The Van Buren press., 1873-01-07
TELEGRAPH NEWS.
Especial Dispatch to the Republican,
Crushed by Ice,
4 Fleet Of Steamboats, Destroyed at Mem
phis by The Breaking cta Gorge
From the St. Louis Tims;.l


The ice gorgcd at " Paddy's Hon and
Chickens, few mules above Memphis,
on Thursday night, but, breaking again
in few hours, swept onward with ter
rife force, carrying everything befole it.
The immense dry docks at Memphis
were the first TO receive the shock, but in
a few moments every craft at the landing
both above and below the city, was eth
er cut down or driven, q helpless wreck
upon the bank.
Never, ia the history Of navigation,
has q like catastrophe occurred at point
SO far south Ia oursuore Northern lat
itudes, ice foes of such a character are Of
common occurrence, and being antcipa
ted, precautions are taken to guard against
their disastrous consequences, but in this
instance no harm was ssxpected, and when
the immense massos OF ice went rushing
down the river, no wonder it caused q
panic and great loss Of property.
About one O'Clock another dispatch
vas received, announcing that the Laura,
Belle of Pike, II, p Walt, Undine, West
Wind and City of Augusta had been sunk
and that the towboat, Nellie Thomas and
several other steamers were in imminent
peril, As none Of these boats but the
Belle OF Pike were owned in our city, ST.
Louis boatmen began to breathe easier,
though the excitement still ran high, and
everybody was on the qui vive to learn
the latcs. news from Memphis
THE sUNKEN STEAMERS
The Belle of Pike was owned by the
Naples Packet company and was built at
Cincinnati in 1866, She was 225 feet in
length by 80 feet inches beam, 5 feet
inches depth of hold, and measured $50
tons. She was valued at $50, 600 and was
insured for $1,000 in Pittsburg oilces
Al the time of the disaster, she WAS run
ming in the Anchor line bstween Cairo
snd Memphis. She had left Memphis for
Cairo the evening previous, but meeting
heavy ice, returned,
The X. Z Walt 10 medium sized side
wheel boat. owned by the Adams line, of
Memphis, and ran between that city and
Little Rock, when there was sufficient wa
ter in the Arkansas. She was probably
worth $4,000.
The City Of August is anew boat,
built last summer at Paducah, and be
longs to the Elliotts at Memphis She
is a neat little sidewheel boat and is worth
about thirty thousand dollars.
NEw YORK, Jan. 2.
The Fifth avenue theatre, on Twenty
fourth street adjoining the Fifth avenue
hotel, was burned 10 the gronnd yeSter-
day afternoon. The sudience which had
assembled to witnrss the play Of False
Shame, had scarcely dispersed when
the fire was discovered
There was great excitement at the
Fifth avenue hotel while the theatre was
burningf as it was feared the fire would
spread to that ediiice, but it WAS saved
by the cXertions of the iiremen.
The total losses by the burning Of the
Fifth avenue theatre will reach from
$3.50 600 to 100000 The treasurer
with great difficulty managed to save the
receipts of the matinee, but failed to re-
cover the valuables in the safe.
The Fifth avenue hotel WAS damaged
to the extent Of about $4,000 The the
a,re belonged to the widow Of Col
James Fisk.
CINCINNATI, Jan. 2.
On Wednesday, at half-past ten O'Clock
the ice gorged and stopped running but
q few minulos before eleven o'clock start,
ed to move slowly Tho Fifth street
ferry boat was thrown on dry land on
the Kentucky shore opposite the lower
part Of the city, Fifty barges were
crushed TO pieces and scattered along the
shore on both sides of the river The
Kate Putnam was struck and sunk; her
value was about SO, 600. The little
steamer Daniel Boone WAS crowded
ashore, and her cabin was smashed and
splintered The Mountain Boy sank to
her boiler deck; she 10 valued at $4,000
The Messenger is crowded between the
Mountain Boy and Grey Eagle, and both
sides other after guards broken in Grey
Eagle has her guards smashed and is
crowded on the wharf boat. No coal of
any amount was lost, though several
empty barges were swept away.