New-York tribune., 1875-03-08
WAITING FOR THE RESULT.

yHE APPREHENSION or DANGER sUBS1DING-PLANs
FOR MELTING PASSAGE FOR THE WATER BY
MEANS OF NAPHTHA AND OF BLASTING THE ICE
WITH NITRO-GLYCERINE-A HEAVY Snow STORM.
I7RoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THR TRIBUNE,I
PoRr JERvIs, n. Y, March THE great
Tee Gorge in the Delaware has remained in about
te same condition for several days past except that il
nae settled deeper the bed OF the river The alarm
that prevailed among the inhabitants or The village last
week subsded and the opinion gains ground that,
under ordinarily favorable CIRCUMSTANCES no iurtnet
damage viii Oe done. The Erie Railroad bridge, which
n near The head the gorge tour miles above here Is
eopsidered 10 be entirely of danger. aud even in
case OF d this place interruption to travel is
ANTICIPATED The suspension DIdge VIII probably be
carried away the ice goes, although the company
owning It express strong hopes OF its being saved? They
have resumed the collection Of tolls aud travel over
sbe broge is longer stopped. Tue ice has settled
vnder IL several feet Various plans FOR removing the
gorge been suggested, and Mayor Abbott has re-
seged many persons who offer TO melt the
sce with salt petroleum, naphtha, &C. lie said to-day
that IL case should he DecessaR the plan ne would
sdopt would be that suggested by Robert A Chese-
borough OF New York who offered Saturday TO melt
q chanIel through the ice by burning nsphlha he
sAinks that ten barrels OF that fluid per mile would
eesr channel He would place the barrels OF oaphtha
a. ue on 25O feet apart, and set them on fire.
Eaphtha he said, has peculiar effect in dissOlving Ice
lie Ofcrs if free transportation IL granted to furnish
the naphha $3.50 and suIerntend the work himself,
without charge iu the attempt fail. The Board Of
Trustees have left the matter in the hands
OF Mayor Abbott. hut he has not yet decided
20 accept the Offer Today DO received
telecra from Chief Engineer C1anu:e. who returned to
Nev-York yesterday, saving that he Will come here
Monday night bringing with him nitro gycerDe, and
prepared 10 blast the Of need and suggest
spg that 10 weaken the lower end OF the gorge, 10 bar
res of paphfha OF gasoline might be burned the ce
half a mile above the place whore the gorge ends lie
alters in case the people Of Port Jervs want try the
experiment to assume the OF blasting with gly ycer
ine IL they viii pay burning the napbtha Mayor Ab
bott says question will settled tomorrow morn
3ng.
Ii has been showing heavily here all day. The snow
n very damp, and may at any moment turn 10 rain.
Dispatches from up river say that is falling
large quantities along the line 0f the Erie Raiiw
The river has risen few inches. and considerable
water is flowing into It from side streams.
Cautionary Signals are ordered al along the line
Of intimations OF especial danger have
been received here to-day. Mayor Abbott thinks that
sle present snowfall will unless II turns TO RAIN help
20 melt out gorge. Others fear that will increase
fbe danger The part Of the village In danger three
miles long and one half mile wide. 1t contains about
100 inhabitants chiefly laboring people, but no public
eLussn aud two schoolhouses. Tae Erie repair shops
are poy considered safe IN OF Hood The channel
cut By the water underneath the is not over 100
feet wide and "A snuous depression OF the Ice above
eeveral feet Deep marks Tue fall bas
greatly useased sihce sunset and bids fair 70 contlhne
al night Eight inches have already fallen