The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-17
THE ICY FLOODS.
Rapid Rising and Overflow Of the
Delaware and Susquehanna.
BRIDGES AND HOUSES SWEPT AWAY.
Ominous Threatenings of
Death and Disaster.
NARROW ESCAPE OF A PASSENGER TRAIN.
Fearful Destruction OF Ami
NAL Life.
Towns and Villages in Imminent Danger
Of InundatiOn.
THE RIVERS STILL SWELLING.
Probable Break Up Of the Ice
in the Hudson.
Fearful Destruction OF Ami
NAL Life.
Towns and Villages in Imminent Danger
of InundatiOn.
THE RIVERS STILL SWELLING.
Probable Break Up Of the Ice
in the Hudson.
WATER SPOUTS IN TENNESSEE.
THE DELAWARE.

THE DELAWARE.
PORT JERvIs, March 10, 1876.
About seven O'Clock this evening the Delaware
broke up at Hancock. 1t rose ten feet In lew
minutes and carried the ice along with such
velocity as TO tear up trees BY the roots, destroy
fences and wash away buildings near banks.
The Ice passed down the river freely for three
miles, when 1t damned. The water was thrown
back clear across the railroad track, and In the
lower part OF the town the Ice was piled
against the bridge over the East Branch. The
hats below the place were covered four feet deep
with water and Ice. While the river was In this
condition ana rising at the rate OF q foot o min
ute news was received at Hancock that the river
above was breaking up all along from townsville
down TO Gears Flats, and that two miles above
TWENTY MILES OF ICE
were overlooked. The jams at Hale's Eddy and
Deposit were broken and the river was mass OF
moving ice for twenty miles. The East Branch
was momenrarily expected TO break up. The OK
element was intense and the people OF the place
deserted their houses BY hundreds when the river
had risen several feet above its flood height. The
dam below Hancock broke away, and the water
fell as rapidly as 1t had risen The hood swept on.
carrying lumber, fences and houses before 1t. It
reached Stockport, i've miles below Han
COCK, In very short time. At that
point 1t carried away thousands Of feet
OF lumber from the banks. It Is on it's way to this
place, and since It left Stockport no damage has
been reported. The West Branch is breaking up
and the streams above are still rslng.
JAN.
Alarming news comes from Deposit. This place
Is on the west branch three miles above Han.
cock. When the ice broke up and formed the
gorge here It also broke up between Hale's
EDDY and Deposit and gorged there The storm
OF yesterday brought q large quantity OF ice
down the west branch from above Deposit, and
this. lodging against the Jam OF Hale's Eddy.
damned the water, and it Is thrown back into
she lower part of Deposit, tnundating several
streetaand driving families rom their houses
AT BASKET STATION
The food OF ice and water has reached Basket
Station. The wagon bridge across the Delaware
at that place is carried away causing a loss Of
$4,000. The deluge is rushing IN a great body
down the stream and the excitement is increas-
ing here over the alarming news that comes from
all points along the banks OF the river above this
point.
sAD DISASTER At DEPOSIT
At Deposit three houses were carried from their
foundations before the dam broke. The high
water is now moving down the river gradually, at
about five mites an hour. II 1t meets with no
further obstruction 1t could not reach Port Jervis
at that rate be fore hafpast eight O'Clock to-mor.
row morning. There viii undoubtedly be several
other bad jams before It reaches this point.
BACKBONE OF THE JAM BROKEN.
The nitro.glycerine operations were brought to
a close this afternoon for the present. The wall
OF the dam was broken through this morning, an
opening about twelve feet wide being made.
Above the dam the depression marking the course
Of the channel under the ice was followed, and
6ftv raef ~
Clip ana which did much toward forming the
gorge, was found. This reef extended from the
Pennsylvania shore across the stream, and has
been dreaded object to rafmen. Chief Engineer
Chanute is OF the opinion that the 'backbonen OF
the jam Is broken. When the water hes risen to q
point which he thinks will indicate sufficient
volume OF water to noat the ice and carry 1t over
all obstacles several heavy blasts are to be made
In dlIerent parts OF the lower END OF the gorge
especially In the wall on each side OF the channel
According TO Mr.. Chanute's theory this viii so
shatter and dsintegrate the true resisting por.
ton Of the ice that 1t will soon give way before the
pressure OF the water and be forced into the un.
covered channel, which 1t will rapidly widen py
tearing away the icy wall forming its shore until
the whole mass will again pass or dam the stream
This afternoon the channel was somewhat
widened by the blasting out Of large quantities OF
ice Ly giant powder placed In the crevices made
BY the nitro-glycerine blasts.
CARPENTER's POINT.
The people Of Carpenters Point, the village
mile below here, built at the intersection OF the
Neversink wish the Delaware are now beginning
to manifest considerable uneasiness. In the
river, half mile below Inc Point, Is
an island known as Reuben's ISLAND. This
mouopollzes the larger part Of the channel
ana often disputes the passage OF RATS.
tiuAp h. Doiu
Mr.. Chanute says In regard to the action OF the
that viii be insufficient to carry 1t by ReuDen's
Island. The only gorge ever known at
this point previous to the present one occurred
In 1882 and was formed by that island. The Ice
1rst lodged In Sims Clip. the same as the one now
here, but channel was on the New York side,
aud great body OF ice passed down to Reuben's
Island. where It became blocked. The water was
thrown back to the Neversink, up winch food OF
water and Ice fifteen feet high was forced with
great velocity. Carpenters Point was flooded
and many persons narrowly escaped with their
lives Much property was destroyed Tor a mile up
the Neversink. The dam lasted several hours.
THE UPPER GORGE
Reports from the upper part OF the gorge here
say that the channel has commenced 30 appear
near Buckeyes.
THE UP RIVER REGION.
Great excitement prevails Tonight. Several
dispatches have been received from the up river
region since the storm. One from Hancock
states that the river is rising very rapidly,
and has been all day. The east branch,
which Joins the main river at that point,
aud which receives the water of hundred noun
tain streams, Is filing up with water. The Beaver
KILL the main tributary OF the east branch 10 very
high.
Prom Basket station, this side Of Hancock, the
river Is rising very fast, but the Ice still remains
firm.
The telegraph on1ces are now great objects OF