New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-18
BFFORE THE FLOOD.

HOW IlIr ICE GORGE WAS FoRMED-FEARs OF THE
RESIDENTS OF PORT JEIVIS-ATTEMPTs TO De-
sTRoY THE DAM.
lFRoM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE'J
pOrr JERvIs, March 17.-NOw that the ice gorge
has been destroyed, through the combined ehorts,ot
science and the presence of the food 1T may be IN
teyes.Dg to summarize the history of its formation
and briefly detail the work that has been employed
todcstroy it, On Saturday afternoon. Feb. y, ~
miles of ice between this village and Lackawaxen
suddenly broke up, and came rushing down Inc
river tearing up trees along shore and grinding INTO
the banks. The suspension bridge spanning the
river here was soon lined with spectators. sud
denly a great cake Of ice grounded a reef half
mile below the bridge, and in few minutes humid
reds Of other ice blocks were piled upon it, forming
DAM The water at once began to get back until
ii found channels each side of the OBSTACLE but
these were SO shallow that the ice could not pass,
and il began to stop. The unbroken ice below
helred 70 brace the dam thus formed against the
pressure from above. Sdll the great mass of ice
came rushing on. pilug higher aud higher until 1t
touched the under timbers Of the bridge, q feet
above the water level, making it culver like
aspen leaf while the aiinghted spectators fed for
their lives. Al this moment fortunately, it stopped
rising simply because there was no more ice to pile
on top The breakup had only been local, the ice
above Lackawaxen remaining firm.
This probably saved the bridge and the town.
which however, did not escape without damage.
dozen small wooden tenement houses standing next
20 the river, below the railroad embankment, were
showed from their foundations and their lower floors
flooded. their inmates burriedy leaving furniture
and everything else behind in their effort to escape.
A small mill stream. swollen with rain, which enters
the river near the suspension bridge being blocked
nm with ice ut its mouth set back. overlooked its
banks and inundated the gas works and the cellars
and lower floors Of many dwellings. For time the
town was deprived of gas-light, and almost panic
prevailed for day two among those living on
tho low grounds. Half the village bindings and
ali the property on the Erie Railway, worth
S1cC0OO0 were thought to be doomed. The river,
however. had fortunately not risen much, and the
water soon found It's way through and underneath
the lee which in many places was heaped up higher
than he river Granddaughter even than the roofs
of some houses on the lower grounds. 1t was read
iy apparent 5ha the danger was not over and pres
ent fright changed to expectant alarm.
what" said people, will be the effect when the
ice above comes down With a flood of water, and
encounters this impossible obstacle at our very
doors I" MANY removed their household goods to
higher ground. and sat watching half the night foI
the flood to come. Happily the weather became
clear aud cold. the fear of an immediate breakup
above was delayed. and people began TO hope tha'
there would not be disastrous food Some per
sons even moved back into their deserted houses
Next the ice began to settle. From touching the
bridge Il sank 10 feet below it. Some thought II
was rotting away. Others, mere correctly as II
proves were Of the opinion that the great mass was
only becoming moro cold. and filing up its inter
stices. For four miles the river had disappeared
and no one knew whether it had again found its old
bed OF whether it was trickling through the great
mass of ice in multitude of different channels.
Chief-Engineer Chanute Of the Erie Railway
came mere on the Monday following the formation
of the gorge AID an examination soon convinced
him that the river was forcing its way by different
channels which would eventually become united
into one. But until that occurred nothing could be
done and so for q week the glacier lay undisturbed
settling every day more firmly down into the bed OF
the river. On Sunday, March z, two feet OF wet
snow fell. greatly increasing the danger. Mr.
ChaDute at once came here from New York bring
ing with him 800 pounds Of ni1oglycerine and md
ing that the water had begun to flow ander the
glacier in one connected stream the course OF which
could be traced by depression IN the ice aDeVe' on
Tuesday, March O. he began blasting out channel
ut the lower end of tina gorge. The city author
itiAs sssistsd IN the wosk. which hss been con