Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-01-22
TINE sUsQUEuAMMa IcE cORcE.
Port pepe.ls ovsraeuea.


The INHABITANTs ESCAPE IN BoATs FROM d
THE % SToRIEs OF THEIR HOUSES.
The town Of Port Deposit Is situated on the
east bank Ofthe Susqnehanna, about ten miles !
from its mouth, and about six miles above the ,
towns Of Perryyille and Havre de Grace, on
either side Of the river, where the Philadelphia,
Wnmlngt0M and Baltimore railroad crosses It's
great bridge. It Is very old town, buIlt upon /,
the very edge OF the river, within bend I
making on to the west, contains between 400
and 800 dwellings and stores, yearly all of
frame, and has population Of about 2,0e0.
Ht THE FIRST OvERFtow.
During Saturday afternoon the river was no
tlced TO be slowly rising, and it was apparent
that the Hood above was making It's way down. |
lffhepopulaton still felt no general fear though,
| rs the TiSS was gradual. About 8 A. NJ, Snn- |
nay morning an alarm was given, which spread |
like wildfre, and before tho affFlghted pOpul- |
ace could scarcely realize the cause the water
and ice came over the slighly elevated banks
| and passed down "Main street the principal
thorOugfare of the town, in rushing torrent,
flooding the lower stories of about twenty-five
houses, and for the time imprisOnlng the alar-
med inmates in their bed-chamhers. The
water after an hour or two seemed to fall
again, and the male population turned out
for the relief Of the unfortunate. The women
and children in the submerged dwellings were
got out and removed to houses on the hills,
and during the quit Sabbath sad and gloomy
bCtuo WIS BItScuScu l0uuQALGu lOMus
| A TEMPORARY RELIEF.
During the afternoon Of Sunday the ice on
the west side OF WatsOn'S Island, in the middle
Of the river below Port Deposit, gave way and
great fields went rolling and cracking down,
and beneath the railway bridge opening up q
, current andIrelieylngthe heavy overflow at the
town so much so that many returned to their
J Houses and began to prepare for the removal
T Of their household goods, but about o'clock,
Q p. NJ, another sudden rise took place, and
again slight inundatiOn, which drove
1 the people hurriedly out. During Sunday
night the ice from above came down in great
masses, lodging on either side at the upper end
y of WatsOn's island, and forming new gorge
Il which piled up to height of ten to fifteen feet
3 stretching entirely across. This rapidly backed
3 up the water again and produced
i A SECOND OVERFLOW.
About 10 O'Clock Monday morning the river
z lchOked up, and Over.run its banks and again
4 did the torrent pour into the town, this time
" with more volume and force than before. The
railway track OF the Maryland Central road
: was quickly submerged for q distance Of q
= mile, and also the Port DepOsltbraneh OF the
~ Philadelphia and Wilmington railroad to Per
= ryville. GTeat masses OF ice came into the
main street. DOOFsteps, pOrches and fences
were carried away. Piles Oflumber tumBleC
Into the torrent and were flOated about. FhC
n river rose within an hour t9 height Of tel
N. feet above the ordinary level, and within ahOu
u. two feet Of the greatest height attained in 1857
he The water in the street quickly arose to
be depth OF from fiYe to seven feet, and over flf
~ dwellings were inundated, the inmate
e population turned out Il mass. ROW boat caa
q were procured and very soon stout arm
. were willingly labOllDg to succor and reliey
" ~ those In Distress. HOuaei aftqr house wa:
OA visited, and the OCCUPANTS taken from th
second story windows, until over 200 person
N were assisted to high land, only to find them
cd selves for the time homeless, and TO look dow
y upon the raging river below, in Apprehension
go that even worse might come.
SCENE OF DEsoL.ATIoN
~ As the flood continued houses were struck an
~ bnfletted about, some turned around othel
6. Knocked askew, and one or two upset entlrel!
M Small OuthOuses foated in the tide. Boa
T I were seen among the Ice and lumber, the rOV
y lers battling to do good, and on the hills wei
~ women and children climbing the bluns
~ seek shelter wherever they might among tue
"a more fortunate neighbOFs- The scene was OF
Of desOlatiOn and saddenlng to the sigh
"a. Many families proceeded 70 PerTyyille, Othe
4. 10 HaVre de Grace. en- the cars, and some can
~ 10 Baltimore to their friends to await the resu
nm OF the food The narrow escapes report'
~. | were numerous, but fortunately no lives we
~ lost. in the town atleast. Throughout the dl
M. the population were engaged in removing u
,Iso contents OF the submerged houses, and IN th
"a a1ernoOn the telegraph once which had be-
3 washed out, temporarily reestablished at ko'
tor having but Just left when portion OF
Ofdee also left its original site aud went dO~
b. with the tide The railway station, lar
ere frame building, was moved from Its fOundati
to sonleWhat, but at p. NJ. was still standin
the The engines and cars of the Port DepoS
nd. Branch were taken away on Saturday, WIN
70 travel by that line ceased.
the The loss up to p. IA. was variOusly es
ual mated at from $50, 900 to $l00, 900, but all "
by but conjecture, as the end had not come
IN 'soh ExTEN7 or THE GORGE.
aTt; The gorge extends from Wsison's Island
lm- 40 and beyond Post Deposit as far as Car
Tfd Island, mile above, the entire distance bel
vas about two miles and 4 quarter. The river
OF an average width Of one ana quarter mile ;
TN That an area Of over iour square miles Of III
ny bed. where the current Usually runs el from
~ 10 four miles an hour is covered by the ice j.
Sons from eiQht 10 ten feet high, with only here
Sn1 There an opening In the vast nass, doihs
s q forced opsn e aiEiVenls. 1h9 tePihpt
new river VaTsss at difeFoRt points, from ten Tee
was foFtv feet, The eastern side being the daspal
cred Ii Vas the opinion of old residents that ~
tim he eastern side The ice had GoEged q the
,eted tom. ~ the current from the opposite ahs
,.en 1sa vhen once iammed, would wash i oves and
~. aeuuunlats On the Bh0al aide; aud helee
,Isek backing up and oVerAOWing Of the wafer
radO Pert Deposit above. ) is.s n6s
.sss TINE ngPRIsONBD isLANVERP