New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-27
THE ICE GORGE ABOVE PTrTSTON

THE ICE GORGE ABOVE PTrTSTON
NARRowNEss OF THE RIyER-EscAPE OF TIE WATER
BENEATH THE GORGE-Trs RESEMBLANCE 10 A
GLACIER-wEST PIGIsTON THREATENED
fFEOM A SPECIAL CoRREsPONOESr OF ruE TRIRUHE.I
WMKESBARRE, March 24-lbe people Of
Wike sbarre and Pttston q strange pride IN the
Great ice gOrges which threaten to do them itrons dam
age The remark often heard "Weil, don't tls beit
Port Jeryis Z" and one Old weathcrbcaen rvcrman In
conversation with TIE TRIBUNE correspondent said
You ne vspaper meG have made big talk about the
Delaware food, but jusJ wait TIL the old sus4uohann2
gets up and then youl zee =! Although the ~xlsSenco
OF the nne.mc gorge above Pitttoo, called sometimes
Ransom gsrge, has been ever since ihe hood
Of last Tuesday account OF the blOcsus up OF the
LehGh Valley Railroad few particulars had been edEned
about it. TAs road which rams co.e along the river
side under the brow OF the noun above PttstOn,
has now cleared of co, and the 0rmii-be nature
the great gorge, lliing tie channel OF te river he
tween the mouth of the L3ckIwauua RivcT-Wbica
enters the Susquolanna from the northeast two miles
above PltstOn-and Fllls Station, has been revealed
A. the foot Of The gOige tie river - wide,
and an island called scOfeds Island par
TALLY obstructs the channel. AT CoXton, near this
place the railroad depot was greatly Injured. and car
house had one OF its corners OFF by the !ce About
coal standing the track We're bItct beneath
tue ice and workmen are engaged II di--ag them
out. T4ey covered top 20 depth OK two 81 three
feet WIN SOHO 1hc uamaSe 10 tLth fsill Ntb bo
e tmated, but some are badly broken. Hundreds OF
acres OF rich farming lands buried beneath ice six
feet thick which Will render their cultivation impOs-
sIbe next Summer uncs3 the coming d)0f rises nigh
enough to sweep off the Ice There is tradition among
that the Will always Iise nigh enough
during the last Spring Hood to carry away AL tAe ice
left the banks by previous freshcts. IL THIS proves
true this Spring there Will be hope for West Pitts
ton, Kingston, and part OF Wiaosiarre, FOR great
NJ Woo
thick IN the streets and dooryards Of the first two
places On the flts orchards have Deel buried IN the
deep that only the topsof the trees are seen pro-
rc1g above the surface and several farmAouses ere
banked up with heavy masses OF ice as hlsh as me
sccond-story Windows snca the river has fallen the
water drained ont from beneath this Ice In many
places. leaving enormous holes and tunnels uEier It,
Above Scoded's Island river Is not over 20 yards
wife, and the banks are high and steep, so that tho
water Is forced to run undcrBeath tle gorge. The rail-
road has been cleared by making cut through the ice
Which covered II, and places the banks Of ice on
either side M "a the roofs or the cars pas
senger train was coming down this road from Ransom
10 Pitston the OF the food. and vas oyertAken
~ the rising The atiaS zee was carried over
The track. making frequent stops necessary ana the
water rose over axles OF the crwhees AMI threat
ened reach the fires IN the engine lac greatest
CONSERVATION prevailed among the passengers c!er
yman on board got his knees anu pray Cd ladies' ani
children screamed FOR help, AMI s;rouS men became
pale with fear disco YcruS thlt they We're unable 10
escape The engineer amt sipari1,enden; Packer VINO
was on board, remaned cool aud pushed on tneir
train through the rising waters until they r'aeAe1 the
depot PIttson and there got on higher ground De-
yond the reach OF the water. Hat an hour aftarward
tie ice WAS piled from SIX u fourteen feet hi2h on the
track they had Just passed over Since the water has
fallen botgeen Pittston and the Falls. II miles above
the gorge several feet and IN one place has
separated into parts, chasU extending through
the glacier right the river This chsm Is hlled
with wafer and has gradual grown Wider during the
last three four days as II the gorge below were
slowly sliding down the river while that above re-
NAMED dxed immovaDly in it's bed. IN places great
masses Of the glacier have sunk or IS feet below the
surrounding lee field, leaving on all sides clear,
suoothcut wall Of solid ice, strated in deep parallel
lines by pebbles into the mass Along the shores
real glacial action has taken place At points where
projecting have brushed against the gorge aud
the Ice moved down the ri7er several yards me
snore blocks are worn as smooth as giass ana are
deeply flrrowei by the sharp rocks Great trees nave
up by the roots and ground lnto sIFefs De-
the heavy cakes OF lee There are VerI places
in this gorge the water has found Its way TO the
top through large openings several rods IN diameter
The village OF P.tts,on which suffered severely by
the nrid<es last week II situated on the left
bank Of tue RIVER near us JIncton WITH tne Leka-
wanna. II stands mostly gh ground and has little
10 tear from Hood except In the northern quarter
wnien hes on lover Srouni near the rivers SaAk. II
from TO- 900 10 II 100 inhlDtant Ike the other
in part Pennsylvania, It owes its prosper
gagged small extent IN various manufactures On
opposite side the river Is West Ptson, village
of several thousand inhabitants, wlch ma grown up
principally OF s sister village. III Is Doaul-
FULLY bend OF tue river forming lltte VAL
ley ~ OF Kingston Mountain. IL contains many
nge resdeuces surrounded ~ lawns am gardens WHICH
are the OF the business men or fttstOn IL was
this villa re which suffered most by the inundai0n OF
last week, and which most danger FROM the food
that tine Ice gorgcs aoovo preparing sond down
upon IT, It il beng abandoned by many Of It's innab
tans, who are removing to Pttston or To the higher
ground west VI the village