The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-03-25
THE TLooD-aaEAT DAMAGE AND LOSS
OF LIFE.

IdE FLVVD-HHEAT DAMAtE AND LVSS
OF LIFE.
The flood in the Susquchanna River was
attended last week with disastrous results
The ice gorged above Wilkesbarre between
and 10 o'clock on Tuesday night, and the
back water flooded Pittston. 1t rose two
feet higher than in 1865, and reached West
Pittson. At half past l Wednesday morn
ing the ice broke up with terrible crash,
and moved past Wilkesbarre. Another
gorge was formed at the island, q mile be-
low, and in ten minutes the river rose five
feet, and continued rising until it reached
twenty five feet above low-water mark, and
the ice touched the Kingston bridge The
ice cakes were four feet thick, and all com.
munication with the opposite side of the
river was stopped. Communication be-
tween Wilkesbarre and Kingston remained
suspended owing to the submergence Of
the flats on either side of the river, and the
perious condition of the bridge. The dam
age at Kingston was much greater than at
Wilkesbarre, the IRON bridge of the Lacka-
wanna and Bloomsbury Railroad, and the
wooden wagon bridges having been swept
away. The railroad bridge cost S120. 600,
and the county bridges nearly $4,000
EACH These bridges ara jammei in a
gorge three miles above Wilkcstarre.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad, both above
and below Pittston, is covered in places
with huge blocks of ice, and no trains rup
above Wilkcsbarre. At Nauticoke dam,
eight miles below Wil,csbarre, the ice
moved on Wednesday, but remained solid
above The dam. gorge also formed be.
10
great food, and cutting off railroad com
municatiops. The highway bridge at
Catawissa was carried away and part Of
the bridge ut Dan lille. On each side Of
the river for miles. is a solid wall of ice.
and the river bed from Campbells Ledge
to Wilkesbarre, distance OF twelve miles
is "feld of ice, studded with immense
boulders." West Fitson was caught be-
tween two floods, one of which broke
through ravine at the base Of the noun
tans at l o'clock on Wednesday morning
The losses by The food and hy the obstruo-
ton of railroad travel are estimated az 81,
100000.
A dispatch from Columbia. on the lower
Susouehanna. dated the 18th says: The
ice III tn theSusqGcnanna Liver at this point
commenced running ia 2:G0 tins afternoon.
pnd is stir running past in one continuous
mass at this hour, 8 l.. NJ, 1t carried
away the winding bridge Of The Tide water
Canal Company ut riahtsvile Nnd moved
one of the PIERS of TIC Columbia b idgc
twenty eight inches out Of place, Ye1 der a 9
the bridge. rpasslble for the rasSace OF
trains The ice and water have done con-
siderable damage to the Pennsylvania Rail.
road II acBs, west Of here, piljng ice upon
the tracks, rendering the pussa te Of traihs
| impossible Canal boats were washed on
the tracks of the Pennsylvania Rdilroad al
Marietta, and lcnaln there re-The hOutcs
furnaces, &c, were all Inundated at
| Chickies The ouly losses ropor.el are
those Of parties WIG had RATS carried OF
Another dispatch Of the 12iI, from Port
| Deposit, says: The luod here is lea. tu
| The water is from ) l5 feet deep in the
Streets Nothing Like il was ever seen be
ore; nearly the whole town is fooled and
there is a great destruction o. property.
but no lives have been lost SO far The 4
n depot is full of water rs well as the tele
graph Office which WAS abandoned las
night in boat THe river is running al
the awful rate Of twenty IL les an hour, a2l
ho Que can predict Wien the peril Will b;
past
The catastrophe Of The ant;c.ps cd fo0t
at Port Jervis, occurred on Wcdnesda,
morning. but the damage. though great
fortunately proved les than was apprshen
ded At o'clock in the morning, The poo
pie we've warued, BY ;he sounding of III,
steam whistle, of iho sweep Of ice an,
water from ahoYc at Z O'Clock the watc
was rising ralid:y, aud King street was in
undated. AT thls time, a large amount o
nitro g ceriGe was cxploeed ia the gorge
and dIu good service. The flood increase,
in force, aud The people living on til
flats" fed before It IN confusion, SooI
after 8 o'clock, n In, ge portion OF the tow
was inundated, ABOUT 80 houses be!wee
the railway aud the ryer flooded, most 0
them TO the second s,Ury, About twcnt,
small houses and number IF shantie
we've demolished, tut owiu.. 10 the Waning
given here WAS 10 loss Of life, except in IA
case oi one NAN reported killed At 81
! the gorge broke, tie ice b gan TO NOV
down he risCr.aud 5e iuuuau ion suhSilet
leaving ice piles alon. the banks thirty fee
hign, and many blocks estimated 10 wcig
as much as thlr.y tons. The chief loss
by the Destruction oi the bridges. FUu
OF the five spans If the Delaware kailroa
bridge, three miles west Of the city, wcI
carried Gowa BY The rush cf Ike ice an
water, aud swCr, away the Galre.t bridg
below. The Delaware hH.i cad bridge va
finished in 1872. o. cost OF 100000. III
Barrett Bridge Company losses about SO
900, and the losses III the town ag2rJga,
$4,000.