Wilmington daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1872-1874, 1873-01-17
Froshot IN the BrandywIne.


PART or THE ELEvENTH STREET BRIDGE CAR
RTED AwAY.-THE cREEE FILLED WITH FLOAT
mo ICE AND TIMER.
The damp warm weather Of the past few days
had so softened and weakened the ice IN the
Brandywine, that only needed the tremendous
rain Of last night to produce q general breaking
up of the ice, and accompanying freshet. The
heavy rain of the 9th inst, had caused the ice
from the upper portion of the creek to break up
and float with the current down to the bend be-
low the Market street bridge, where it has since
remained, filling the creek % Lthia point. Last
night, d rather this m0Tning, a tremendous storm
of rain fell, almost without intercession between
one and three O'Clock, which had the effect OF
loosening this mass Of ice. and forcing it with
impstuous velocity, towards the mouth OF the
| creek. As was expected, the Eleventh street
bridge was unable to withstand this immense
pressure, and when morning dawned 1t was dis
covered that portion of the bridge had been
carried away. The west side OF the bridge, and
the draw still remain intact, but portion of the
remaining span, about twenty-five or thirty feet
have been carried completely away. The force of
the current and the floating ice was so great as to
bend and twist, the iron rods connecting the tim
bers, like SO many reeds.
| between ten and eleven o'clock, this morning.
quite a number of persons visited the bridge for
the purpose of observing the effect of the treshet
although it was then the hour foT low tide, the
water was very high reaching with two or three
feet of the bottom of the bridge, and almost sub
merging the pier on which the draw is built. The
| tide however, Is now becoming higher, and fears
are entertained that more of tho bridge will be
forced away. The draw however, is considered
entirely safe, and the pier has not given any in.
| dications of weakness.
The railroad BRIDGE short distance below, il
not shaken in the slightest degree, and the solid
substantial manner in which it is built will doubt
less enable it TO withstand the full force OF the
freshet
All the mills along the Brandywine have ceased
| running, and also the pump at the city mill. The
water at present. is too turbulent to be used Will
safety to the machinery. None of them, however
have yet been flooded, and will not to any extent
unless the water should rise to an unusual or IN
expected height. Due preparations were made
yesterday, for the expected freshet, and all th'
stock and grain in the lower stories conveyed tC
higher and more secure quarters.
The Brandywine, this morning, from the Mar
ket street bridge, presented q sight which Olmos
defes description. The dams were entirely GOV
cred with an immense volume Of water, which
came rushing along, with velocity of fully iron
fifteen to twenty miles an hour, bearing cakes o
ice, timbers and floating debris, of every descnp
ton Rail fences were carried in sections Will
the limbs and even stumps of trees, which perhaps
had come for miles were borns swiftly along OF
the turbulent current. The roar Of the waite
could be heard for squares, and the seethng cur
/ rent seemed almost shreiking with glee, at tn
commotion and destruction, it was causing. /
was a grand sight, and yet calculated to make on
fairly shuddar, Rt Its terrible yet fascinating ap
pearance The usually placid Brandywne wa
t fairly aroused, and the mad waters run riotousl
on their course to the Delaware, bearing 90 thei
swelling waves everything that tended to obstruc
their progress.
The marshes along the banks of the creek wer
entirely flooded thereby swelling the stream int
the proportions of a river. On the wharves, an
; the railroad bridge, men and boys were busil
engaged in fishing out the floating timbers, an
quite a large quantity was in this manner secu
ed. Although not the largest freshet, this is col
sidered the most general and extensive breakin
up of ice in the Brandywine which has occurre
J for many years.