The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-03-31

cutting the ice from the railroad and
according to present prospect, sever.
al days of hard work, with a large
force, will be necessary to get the
roads open for business.
AMOUNT OF DAMAGE DONE.
The damage done, as far as known,
is comparatively small, mostly Of iu.
ferior buildings along the river in the
town Of Marietta. A considerable
amount OF lumber has been carried
away, but the amount will not be
known for some DAYS. Tire severest
loss, as far as ascertained, was at
this place--a large amount of lum-
Der, including fifteen RATS belonging
to Mr.. Bletz, and estimated at $50
900, being carried away. Some Of
it, however, it is expected, will be
recovered.
The long bridge across the river
at Columbia has been damaged, aud
it is deemed unsafe to run cars
across. One of the piers near the
middle Ct the stream has been NOV
ed bodily about twenty inches, and
some of the woodwork of the bridge
gave way. The river has fallen cen
siderably, and is now almost entirely
clear. But the general impression is
that there is serious danger of further
injury that the large bodies of ice
from the upper branches of the river
are yet to come down, and tina. un-
less the coming thaw should be very
gradual another and perhaps a more
destructive freshet Is Inevitable,
At Safe HsrhOr aud Turkey Hill.
below Columbia, the goFges are very
high. At the former place the Man
sion House. at the mouth Of the
Conestoga, is almost surrounded with
immense blocks of ice, piled up from
ten to fifteen feet. The officers Of
Pennsylvania Railroad have announc-
ed the want Of one thousand men at
various points named, to cut away
Ice, and large numbers from Lancas-
ter and all points below will at once
go to work.
The abutment of the Tide Water
Canal Company, at Wrightsville, is
badly injured and the basin gorged
full Office, canal boats and logs from
the bridge to the dam. The winding
bridge was raised of its abutments
and carried about three hundred Yards
by the ice and landed on the bernie
bank of the canal with one end living
over a canal boat. In Marietta the
loss was very heavy by the lumber
men having their RATS, &c, swept
away. Miller & MGsser's mill was
entirely ruined by being crushed in.
One canal boat is lying against
large tree in front of private resi-
dence. The tree was the only thing
that saved the house from being stove
IN. Ice is piled up over the tow
path at some points from TWENTY-FIVE
to thirty feet high.
THE SITUATION AT wILKEsBARRE.
WILKEsBARRE, March I9.-The
Pittston bridges jammed in the ice
three miles north of this city were
saturated with benzine to-day and
fred. They are burning yet tonight
and light up the heavens for miles
around. They were burned so that
they might not be swept down and
destroy the bridge at this point. The
gorge has rot changed at all along
this city, although the water is
gradually falling, and is between
three and four feet lower than on
Wednesday morning. There is no
communication with Kingston across
the flats yet, and cannot be for sever
al days The l.. & b. Il. K. Co
began TO run passenger trains across
to this city on the D. & II. bridge,
three miles down the river, this morn
ing.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was
cleared of ice on the Pennsylvania
aud New York division, and Superin-
tendent Parker came through from
Towanda to the Laekawanna and
BlOoms5urg junction at els p. NJ.
A force of over 800 men had been
employed in removing the ice, which
for distance Of two miles covered
the track to depth of six to thirteen
feet. Telegraphie communication
was also made complete between
Philadelphia and Waverly. Be-
tween Wilkesbarre and Pittston As
sistant Superintendent Genrela says
the road will be clear by Monday
and all trains will run through.
Above Pittston, two miles, a gorge
begins, which is formed of the strong
est ice in the river and is nine miles
long. In some places it is twenty
/ five feet high, and causes the citizens
Of West PittSsoR and the valley
great anxiety. Ifdriven ont with a
flood it will take everything before
| il. II viii naturally go before
the ive-mile gorge here, and thus
the two will be piled together.
Fear and excitement are general all
along the river.