The Republican journal., 1875-03-25
The Spring Floods.

The Spring Floods.
The papers are filled with accounts OF
disasters by freshets in New York, Penn
sylvania and Maryland. Ice collected in
the streams to an unprecedented extent,
many of them being frozen to the bottom,
and the ice gorges filling the high banks.
The heavy rains brought down floods that
dashed against these barriers, and being
thrown back, submerged the towns upon
the banks. We append some OF the ac-
counts
New YORK, MARCH 49, The incidents
of the breaking OF the great ice gorge at
Port Jervis, which had so long been an
object of apprehension and terror to the
inhabitants of that thriving village. are
described as having been more thrilling
than any since the memorable Mill River
calamity The timely announcement that
the water was gradually rising and that
the flood could not be long delayed had
enabled the people to prepare for the ca
tastrophe in a measure, but the panic was
nevertheless great and many persons mar
rowly escaped with their lives Tee-
grams We're coming as fast as they could
be read from places up the river, and the
telegraph Office was besieged by crowds
of people who anxiously inquired, "When
will it be here ?" Watches were set, pre-
parations for general alarm were made
and many began to pack up their goods,
while few went to bed during the night.
About 3 A. NJ. news of the ice having
broken through the pass at Narrowsburg
was telegraphed to Mayor Abbott, who,
perceiving the imminent danger, at once
aroused the whole police force of the viii
lage and ordered them to awaken all the
people living on the flats at Germantown,
little settlement half a mile west Of Port
Jervis. These people We're warned to ge.
their household goods in readiness for
removal, and to be prepared to flee to
higher ground at moments notice. At
5.15 A. NJ. the ice passed Pond Eddy,
twelve miles above, the crest of the wave
being ten or twelve feet in height. Every
thing was swept away before it, and at
o'clock the screaming of a sharp whistle
aroused people from their beds, and they
rushed out into the streets.
In the mean time there had not been
quiet times at Port Jervis An anxious
throng was at the river side, and the more
cautious people were on housetops and on
the hill beyond the railroad track. An
engine soon came rushing down the VAL
ley Railroad keeping up a continuous and
deafening screaming with its whistle,
while several men stood on the tender
waving their hats frantically and shouting
to everybody to clear the track, for the
flood was coming. Several thousand per-
sons were standing on the railroad track,
and when this warning was received bells
were rung, whistles blown, and scene
of wild confusion enSued. Several ladies
| tainted aud had to be carried away in an
express wagon. At the same time two or
three wagons which had gone up the val
ley to warn the people when danger APP
peared came rafting down the track, the
drivers lashing their horses into a gallop
and crying that the water was coming
close behind them. Children cried and
men shouted Many were caught in the
flood, which was about waist deep, but
all waded through Among these was
the owner of three pigs, which he was
desperately endeavoring to save. Each
pig, held by string attached to its hind
leg, tried to 90 in different direction
both from his brute companions and dis
availingly, and at length, letting 90 the
ham swept away. The wave which thus
deluged this village had first spent its
force on Germantown, on a fiat in the
bend of the river, half a mile above. 1t
| covered about sixty acres of land, the
houses mostly small frame buildings
Against these the water dashed huge
cakes of ice, destroying some. lifting
others from their foundations, tearing
away wings and overturning outhouses.
The water filled the cellars and first sto-
ries OF most Of the buildings, in some IN
stances even rising to the second story
Fortunately, the inhabitants had all fled,
and had removed much of their furniture.
All this time the water had been pour
ing over the ice-gorge, which had not yet
moved and which showed no signs of yield
ing The water still rose rapidly, and it
seemed that nothing could save the town
| from utter destruction. At about $40 the
gorge began to move, slowly at first, but
| gathering speed and momentum until it
swept by the town at the rate of four miles
an hour, passing over all obstacles. and
rounding the bend at Carpenters Point
with undiminished speed. Cheer upon
watching the spectacle, it being evident
| that the town was saved. AS soon as the
gorge started the water in the streets be-
gan to fall, and in ten minutes it had iallen
eighteen inches Within the next fifteen
minutes it rose nearly two feet higher in
the river, and great blocks of ice began
to be tossed upon and over the suspension
bridge, to which all attention was now
turned, as it seemed to be doomed to de-
struction. The gorge was moving in a
compact form. and great blocks Of ice
projecting above its surface came in con-
tact with the bridge with terrific force,
swaying it powerfully, until the three-inch
cables seemed straining almost to break
ing, the high towers waved, cracking. to
and iro, and the planking was ripped up
IKE shingles. Still the stout cables did
not break, and the towers remained erect
The heavy timbers that had been braced
between the central towers were snapped
into pieces like matches, and vet the bridge
did not 60. For fifteen minutes it endured
| this severe pounding and thrnet;no To aud