Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-05
THE ICE-G0RGE,


ploy-well enough; and as he checked his
fast-trotting horses Ieanei over the side-rail
OF the light high wheeled wagon which he
drove could see by his flushed cheek and
excited manner tn AZ something serioIs must
have occurred.
1.-THE ice gorge, 50 much talked Of, is real
ly descending then 1 began. 81 thought
precautions bad
"Ay, but were dead beat" interrupted
AckiBlOp-fOT that was hts name ''The en-
gineer ia chief has tried everything, but the
enemy is too strong for us; and unless we can
get time TO blast j.; as 10 reaches the Narrows
notbing but a miracle can save the towns OF
Clsyville and Port Adams. It'll be al Ithaca
quarter or an hour after an, and let me
tell you it's no sport to try conclusions with
the drifting pack that so big a stream as the
Delaware can send down"
And without further parley he dashed his
horses and buried down the ROAD that skirt
Ell the bank; while almost Immediately AZ
forwards caught sight OF a number of vehi-
Giles OF various sorts and sizes rafting along
at furious speed. These were filled with
men. women, children and household gear;
and as the drivers went past the spot where
i, with several OF my neighbOrs and some OF
the wOrkmen from the mine of which i was
manager, was standing, they shouted aloud
some bOarse words OF warning, looking back
and pointing up the river with their whips.
Every eve was turned towards the jutting
point where We were likely 10 catch the first
glimpse of the advar cling zee.
"BrutOD, and Dutch Town, and Sparta, on
the New Jersey side, were swampet yester-
day. so It's said" remarked an old farmer in
blue homespun and boots Of untanued Ieath-
get of shOt-fre nOuth6r. There IL comes,
Brltisher-roundirgt the pOintl'
Looking towards the spot. indicated de-
serted something like moving wall OF gliS-
tenlng greenish ice, sparkling in the sun
light, and advancing slowly and with stately
majesty down the broad river, which IT
seemed to fill from bank 10 bank. This
could be nothing less than the so called Ice
gorge. or accUm ulatiOn OF flOati.S blocks
ware, partially melted by the not sun Of an
American spring, and damming back the
channg waters OF the swollen river To an eX-
tent which threatened mischief
All this was new 20 me, an EuEiishman
born, since it il only IN very hard winters
that such pher Omena are witnessed in those
regions; aid during the four years which l
had passed in the country tlis last winter
had been exceptionally severe.
4, Mark BraGburn. had, at the age OF Eve
and twenty, been reckOuel fortunate IN De
ing promoted 10 be acting manager o; the
Black Star Icon Mine, close 20 town called
Ithaca, on the PenuSyl vsn8 shore or the
Delaware. Bat then nal for two years had
an opportunity, as clerk OF the works. OF
proving to the satisfaction OF NV principals
that 1 was capable Of experimenting the
business efficiently enough. SjalfOrt-
shire lad, had from childhood been familiar
with iron ores and their treatment; while
having early in life been placed under the
tuition OF mining engineer, / tad brought
out with me 10 America thai technical
knowledge wuich 80 greatly tends 10 smooth
the path fan emf gTaut.
1t was for the SAKE OF my widowed mother
in Eng land-who loved me very dearly, ant
who, j knew, never failed aight and morning
10 put up prayer for the safety and well
being OF ner boy beyond the seaS-tnat was
SO eager To earn the means Of establishing
home which / could ask her 10 share. With
this enl In view, during the first years of my
residence in the United states mad prac-
ticed selfdeniai as well as Industry; had
rOushed ii cOntentedly, and had spent my
leisure hours In perlecting myself Ia the the
oretical lore OF my profession aud In Guilt
waiting an acquaintance with the German
language, in which / could now converse
huently-a useful accomplishment in dis
trlct where SO many of our workers were fair
haired newcomers who knew no tongue but
that of their native SaxOny or POmerania.
My post, as acting manager of a Pennsyl-
MIA mine. was one which entailed some pri-
vatiOns, much vigilance, and good deal OF
patient toll. the Black Star was but prop
erty OF moderate extent-nOt one OF those
mammoth mines that Yield their thousands
OF tons In the monthly Output-but the iron
was of excellent quality; line red hRnstite,
that almost equallet the best swedish in
Iustre and purity; aud nothing bat the cost
OF coal and of LABOR prevented as from carry
ing on much larger trade than we did. Our
wOrkmen were motley crew OF varied ma
tiOnality, for the best OF the native pittmen
had been allured away by the gold and silver
of the Far West. while the sturdy Irish emil
grants preferred Open-air labor 10 earning a
livelihood below ground. So high were the
wages we were forced to give that COrnisa
miners and Golfers from Scotland often
found II worth their while 10 cross and re
cross the Atlantic, spending their own slack
season pTOntably among our shafts and gall
leries.
not quite on prOpOrtionate level with week
ly wages, but tuen the opportunities OF rising
In the world are probably more freq uent than
at home; and / did not complain, autici-
paIing the time when. as permanent man
ager, i should be in receipt OF better in
come and, prospectively, OF some share in
The prOntS OF the firm. For the time being
had beard and lodging, at the rate OF $50
day, in an upland farmhouse, and ran no
risk o! damage, either III person or property,
by the inundailOn that menaced the dwell
tngs of those VINO ltvei closer 10 the river. I
was q mere spectator, though ready and will
1ng, at a pinch, 70 be useful to those who
were less fortunate.
There's wOmas on Ship Island, there
waving something and calling To Us. May
never, but les young Nine. Parnell herself,
les, and there's the child with her, - said one
OF the men on the bank.
Cant be- said another ircreduIousIy.
1.-The farmer would never have fingered this
long tIll he's right In the grip Of the Ice
"Parnells not tew hum, 1 tell you" an
swered the other IN his New Jersey accent.
"Hes away inlS week past 10 Philadelphia
city. Yes, that's the wife calling for help.
poor young thing Guess those coWardly
skunks of hired men have gone OF in the
shit for themselves"
To explain this l may briefly say thai, two
miles above Ithaca and almost opposite 10
The blun on which We were standing, there
Is an lslet ia the river shaded by tres and
which takes its name from some fancied re-
semOlance In its shape TO that of a ship. On
II stood farm house. with brightly painted
gables OF carved woodwork, tilel roof and
porch which in summer was fes tOoned It'll
twining rOses-a picturesque object in the
landscape. Often in the Sill sultrineSs OF an
August day had looked admiringly at this
house, with its peach aud apple orchards It's
grassy me adOEs shaded by tail cottonwood
poplars. and It's sunny garden sloping to the
waters edge, where the great strea ked mel
ons and yellow pumpkins lay baSk skiing in the
midst OF blooming flowers, and had cousid-
cred IL as the very abode of peace. / knew
the proprietor of this enviable dwelling
Seth PsTUell by name-but very slightly,
" he bpr hos
OF his family or set foot on his tiny domain.
Ihat the Island farm was in great danger
from the advancing ice was but too mani
TEST; and was astonishod when, on demand
Ing VINO was really TO assist me i'm CARVING
AID 10 the deserted woman and child no re.
Spouse was made beyond a deprecatory
grow OF dissent from my proposal.
"Throwin' life away a. you'd throw a corn
stalk, that's what call IT," pithily rejoInd-
ed, after pause, the old man from the nils
"Tain't the drift that's speaking the river
now that I'd value the swapping OF gun
lock" he continued, pointing TO the loose
noating by; .'its the gorge itself, that would
smash In the Side OF a hundred-ton slcop as