wealth.
er to-day has been clear and mild the thaW
| rapid; thermometer GOO at noon.
| Mr.. VIM. w Roberts, the rescued islander
from Carr's Island, crossed over the river Of
the gorge to-day from Lapidam to Port Deposi
lie states that he and his friends have success
fully removed from his home on the island hi
household effects, darTylng them across the
gorge which he now deems as solid and saf
as the land itself