The New York herald., 1875-03-18

hurried down in the food. At Gers Flats. two
miles beyond Hancock, everything was inundated.
George McComb, who was in q barn, 100 yards
from the river, putting the harness on his horse,
heard the roar OF the HOOD and mad time to reach
q large chestnut tree near by and climbed beyond
the reach of the advancing water and ice, which
rolled threatenlngly below him Tor hours before
he could leave his perch.
TRAIN CHECKED BY THE FLOOD.
AT Hancock, where the East Branch joins the
main stream, the water had been rising gradually
all day. but no break up was considered imminent.
AT quarter past seven last evening the
ice began breaking and the river commenced
rising very rapidly Train No. 5, on
the Erie Railway, was approaching Han
cock at that time. The great flood burst
as 1t came laundering down the valley. The train
was stopped scarcely twenty-five 1eet above the
water margin. which extends tar anead over the
nats. which stretcn a quarter or a mile from the
river bank. The avalanche was sweeping every
thing before it. Huge trees, that had witnstood
the winds and storms OF centuries. snapped be-
tore 1t like reeds and topped over to JOIN the de-
sroynS de%ge % f0p aIee mules doWn aae
within eighteen inches OF the railroad track. upon
which huge blocks OF Ice were hurled at intervals.
SCENE OF TERROR.
The passengers IN the train He'd in terror to the
hlgn ground on their right; men, women and
property OF any Kind which tney might nave
in The cars. The sight was one to terry the
from the cars. Tne air was filed with the CRIES OF
frightened women and children, and the gathering
darkness added terror to the scene. Three miles
below Hancock the ice became gorged in the
channel. In o very lew seconds the water was
era places the railroad track was Covered with Ice
and water, and every telegraph pole Ine entire dis
tance was leveled to the ground. The iron rail-.
road bridge across the East Branch Is seventy
the jan s1as the ice nsaped
The villagers were nOrror-strlcken. Destruction
to the lower part OF the place was threatened. IN
ten ,eet above It's food height. Fortunately the
pressure was so Immense that the gorge gave way
and the water fell as rapidly as IL had risen.
cakes OF ice weighing hundreds OF tons were lett
lying across the eastward bound track. When the
great dam was at It's highest 1t was nearly mile
wide and forty feet high. In its lowest part SIM
gularly, the damage to The railroad was sight IL
was with great diiiculry that many OF the passen.
gers VINO mad lett the train could be induced to
again get aboard, but the train was finally started
on It's way and met no further obstruction.
COURSE OF THE DELuGE.
Night tnow enwrapped the scene. The moon, shin
ing the snrgng tood, brought out ia bold reiielits
Rushing on down the river, 1t rcacned Stockport.
sweeping the banks above clear OF lumber fences,
telegraph poles and everything movable. The
timber or fifteen raIts carried away from the
bank at the village, and lt Is thought that three
tramps, who had been hrcd by the railroad COM
pany TO watch pie OF railroad ties, were
crowned as they nave not been since the
Hood. Ine hlgn bank Oi the railroad protected IL
from damage. but the track was piled iul oil Ice
1or miles, rnc accumulation OF the mood now rep
resented fortune u mllnOUnAlre might cOVet, and
contained the fragments Oh many an humble home.
Rum and desoiatlon marked It's track but greater
RACING THE TORRENT.
After the destruction OF telegraph cOmmunica-
tion at Hancock, X. w. Ware, superintendent Of
| the track on the Delaware division, started IN
handcar for that point to give warning TO the sta
tons below; but the combined efforts of force of
| stout laborers were Insufficient to outstrip the
Hood. and they were only enabled to keep ahead Of
| 1t. 1t moved IN wave fifteen ieet high, crowned
with Ice, logs trees and miscellaneous DRIFT. Its
| seemel tO
the bottom o! tue river at every roll and surge.
From stockport 1t swept through Big Eqununk
II passed under the suspension bridge uniting
shatterng the piers. AT the Basket station
| another double span wooden bridge was destroyed,
| the massive stone pier crunpllng to pieces like
SAND. Tnis bridge was carried on The Ice as far
| Hankln's where II lodged causing another block
water backed Ior two miles aud threatened destruc.
ton to the railroad track. The lumber Tor ulteen
creek, between Basket and Hankins. lt belonged
| to the Bramans and Kelams leavy lumber oper.
| ators and was all carried away
THE VILLAGE OF CALLIcooN CovERkD.
The ice rom Big Eqununk to Callleoon went
out at the breakup In February. This extent OF
| Ice, which had covered sixteen miles OF the river,
| all day jammed on Callicoon Island, aud now
stretched back seven miles. When tue food
sIruek IL IL resisted Tor moment and then gave
way. Calilcoon Creek was Jammed back mile.
The bank was piled nigh with ice in q lew minutes
and tue water broke over. II was h,ted up ana
broken to pieces. The Ice made u fearful Jam at
Rock Run and looded Uallicooa. Many OF the
residents had deserted their houses long before
and stood on high ground, poweriess 10 stay the
WORN oil destruction going on around tnen. Acres
oi fertile river botsom were cat away at this
place, and barely stick OF timber Is TO be seen.
the jam ut Rock Ran was Of longer duration than
any OF tho previous were. but broke away anout
mlunLRht
CoonEcToS's EXPERIENCE.
The hood passed beneath Cochecton Bridge
witaout delg any damage. aud got through
C0cneclou FANS. The danger that threatened
that Village was accordingly thougnt to be over.
out about Que O'Clock IL was discovered
that the water was backing up rapidly, ana 1t was
at once known that u Jam haG occurred below.
despatch from Narrowsourg informed the
people OF Cocheeton that the ice nad gorgeu badly
| on Hog Island, Two miles west OF the former
| place. The Jam dld not Dreak until two O'CLOCK,
and the lower part OF Coohecton was drowned out.
Inc water stood tour feet deep IN the houses. As
~ previous points, large quantities OF lumber
were swept away. Ater the Ice leit Hog
Island 1t soon struck tue "Narrows" IN
the channel at Nafrowsburg. TDls Is tne
opening TO Big Eddy, the deepest place on Tue
river. Both shores OF the ''Narrows'' are perpen-
dcular rocks thirty eet nigh, ana woouen
bricge ABOUT one hundred eet long spans tne pas,
sage, tne ROCKY foundation furnsning natural
abutments. The Ice III tue Blg Eddy was ouf
iecs thicK, and wRen tae nood reached II was