The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-23
FREAKS OF THE FLOOD.
A DESTROYING DELUGE.
Wave on Wave, Wild and wierd.
AN AWFUL SCENE.

WATER SWEPT AwAY-AN oVERwHEL8IINC
OVERFLOW OF ICE AND wATER-THE CAUsI
AND CRISIS OF THE AVALANCHE AND TIL
RUIN WROUGHT.
The Sentinel has detailed from day to day
the progress of the food of water and ict
that bas been sweeping over the fruitful val
Ieys of the Delaware and the Susquehanna
But no adequate idea OF the terror and gran
deur of the scene could be CLEANED from thS
telegraphIc report. The New York mails
delayed until yesterday afternoon, give
graphic accounts of the scene and situation.
From the mass OF material az hand the Sem
finel summarizes the following:
AT PORT JERvIs.
The ice formed as follows: On Saturday
afternoon, February 29tn, twenty miles oi
ice between this village and Lsckawaxen,
suddenly broke up and came rushirg down
the river, tearing up trees along shore and
grinding into the banks. The suspension
bridge spanning the river here was soon
lined with spectators. Suddenly a great
cake of Ice grounded on reef half mile
below the bridge, and in a few min
utes hundreds of other ice blocks were
piled upon it, forming dam. The water
at once began to get back until
it found channels on each side Of the OBJ
stacle, bu- these were so shallow that the ice
unbrOken ice below helped the dam thus
formed against the pressure from above.
Still the great mass of ice came rushing on,
piliBg higher and higher until it touched the
under timbers of the bridge, twenty-five feet
above the water level making it qnivPr like
an aspen leaf. while the affrighted specta-
tors fed for their lives. At this moment,
fortunately, it stopped rising, simply be-
cause there was no more ice To pile on top.
This probably saved tho bridge and the
town. which, however, did not escape with.
out damage. A dozen small wooden tene-
ment houses standing next TO the river, be-
low the railroad embankment. were showed
from their foundations and their lower floors
flooded, their inmates hurriedly leaving
Surniture and everything else behind in
their effort to escape. A small mill stream,
swollen with rain, which enters the river
near the suspension bridge, being blocked
up with ice at iss mouth, SCI back, over
flowed its banks and inundated the gas
works and the cellars and lower floors of
many dwellings,. For time the town was
deprived of gas light, and almost panic
prevailed for day or two among those liv-
ing on the low grounds. Halt the village
buildings and all the property on the Erie
railway, worth 81 600, 600, were thought to
be doomed. The river, however, had fortu-
natelY not risen much, and the water soon
found its way through and underneath the
ice, which in many places was heaped up
HIGHER THAN THE BANKS,
higher even than the roofs of some houses on
the lower grounds. It was readily apparent
fhst the danger was not over, and present
fright changed to expectant alarm. Many
removed their household goods to higher
ground, and sat watching half the night for
she Hood to come. But the weather changed
to colder and in short time it appeared that
for four miles the river had disappeared, and
no one knew whether il had again found
its old bed, or whether IL was
trickling through the great mass of
ace in q multitude of different channels.
An examination, however. soon convinced
the river was forcing its way by different
channels which would eventually become
united into one. But until that occurred
nothing could be done. and go tor week the
glacier lay undisurbed, settling every day
more firmly down into the bed of the river.
On Sunday, March Z, two feet OF wet snow
fell, greatly increasing the danger. Mr..
Chanute at once came hero from New
York, bringing with him 300
pounds of nltro-glycerine, and find
ing that the water had begun to flow under
the glacier in one connected stream, the
course OF which could be traced by a depres-
sion in the ice above, on Tuesday, March 9,
he began blasting on. channel a. the lower
end of tbe gorge. The city authorities as
sisted in the work which has been con-
nytro-glycerine, besides a large amount Of
giant powder, have been used. By this
means channel has been opened
thTee-quarters of mile lOCg and
from - to 30 feet uiGe through the center of
the glacier. The original ica d8m. whicl
had been tire nucleus of tbs whole gOrgs,
was reached three days ago. For time IL
was undecided whether this should be
broken through at once or mined and left
standing, to be blown up when the pres
l.nI sfu al
co get the mass in motion. Finally, for
fear ths mine might miss fire at tho criti-
cal moEept. is was decided 10 cut sluice-
way through the ice dss1, which might be
widened by the water, and 10 mine
the remaining buttresses and blow
them up when the h0Cd came.
This plan was generally carried out. The
blasts were always fired. when possible, ,fTom
the bottom Of the river. because by 40 doing
a cone Of water Of considerable diameter at
the upper surface or base could be acted
upon and large mass OF ice forced up by it.
If fred close under the ice only a circular
hole is made in it by the explosion. Where
the water is from ter to fifteen feet deep the
effect Ia greatest. the great mass of ice above
being lifted bodily and broken into thou
sand pieces. Some OF the explosions throw
columns OF water, full of ice crystals, 150
feet high, produc ng sn effect
LIKE THE ERUPTION OF A eEYsER.
A Tribune telegram from Port Jervis,
dated the 17th inst, says: About noon yes
terday news came that the river was rising
rapidly above Hancock, which stands near
the junction of the east and west branches of
the Delaware, 20 miles above Port Jervis.
Chief engineer Chanute foresaE that the ap.
prOach of a wave like this foreboded disas-
Ter when IL should reach the gorge at this
place, and preparations were made,
by mining the main daE of the
glacier, TO. set the whole mass moving as
soon as the high water should strike 1t.
The velocity Of the flood-wave WAS found to
be nearly FIVE miles an hour, and its greatest
depth from eight 10 ten feet. A time table
was constructed based on these data, by
means Of which slI places on the river be-
tween Port Jeryis and the approaching
Nond 1vere n.arned nv felnnranh nj what