The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-01-31
The Ice Gorge in the Sus0uehanna.

be for the toling millions of the country.
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The Ice Gorge in the SusQuehanna.
| A reporter Of the Baltimore Sun last week
took a survey of the Susquehanna, from Port
Deposit to Columbia, Pa, and gives that pa
per graphic description of the arctic scenery
along the river. He left Port Deposit at 6 A
NJ, on Friday last passing through Row
landsvlle, Rock Spring, Texas and Penn
Hill-the latter village made noteworthy from
the fact that it is the birth place of Robert Full
ton of steamship fame, the house in which he
was born still standing near by.
The next point reached was McCalps Fer
ry, Of which the reporter says:
1t was no difficult matter to recognize the
spot, as it is very narrow point of the river,
The stream here is only about two hundred
and fifty feet in width from shore to shore.
The locality is one of the widest to be found
in this section of the country, not excepting
even some of the West Virginia scenes on the
line ofthe Baltimore and Ohio railroad. The
| river passes over its narrow bed between
towering hills, which seem to come almost
together, and the country all around was
covered deeply with snow. At Maple Island,
just above the ferry, soundings, near the
shore, it was stated, showed depth of two
hundred and thirty-seven feet of water at
low-water mark, the current having cut away
the hills to this great depth in order to pass
the body of water forming the river over a
mile wide above. Some distance below the
narrowest point are little islands, formed,
doubtless, by the washngs from above, and
at this point is the ferry from which the
name originates.
Guided by an old waterman named Robert
Burlington the party climbed to the top of
high hill, whence the river could be seen.
The scenery was grand AT the head of Ma
pie Island was the gorge, looking more dan
gerous, more fearful than that at Port Deposit,
because the ice was piled up much higher.
The current on either side seemed to have
cut it's way through the gorge, and to use
boatman's expression, ats back is broke for
the present." But in the centre of the stream,
at short distances, are still vast piles of ice,
iammed and wedgcd together, seeming to be
frozen solid. These masses of ice are from
twenty TO forty feet in height. On the shores
the gorging still continues. Much of the ice.
however, had passed down, adding to the
Port Deposit gorge. Thus far but little
damage has resulted except to the Port De-
post and Columbia railroad, which is being
built along the east bank of the river.
The mouth ofConestoga Creek, about nine
miles above McCalrs Ferry, was next visited,
passing through Safe Harbor on the way.
On Saturday January 18th, an ice gorge
gave way above this town, which was over
flooded, and the inhabitants compelled to flee
for their lives 10 the neighboring hills. Dur
ing this freshet a scene was enacted even
more thrilling than that described at Carrs
Island in the rescue of the Roberts family
Near the mouth of the Conestogo is an
island of 14s acres, which was worked by
John Ellis. who resided upon it with his fam
lily, consisting ofhmself wife, two daughters
and son. AT the time ofthe formation of
the gorge the ice and water covered the lis
and little by little, until the house was be-
coming submerged and death was staring
the entire party in the face. The stock on
the farm, viz two horses, ten cattle and ten
hogs, had all been drowned and the waters
had driven rabbits and muskras in hundreds
upon the porch of the dwelling About
p. Ma young man named A. Herlen, who
had gone to the island cunning, made his
escape across the ice gorge, and within an
hour the whole body of ice moved
ABRAyE GIRL.
After the back water rush at 2 p. NJ, the
, case became hopeless with the Ellis family,
and persons on shore concluded they were
doomed, but q daughter, Miss Mary Ellis,
aged sixteen, announced her determination
to get ashore, and declared to her father that
she would go alone if the family did not
follow. Encouraged by his brave child, Mr..
Ellis took up his little boy, and the mother q
daughter eight years old, and waving cloth
| to those on shore, to acquaint them with
the movement they began the dangerous
passage of the east branch of the river, over
half mile distant, up the treacherous and
uneven ice. They were forced to Chamber
over hummocks, at times disappearing com
| pletely from the view of the spectators on
shore, who watched the escape with breath.
less interest, the girl leading all the time.
Finally when about half way over, three
men on shore, A. Herlein, Frank Dabler and
Theodore Ellis started out to meet them, the
two parties meeting about midway of the
river. The lady and children were found
greatly exhausted and were carried ashore,
where they were kindly cared for. 1t was
fonnd that all of the refugees had received
severe cuts and bruises from falling on the
ice, but they were well taken care of by
friends
AN AVALANCHE OF ICE
came rolling into the already distressed viii
lage. The scene at this time, as described by
eye witnesses, was terrific. The gorge bridged
the river, piling up, causing rise of twenty
or thirty feet of water. For time the stone
piers of the railway bridge at the mouth OF
the creek resisted the pressure of the ice, but
the moving body finally asserted its irresisti-
BILE power the piers were crushed, and the ice
came plunging tumbling, and rolling up the
already swollen creek, driving it up stream.
The water in the houses suddenly rose five
feet higher the people were driven out in
alright and the ice began its work ofdestruc-
ton. First, on the west side, boats, fences
vehicles and lumber came in contact with
the porches ofhouses, sweeping them away
like straws then the smaller buildings were
demolished, and the larger ones knocked as.
kew, broken and damaged On the east
side there came another ice-wave, deposting
acres of ice blocks, from fifteen TO twenty.