National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1877-01-16
The Ice Gorges. ..
LOSS OF SEVERAL LIVES AND IMMENSE DAMAGE

TO PROPERTY.
NEW YoRK, Jan. IA Pittsburg dispatch,
giving details Of the movement Of the ice in the
Monongahela river yesterday. says: Lying in the
Monongahela, from It's mouth to Greensboro,
we're no lees than seventy steamboats, and tow
boats with an aggregate value Of probably up
ward Of q, 100000. Besides these there were
probably 75e coal boats and barges Of an average
value of $500 each. On these crafts was laden
about Il, 600 900 bushels Of COAL worth anywhere
from ive to eight cents o bushel In the barge.
The first steamboats, to fall victims to the Toe
were the Brownsville packets, Bennett and
Chieftain. The destruction Of these large
steamers was complete, the cabins being carried
OF and the hulls cut down by the ice until they
we're utterly useless. In addition to these
steamers seven valuable boats, used for towing
coal, were sunk, while many Of the large fine
coal packets ut the wharf were stove.in, and
ARE IN IMMINENT DANGER OF SINKING.
The number Of barges and boats that came down
is estimated to be at least 300 About third Of
these boats were laden with coal. From dam
No. up to the headwaters OF navigation valuable
coal hpples and Ice breakers were carried Oh like
80 many straws in q whirlwlnd. The greatest
damage, however, was done to coal barges. OF
these craft fully seventy. five, all of them filled
with coal, were carried away, many being crushed
before they LEFT their moorings, while others were
carried before the ice down the current of the
stream. Some two hundred barges, which had
been fastened at various points along the landing,
were also carried away, and probably less than
half of them will never be recovered.
APANILY CARRIED OFF BY rHE ICE.
At An early hour in the morning fiat-boat
which had been tied up at Eggleston avenue, and
on which . family Of seven were living, Was
caught by field Of ice and carried Oh into the
current. TIE father Of the family, whose name
s.C Of o he nhf In, IL
and jumped on the ice and finally reached the
shore, but the mother and four children, unable
to escape, remained on the boat They were again
seen five miles below the city, their boat still nm
harmed, but all attempts to rescue them wore
fruitless.
LOSSES OVER A MILLION
The losses thus far to river men and coal men
will be something over 81 900, 900. Months Of &C
tive labor win be required 70 put the coal inter
coal shippers, have lost nineteen loaded boats,
seven loaded barges, 1--WE fuel boats, bsrgss, and
The loss u life Ire, Is smsii, though many had sx
ceedingly marrow escapes Prominent cDal
shippefs estimate the damage done their inter-
DAY st over q, 100000.
A Cincinnati dispatch says of the damage done
twelve lives were lost by raen who were trying to
save property. The steamer Alex Kendall, In
the Evsusyiile trade, ives struck by ice while
crushed and sunk with her entire cargo, VALUED
ct t3D.0oo. The Naomi and Mocking Bird, two
small propellors used as harbor boats, were also
caught in the ice and crushed 70 pieces, the loss
Of each being about 1000.
DAxAeE ESTIMATED AT 100000.
CINCINNATI, Jan. 15.-The present break up Of
the ice in the river has been Of the most dis
astrous on record, not only At this place, but ct
every point between here and Pittsburg. The
lowest estimate of the damage done here is
t250,00o, and the highest estimate Is placed at
100000. The heaviest Losses seem at this
writing to be with coal dealers. There were sew
enty loaded and one hundred and fifty empty
barges sunk or carried away from their landings
at this place. The most Of those not actually
sunk have been left in such condition that
nothing can be done for them, and they will be
eventually lost. 1t is not certainly known
whether there was any loss Of life attending the
breaking up at this point, though number OF
barges that were swept away had men aboard,
who have not since been heard from. Two OF the
boats, half barge and half cottage, which were
used as family habtations, we're carried away. A
father and son on one Of them 80
.t RscAPEp TO THE SHORE ON THKlcE e.
and the rest we're eventually rescued at points be-
low the city. The barge of the steamer Alexan-,
der Kendall was valued at el000O, which vill
prove Q. total loss. The Cincinnati and Mays.
Vile PACKET Handy was also sunk. She was
valued at ti,0e.