The New York herald., 1876-12-14
Ic. Gorges and Inundations.


The prospect of severe winter brings to
our notice very important subject and one
highly interesting to property owners along
the banks of the great rivers. Accumula-
tions of ice in the sharp bends and narrow
gorges of these streams, and particularly
above the points where tributaries empty
their waters into the main channel, cause
an enormous destruction of property when
spring melts the SHOWS of winter unlocks
the fountains and pours immense volumes of
water downward to the distractions. 1t has
been noticed that certain points along the
course of river are peculiarly liable to ice
gorgesand inundations caused thereby; con-
sequently ample preparation should be made
to prevent their formation and to break them
up when formed and free the river channel
for the spring floods. The value of the prop
erty annually destroyed is great enough to
warrant the expenditure Of all the money
that is necessary to lessen the danger, if not
to remove it altogether. The old adage,
prevention is better than cure" applies par
ticularly to conditions that can be controlled
if only proper measures are taken for that
purpose.
1t will be remembered that nearly two
years ago an immense gorge was formed at
Port Jervis which defed the utmost efforts
Of the people of that district to break it.
Gunpowder and nitro-glycerine were used
without effect on the solid masses Of ice
which completely filled the river bed The
obstructed food waters forced the ice blocks
up the sloping sides of the valley and caused
great destruction Of property by the press
ure as we'll Ms by the inunlation. Now,
when it is known that certain bends
and stretches of river are liable
to these ice gorges the latter should
not be permitted to form at such
places The channel should be torpedoed
in advance of the spring freshets and when
there is no difficulty in placing the explo-
sives in proper position. Taking any part
of the Delaware River, for example, at which
an ice gorge annually forms, line of torpe-
does should be sunk for at least mile up
stream, the charges being set at not more
than one hundred yards apart. These
should be arranged in their order
Of power, the heaviest being placed
at the down stream end. The object
of this arrangement is to secure by a violent
and powerful explosion the breaking up
of the gorge at the point where it is pre-
sumably most firmly fixed. Once the head
Of the ice mass is liberated and sent floating
down the river the explosion of the other
torpedoes, one after another, will break up
the body of ice as fast as it can be carried
off by the current. But chief advantage
will be to prevent the ice gorge from form
ing at all or assuming the proportions usu-
ally attained by these obstructions. To do
this a regularly organized torpedo corps
should be stationed on each of the great
rivers and at points liable TO ice obstruc-
tions. Already gorge is announced as
having formed in the Ohio at Cincinnati. A
few well placed torpedoes would soon de-
stroy this accumulation of ice and free the
channel, besides relieving property along
the river from great danger. The destruc-
tive gorge at st. Louis is due to the sudden
breaking up of the ice on the river north
ward of the city. The rapid changes of tenn
perature to which we referred in yesterdays
HERALD render the Western rivers peculiarly
liable to these movements and great accu-
mutations Of ice, and it is matter of the
gravest moment to owners of property along
the rivers to provide for its protection by an
organized system. Had the torpedoes been
applied in time no such losses as those re-
ported would have been sustained by the
people Of st. Louis.