Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-01-03
The treat River.
BGEiSING OF ~ ICE GORGE n THE NS>I>-
SIrPI, NEAR NENrHs-CREAT DEsrRUc-
TON or boats

/ BEEtSING or ~ ICE GORGE ~ THE NIS>IS-
SIrrI, NEAR NENrHs-CREAT DEsTRrC-
TON or BOATS.
At two O'Clock Friday morning the ice
gorge at " Hen asd Chickens" lust above
Memphis, Tenn, broke and the ice came
down with terrific force. sweeping oil the
dry docks then cutting down ton barges Of
coal. and finally steamer after steamer from
the wharf until it was thought not a single
one Of the largo number lying there could
be saved. six boats We're carried off.
The bluff, in front OF the city and levee
were lined with people watching the
strange spectacle of the destruction by ice
Of the boats in the river. just above the
/ foot of Jefferson street lies the r. p Walt.
/ crowded On shore and broken in two.
/ Above her j. the Belle Pike, sunk to the
guards and supported BY empty barge-.
I just below lies the Laura badly broken.
| just at the water gauge lies the West
/ Wind driven on the bow of the White Star
whart-boat. Her upper works are com
plete wreck, but the hull with $50 bales of
cotton i comparatively uninjured Jdst
astern and crowded in the afterguard of the
whart-boat lies the Andy Baum, with her
upper works badly damaged and the boat in
a .precarious condition. The whafi-boat
i but little injured At its stern. with /
their guards and upper works smashed. are |
the Arlington, Glasgow and St. Francis /
The Walt is owned by Elliott Brothers Of /
Memphis, who are now engaged in wrecking .
her and saving all the cotton possible The !
Laura will be total loss She is owned bv
Captain james, her commander. The Belle
Pike VIII prove almost total loss. together
with her cargo of cotton She l. owned hy
the II. Louis and Naples Packet Company.
She Is being wrecked The dry docks after
being driven down 10 the foot Of Exchange
street, were secured and will pr0bably be-
saved, though they and the steamer Pat
Claiborne are in critical condition, like
wise the Nellie Thomas. whose upper work,
were crushed The West Wind, belonging
TO Mas-ingale y Bowman of Nashville. * in
great peril, having been stripped Of her
upper works and forced against the wharf
boat with such power a. o. break her shafts
he ndlne and Helen have broken loose,
ana the summer Noon has sunken out of
sight. The Clipper, a tow boat, was driven
% the head Of Presidents Island. and will
prove total loss The gas works (which ,
supply the city are without a days supply ,
1i coal. Coal dealers have advanced the
price TO two dollar- barrel, which will ,
an Us, great suffering among the poor d
W hen the breakup occurred, and the :
Andy Baum was driven down on the wharf
''"N' l'4 ivI " tll>' one OF the pilots, at Z
empted TO jump from the hurricane roof on ;.
% the whari-boat, but fell into the river and /
vas badly crushed BY the ice. lie was !;
e~cued with great difficulty John Clinton 4
nd the bar keeper also leaped and were y
ably bruised. The james Howard arrived h
rom below and made several effort, to haul /,
he City Of Augusta out without being able n
, move her. =,
\ gorge wa, formed at Randolph Friday. II
ut broke in the afternoon The Ice at SIX ,,
clock was running heavier than ever. N
he James Howard succeeded in saving the n,
ndine, Helen Brooks and City of Augusta. II
he total loss by the disaster will not fall a,
lort of $3.50, 900. All the steamers at the =,
nding have steam up. anticipating greater a
niger tonight The short supply Of coal ~
the al abSorbic topic and the question is n,
ked whether the gas companies can supply rpa'
cir customers. r.