The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-03-26
Ice Gorge in the Susquehanna.
Port Deposit and IIavre de Grace Flooded

Port Deposit and IIavre de Grace Flooded.
The most disastrous food that has ever
occurred in the Susquchanna, within the
recollection Of any one now living, followed
the breaking up Of the ice last week. The
ice commenced running at Port Deposit
about o'clock on Thursday evening and
passing down in enormous quantities gorged
on the Flats below Havre de Grace. This
backed the water up towards the latter place,
flooding il as we'll MS Port Deposit which Is
higher up the river. The water rose TWEEN.
ty.two inches higher than the food of 1857,
which was the greatest previous disaster OF
The kind ever experienced in this locality,
and four feet higher than the frcshet of
1873.
TIL. DAMAGE AT HAVRE DE GRACR.
About twelve o'clock at night the rising
waters compelled the the occupants of the
houses nearest the river to leave their homes
and seek safety and shelter with their more
fortunate neighbors on higher ground.
Among the principal losers is Mr.. d. w.
Smith, whose lumber yard is north of and
near the railroad bridge. His yard was COM
plctely wrecked, much material swept away,
and all more or less damaged.
The undergrad of Mr.. John Dubois was
also considerably damaged
The warehouses Of j. NJ. Simmons and
VIM. B. Morgan were submerged, and some
30 or 40 tons of bone dust and guano dam
aged or destroyed.
The wharves of Hall & Brother and Hill
les, Boyd s. Co. were flooded, and quaint.
~ of lumber and parts of their engine houses
carried away Hall & Brothers saved some
of their machinery.
The water rose so rapidly that thirteen
Tread of sheep in Mr.. J. Frank Hoppers sta
BILE were drowned before they could be re-
moved.
Fortunately, no human lives were lost, but
Mr. Edward Halls family made q narrow es-
cape, being obliged to leave their home du-
ring the night
The fishery floats of Messrs. Michael &
Cronin We're carried out of the river into the
canal, and their loss will be considerable.
The ice gorgcd above as well as be .ow the
railroad bridge and at this time extends for
distance of twenty miles up the river from
the Flats. A huge gorge also formed on
Watson's Island. Apprehensions were felt
that the new ice houses of Oer d Co., would
he damaged, but the ice inside served rs an
anchor to resist the shock of the rushing ice
outside.
The scene on Thursday night is represent
ell US having been extremely grand as well
as terrific. The huge masses of ice came
down with fearful velocity, crushing and
grinding against each other with noise like
thunder-the moon pouring food of light
upon the glittering spectacle.
The water on Tuesday had fallen six or
seven feet Mr.. A. Vosbury, in charge of
Mr.. John Dubois saw mill and sash factory
has resumed operations. Other establishments
are also Fighting up, having sustained but
q
Grace, was all clear on the Monday previous
10 the gorge, and it is the opinion of the cor.
respondent of the San and others that the
government detiector designed to divert the
channel at the rivers mouth turned the ice
on the flats, where it gorged, as well rs at
the railroad bridge and at the boom piers
above. The light house knoll is perfectly
clear of ice. The light house, kept by Mrs
ONeil, aged 20 years. has not been damaged,
nor her dwelling, short distance in the
rear.
THE RAILROAD.
The railroad from Pcrryville to Port De-
post, was completely wrecked, the tics hav.
ing been misplaced, and the rails twisted
and torn by the masses of ice that had been
resstlessly forced under the track from tho
river side of the road way
THE LOSS AT PORT DEPOSIT.
The loss at Port Deposit has been much
more severe than at Havre de Gracs-the 10.
cation of the town, hemmed in as it is by the
high hills east OF it, preventing the waters
from spreading. The water poured through
the main street like mill race, sweeping
away every movable article in its course
Two dwelling houses and the wheelwright
shop of Walter Paxson were torn from their
foundations and crushed to pieces by the ice
Outbuildings, fences and porches were de-
hinge nf Nc
ruins, with immense logs torn from the
booms higher up the river mingled with the
mass and swept down towards the bay.
The schooner Elite, of Baltimore was swept
from her moorings and left in very preca-
rious condition among the hummocks of ice
OF the five hundred houses in Port Deposit,
not more than fifty, perhaps, were left dry.
The large and beautiful garden of Mr.. Jacob
Tome was filled with broken ice, the arbors
trelleses, &C., torn to pieces, and the cellar
underneath the dwelling flooded with water
The sidewheel ferryboat, VIM. G. Mccall,
which plies between Port and Lapidum and
HaVre in summer time, is perched high and
dry, and is in danger Of being broken in two
when the ice begins to run. She is already
partly stove in.
All the churches in the place, four or five
in number, were damaged
The only method of locomoton for n time
main street, being at least Is feet above ay.
erage tide.
The stores at Rock Run reported so badly
damaged are those of Hugh A. Thompson,
Lyman Mauldin, and Coulson & Tosh Rock
Run bridge was also washed away.
1t is estimated that six million feet of lum.
Der has been scattered at Port Deposit by the
flood Nearly all of it will be saved, howev.
er, at the cost of collecting and piling it.
The lumber dealers lose heavily notwith-
standing. These are Davis & Pugh, ]. H.
Rowland & Co., and Bond Bros.
The dwelling OF Mrs. Mary Wier, at Rock
Run, a large two-story and attic frame house
was completely thrown over on its side, and
remains in that condition.
The Western Union telegraph Office, which
is in the dwelling of the OPERATOR Mr. Van
diver, was swamped and had to be abandon.
cd at II o'clock on Thursday night. The
papers, &C.. were saved, and the next day
MIR. Vandver caught wire and running It
into his dwelling, again established commu-
nication.
The following is partial list of those
whose dwellings and places Of business have
been flooded and more or less damaged:
John Z. Hamer, merchant tailor; H. G.
Nesbitt, dry goods; j. Lamm, boots and
shoes; Alex Cover, barber; i. B. Frazier;
II. G. Nesbtt & Co, grocer; Mrs Agnes Ste.
phenson, dwelling r. Il. McClenahan, stove
dealer, fine brick dwelling Mrs. Stephens,
boarding house; DR.. VIM. VI. Long, dentist
Mrs. M. E. Orr, boarding house; Cecil House
(hoteD Caspar Morhlein; Thos Ringold, gro
Gerry; Samuel A. Reynolds builder; John ].
Hunt, carpenter; Rev. John Martini Protes-
liant Episcopal Church; Robert Donaldson,
conductors W. w. Hopkins, attorney at law;
j. Z. Vanneman IL Sons, commission and
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