, 1875-02-28

ger than slse unknown perls OF having their
vessola d11Ten upon the water, to be bufeted
without control on the waves aud driven upon
the shores- This made the damage in the river
oil the greater. few OF these ships were torn
from heir tastenings in the uain branch were
driven out upon the lake, and rode tie seas
alone. and Wezo all the safer for their freedom.
It would have been much better for the shipping
interest bad the oTueta permitted the whole
fotilIa to hare gone to sea without ruddar or
compass, sails or rigging, or man to guide.
SOME OF THESE LAHGAR VESSELS
unable to reslst the current, broke from tho
piors, turned their sides to the stream, tore out
the piiiug or snapped their cables, striking
against others as they swept down. broke them
away, when they we're drawn into the impending
mass sweeping down the river, tearing away
obstruction. Said M eyewitness: THUS
moved on the floating mass, vessels, cakes Of
ice, timbers etc., raking against the wharves,
tearing up or breaking of the piles, crushing
down the docks. and c-owding their du,be1s and
planks upon the shore Or into the warehouses.
and sweeping boxes aud barrels into the stream
to mlngle with the confusion. No power was ad-
equnte to check its COURSE or to turn the current
OF destruction. Vessel store against vessel, hull
rushing on hull, chains claoking, anchors drag
ssss' sds5pa* Rs5as Ike set 1
and cables entanglns. breaking, and crushing,
the feet Of wrecks worried On through a number
OF blocks in tho heazt OF the city. The canal-
boats and s.rallor lake craft we're crushed and
broken into sp1inters, between tho heavier and
stronger frames Of tho larger vessels. The eail-
ors vanly endeavored to guide their ii-fated yee-
sells. check their progress with chain or cable, CT
to haul up to pier, or do something to sayo
them from impending destruction. Feeble was
to help or save. Women and children. she fam
lilies Of the Captains and sailors who resided ca
board, we're seen on some Of the boats screaming
with fright aod begging for help. There was no
tE,~k hnn 1nA &14
board their only chance wss to await the fate
Of their weasel, and then to leaSe BY scrambiiag
over the debris, or escape by boat when at last
it should come to rest in the general crash that
awaited NIL Many lives we're lost"
This is vivid and true picture Of
The shipping Of the harbor took its
new impetus 1t ths so-called bnsin, anu moved
down through the heart Of the city, gathering up
everything from shore to shore as it moved On.
accumulating in bulk as it passed each pier oEd
warehouse till it reached
THE BEND or TIE RIVER BELOW STATE STREET.
There and below the owners OF 1arger vessels
had peraisted in retaining their ships tied to sher
around into the stream, where they wore crushed
and wedged in by the raft above coming down
upoa them; and here. with fearful crash.
and the breaking in Of ships sides, and the lift
ing up Of hulls, md breaking on Of masts, aud
xedging IN soSehefi 'ae novpe e mass s6"y
forming q dam across the river, Against this
the tide rose presEing harder and harder upon tho
Jam of wrecks. The water rose i'll the rlvor
shove. settling back into the streets, up through
Water to Lake sIzeet. Some VAN and dangerous
attempts were made to
CUT FREE TIE VESSELS
hanging By the cables at the lower end OF tho
jam We remember the attempt Of Asa F.
Bradley to cut with an ax The links Of an inch
and-a-half iron cable that held one end OF pro-
9af1a ff1 f$rA64 64]1n
pressure from the raft above. Every noT and
then crushing movement would take place
that seemed to thrill the whole We6sed mass
Over the broken sides and masts escsped the
few sailors who were left alive on board when
tbe vessels came into the jam. About Il O'Clock
a few OF the vessels wero liberated, and took
their departure into the lake; among them was
the steamer Globe. This took away part OF
the barriar. against which the mass rested Ino
vessels having been ut rest for some time. peo-
pe had clanbered upon the decks and on tho
broken spara to survey the ruins around Thea
the Jam took
ANEW GENERAL MOVEMENT
fem feet down the stream, causing terrible
stampede from those On hoard. who Were fearfE
OF launch IN that condition on to the b1oss
lake, and they made their hasty exit with much
difficulty. Here tbs jam came to it's firm and
final rest, till removed. aftek the labor OF SON.
weeks, by piecemeal, after the Hood lad sui
sided.
This calamity brought tho whole of Chlcags
out to uitness the thrilling eight, which hap
pau9d in the spaco of few hours, and all look
1nR on with fear, conscious Of their inability to
DO tho feeblest thing to stay the disaster. All
the bridges Of the South and main branch were
svep. away 30 that there was no passage from
the South Sde to other sections OF the city.
The shipping IN the North Branch Was not dam
AGED. as there was no clearing out from that
river. though the water was very high and
the current Strong: hut fortunately tho ica
held. and the shipping remained to their moor
ipes till the Hood went down. The South Branch
from the canal and tae main channel, above the
great Jam at he bend OF the river, vera swept
nearly clean, taking the docks,-which were
thou GENERALLY Of frail structure. The wates
continued 70 riao and rash down the ~. whS!s q.
way had been svent clear by tho first rush. Il
is said lhat
THE FORCE WAS 50 STRONG
that it greatly benefited tho harbor By dredging
out. down to hari bottom, all the silt that had
Gradually been filing up the channel.
As the water rose u thu river, canal-boats and
schoonerr that had at first escaped were sci
aloat or broken from their fastenings, and. az
they cane down buoyant upon the rapid current,
nearing the lam that joined the dam, vera
- kwotrar l., and ravor .