The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-23
praphed to Mayor r.Abbott. who. perceiving

the imminent danger, at once aroused TIT
whole police force of the village, and ofdereG
them to awaken all the people living on th'
flats at German town, a little settlement hal
a mile west of Port Jervis, but included liz
the same corporate limits. These people
were warned to get their household goods In
readiness for removal, and to prepare to flee
to higher ground at a moments notice. A.
5:l5 a. II. the ics passed Pond Eddy, twelve
miles above, the crest of the wave being ten
or twelve feet in hight. Everything was
swept away before IL, and at O'Clock tee
screaming of sharp whistle aroused people
from their beds, and they rushed out into
the streets. Meanwhile Chief Engineer
! Chanute had sent men out upon the ice at
Sims Cliff, who placed two ffty-pound
| charges of nitro-glycerine into the holes
already drilled for them, and favorable mo-
ment for exploding them was awaited. At
6:3O A. n. the water began TO rise rapidly,
raising the glacier up until it nearly reached
! the under tim5ers OF the suspension bridge.
| The ice, however, showed no signs OF NOV
ing, and hundreds collected upon the bridge
\ to watch the rise which was going on at the
rate OF two inches a minute. Suddenly,
about7 A. NJ, tremendous explosion was
| beard, shaking the bridge, and sending
blocks OF ice at Sims Cliff high in the air.
Mr. Chanute conceiving that
THE CRITICAL MOMENT
had arrived had fired one OF the charges OF
nitro-glycerine. The effect was to shaiter
the main dam OF the glacier, and great cakes
OF ice began to drop into tho water and float
away, but the gorge still remained firm. An
attempt was made to fire the other blast,
but in the haste of the moment the electric
connections had been imperfectly made, and
the attempt failed. Had it succeeded Mr..
Chanute was confident the gorge
would at once have begun to move.
The effect of the first explosion on the
spectators who lined the bridge and the
banks was great and they cheered loudly,
expecting to see the ice start; but it remained
as solid as ever, although the tremendous
pressure from above swelled it up into hum
mocks, and thrust great blocks upon the
banks. Suddenly q cry arose that the re-
treat of those on the bridge was being cut
of by the water backing up the mill-race,
and flowing down through the center OF
King street.-the first street parallel with the
river, and the scene of the overflow at
the time the gorge formed. 4 rush
was made across King street
toward the railroad depot, and in twenty
minutes current swept down King street.
The first iDtimation of the wreck of the rail-
road bridge, which occurred ct 7:40, A. NJ.
was brought to the village by Mr.. Thomas,
who, perceiving the great danger TO the
town, ran down with his engine warning
the people along the river to flee to higher
ground. About o'clock, when the water in
King street, was running like raceway six
feet deep. the engine came rushing down the
track, keeping up continuous and deafen-
ing screaming with its whistle, while several
men stood on the tender waving their hats
frantically and shouting to every body to
clear the track, for the fiood was coming.
Several thousand persons were standing on
the railroad track between the depot and the
Delaware House. and, when this warning
was received, bells were rung, whistles
blown, and scene of wild confusion en-
1xy hsCrhpr
ground up Pike street. Several ladies
tainted, and had TO be- carried away in an
express wagon. At the same time two or
three wagons, which had gone up the val
ley 60 warn the people when danger ap-
peared, came rattling down the track, the
and crying that the water was coming Gloss
behind them. At O'Clock the water began
to run down the railroad track and up
into Pike street, at depth OF two
feet, surrounding the Delaware House
and railway depot, and filling all the
cellers in the vicinity. The inundation was
caused by the rivers having broken over its
banks near tue residence of Wade Buckley,
above Germantown, and about mile above
the railroad depot. Great blocks of ice
were swept along by it, and so rapid was the
rise that the people in Germantown, which
includes about one hundred small houses,
had hardly time to escape to the terrace
above the railway, and those who tarried to
secure some of their household effects had to
wade through
WATER UP To THEIR NEcKs.
In few moments many of the houses were
flooded up to the window sills, and several
were carried from their foundations and
sha.terd by the ice. Orders were given to
remove all the engines III the railway round
house and repair-shops, 80 or 40 in number,
and they we're fired up, and throe or four
started away down the track toward Car
penter's Point. About O'Clock King street, |
the lower eud of Pike, Lumber, Thompson. |
Brown, First, Second, and Third
were all Hooded with water tom
two to eight feet deep. The iuun- |
dated portion occupied triangle $3.50 feet |
long and 600 feet acrosg the base, the river |
bounding Ons side ana the railway the |
other. This space was occupied by about |
400 buildings, in somo Of which the water |
had risen half way up to the second story, |
driving the inmates into the upper rooms !
for refuge. OuthCuses, fences, and sheds |
were torn from their foundations ana |
floated down toward the river. The water |
still rose rapidly, and it seemed |
from utter destruction. All this tima the |
gorge remained firm, showing nU signs of
yielding Co the pressure from above. IL had |
been showed down against the suspension |
OfiQg9 anO WAS plIlnB ulgher ana DlSner |
every minute. Mr.. Chanute, Mayor Abbott |
and Superintendent Thomas had gOna down |
opposite the lower end OF the gorge and were
watching aDxiously to see it give way where
the channel had been blasted through.
About $50 Il channel had opened almost up
to the suspension bridge, and at
$40 the gorge began to move,
slowly at first, but gathering speed
and momentum until it swept by the town
at the rate of tour miles an hour. passing
over all obstacles, and rounding the bend at
Carpenters Point with undiminished speed.
Cheer upon cheer arose from the thousands
who were watching the spectacle, it being
evident that the town was saved. As soon
as the gorge started the water in the streets
began 10 fall, and iD ten minutes ith2d fallen
eighteen inches. Within tho next
fifteen minutes it rose nesrly