The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-24
PORT DEPOSIT.
Visit Of the Herald Reporter to the Scene Of De-
struction-Great Fears of Further Trouble
When the Gorge Breaks-scenes
in and Around the Town.

PORT DEPOSIT Nd Jan. 81, 1873.
In 1857 there was an ice gorge in the river at this
point, the consequences OF which were of greater
moment than the present one up to this writing.
The residents of this little hamlet with an abiding
recollection of the george of 1857 and the evidences
of present destruction OF their property. are not
without grave fears of impending calamity of
fearful nature before this gorge has broken. I'm
agine Tor moment solid sea Of Ice piled in huge
Jagged masses for distance OF eight miles in length.
from one to two miles in BREADTH and in places from
twenty to fifty feet in DEPTH l am not overesti-
mating the panorama at my feet when assure you
that am new looking such scene. In places
this ice IS piled fifteen feet above the usual water
level, and am assured by a gentleman OF probity
that the scenes near "McCals Ferry" some
twenty miles above us, almost beggar description.
In place in that neighborh0od, where the river
is narrow, the ice is piled twenty feet Hight
AS stated In my dispatches OF this date the
CAUSE OF THESE PERIODICAL OvERFLows
is directly traceable to the careessness OF the peo
pie. A boom extends across the river some two
miles below here and is kept closed the year round
II they would open it when cold weather sets in
and allow the ice to flow of into Chesapeake Bay,
five miles below here, there would be no trouble
from ice g0rges but they prefer to trust to luck and
suffer for their fOOlhardineSS by the loss or their
property and the jeopardy OF their lives. The river
is no higher than usual; the ice blocks up the
channel, and the water lS lOrceu over the DdukS.
This is natural, and IT appears very strange that
this fact is not recognized in time That part or
Port Deposit fronting Immediately on the river is
very low, and it Is here the water seeks ana mas
an outlet. When 1t starts nothing can resist ltS
headlOng course, and houses, barns and lumber
share a common fate. 1t is a strange sight 10 see
people exchanging visits
FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE IN BOATS,
and these boats being rowed through the principal
street, while such as have house left have re-
moved from their ground floors and cellars to the
second and third stories The railroad tracks OF the
Maryland Central and Port Deposit branch of the
Philadelphia, wilmington and Baltimore Railroads
are at this writing covered with five feet Of run
ming water, while the station houses are float
ing around from one end or the town to
the other. No one seems to be doing anything to
stay the destruction. There are thousands OF dol
lars worth Of lumber and shingle floating about
between the wall of ice and the town, and it might
all be saved by very little effort, II the effort is
made at once; but every One-l mean the male
portion of the pOpuation-is standing about the
corners wondering where the destruction will end.
| heard man say, "If the Ice gives way above
we will lose all that lumber, reckon" "reckon"
they ought to lose it.
II is impossible pass through the lower part of
the town except in boats. To get to the telegraph
otllce this afternoon was obliged to walk the
mountain and so through the upper part OF the
town.
The upper part of the town answers to the ee-
CANT synonym OF Rock Run. Rock Run was in a
five and six feet. was eddying and whirng through
the town, and, like Port Deposit, the inhabitants
had ''moved their cellars up into the garrett" The
bellies of the town came for their letters In skliis
and received them through the second story win
dOws. Little darkies and white boys were at
structed OF boards which they had "lound" in the
water,