The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-03-05
Icy Adventures.

A Riverside MASS. correspondent, in
telling OF the breakup of the ice in the
Housatonic, says:
The night set in dark as pitch, and
there was little change in the river. At
nine o'clock the first crash came. Lam
terms were hastily lighted, and we ran
down to our nearest neighbor, William
Upson, just in time to get his two cowa
out Of the barn. His boat was also rig
ged in sailing order, and five minutes
after the alarm was given the riXer had
risen six feet, and the house ana barn
were surrounded. The four inmates of
the house were brought away in the boat,
rather against their inclination, as no
previous flood had been high enough to
disturb them. Before morning, however,
the ice was as high as The caves Of the
house, pushed it of the foundation. and
pretty thoroughly demolished the lower
story.
The rush at nine O'Clock brought the
ice about twenty-five feet higher, two
feet higher than ever before. At ten
O'Clock we were again called out. The
night was still inky black, but the
pounding OF the ice and cracking OF
buildings and trees told plainly what
was gong on. In ten minutes all was
still again, with the water twenty-five
feet high.
A visit to our neighbor above found
him with his family in the barn, the
house being flooded. They accepted an
invitation to warmer quarters, and with
a sentry Oh guard we once more turned
in.
At three A. M, the cry "Here she
comes again" brought us out in twink
ling. The moon was now shining, and
for the first time we had good view Of
the river. The ice now averaged thirty
feet in height, and from five hundred to
two thousand feet in width, according
to the width of the valley. This immense
body Of ice and water was moving forth
with seemingly irresistible force. Trees
that had Withstood the floods of scores
of years, with others that were hereto
fore above the reach OF floods, were shak-
ing and crashing on all sides. The pound
ing of the great cakes OF ice as they were
crushed along between the banks shook
the earth SO that houses not touched by
the ice trembled as though in an earth
quake, and in some places the ice crowd
ing under, threw up hillocks forty feet
high. Slower and slower it moved, and
finally came to stand just in time to
prevent our house being surrounded.
Not till daylight did we realize the con-
dition OF affairs. The next house below
is destroyed, and the next above sub
merged nearly to the caves. The next,
Mr.. James Dillon's, was entirely sur
rounded, and in answer to the hail,
"house ahovp' MIR. Dillon stuck his head
from the chamber window and reported
all hands sale, but said that some young
cattle in his barns were drowned. No
ice ever came within thirty rods OF MIR.
Dillon's house before and he was caught
mapping. A little further up we met Mr..
and Mrs. Curtis, who had come from an
island on which their house and the
church was situated.
At the place where Zoar bridge was a
store was turned around, and the ice and
water had swept right through the lower
story, so that it looks like horse sned.
The dwelling house is also well smashed
up. MIR. N. French's blacksmith shop is
completely destroyed. There is at least
a mile and half of road covered with
ice, varying in depth from ten to twen-
ty feet, 80 that IL is Impossible to clear
it out.
AS far as the eye can reach the river
and the valley are one complete gorge of
ice, which is heaped in uneven, fantastic
masses, and which bids fair to remain
there until some time in the summer. 1t
is said that the valley is now packed for
miles, and ii it could be utilized there
would be no danger of an ice famine in
this vicinity for years to come. About
two years ago similar treshet oc-
CURED, and roads had to be cut through
the ice, which remained there until July.