The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-14
ICE GORGES.
The Rapid Rise of South
ern Rivers.
TROUBLE AT RICHMOND BAR
Freight Traffic Delayed on the New York
Central and Erie Railroads.
fly TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD. !

RICHMOND Va, Jan. 10, 1879.
While the excitement that prevailed last night
owing to the apprehensions of a flood consequent
upon the heavy rains of Saturday night and Sunday
is somewhat abated, considerable anxiety still exists
The river has been rising slowly all day. until
about thirteen feet above its ordinary level but the
volume of water that fell during the period above
named has not had sufficient time to affect this point.
The gravest fears yet entertained on account of
the ten mile ice gorge in the river below
this point. which not only closes naviga,
ton ehfectually, but keeps the river in
its present swollen state An engineer, who is also
experienced expert, visited the ice gorge to-day
and went far as varna. eighteen miles below, to
ascertain it's actual condition. He reports the river
at the level of the bottom lands and
full of ice, closely packed, from Richmond bar
three miles below the city. to Kingsland's Reach.
little than ten miles distant. From that point.
via Dutch Gap Cutoff the river is clear to
of mile below varna. The bend avoided by the gap
cut-oi packed with ice which is solid and stationary.
The current through the gap is not rapid. the water
standing at six feet On the gauge. or say two feet
and half over ordinary high tide. From little
below Varna, as far as the expert could see. the
river full OF ice, perfect gorge, and
parties interrogated about varied to its extent
the mldest estimate putting it at Deep Bottom. six
teen miles from here, and the most exaggerated at
jamestown, nearly sixty-ive miles from this city.
The of ice above kngsland's Reach seemed to
be densey packed, and supports high above ordinary
level the schooner Cakes Ames and the bark Pepta.
blocks of ice lying in direction, with here and
there logs sticking out The upper line of this
tended toward this city by the ice passing
the falls. The tide gauge house here has been
carried away In the opinion OF the expert there is
not powder dynamite enough in the United
States to remove this mass of ice. The whole mass
reported to have moved solidly about six hundred
feet since Saturday and to have become more firmly
packed.
GREAT FEARS DAMAGE.
1t is greatly feared that when the gorge does
and bring destruction to every craft that may be in
its way 1t NAV be weeks however before it breaks.
Cauta;n Crouch of the New York steamship WAN
oke, which is here ice bound, says that in his long
experience as coast line mariner for nearly
thirty years he witnessed such gorge or
anything like it before. He describes the storm
which he passed through coming here one Of the
severest he encountered, and breaking through
the ice coming up the river as a feat of navigation
not often equalled and never excelled He has not
the remotest idea when his ship will be able to leave
the port.
DELAY OF FREIGHT CARS ON THE NEW YORK
CENTRAL, ERIE AND LAKE SHORE ROADS
WHAT THE LOSS Is.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
BUFFALO, N, Y. Jan. Is. 1879.
In consultation with the officials of the several
trunk line of railroads that have been affected by the
embargo for several Gays past the fact
was obtained that the New York Central road has
1000 freight between this city and Albany which
they commenced moving on Saturday and to-day
They are moved but slowly, however, as the snow
still continues to drift in on the tracks, and FREE
quently the trains stalled. Large gangs en-
ployed at the most troublesome places. and If the
weather continues favorable they will have every.
thing in running order in four or five days.
The Lake Shore have $500 their roads,
which they move but slowly. because Of tho
inability Of the New York Central road to handle
them. ----t --s---..l. .s.-.-a-
The Eric have cleared the Western division and
the branches of all freight cars, to the num-
Der OF 1000, and are now moving those
detained east of Horncsville, which number
some four Thousand. Twelve hundred men have
been employed NJ the cuts, badly drifted points,
for two days past and the road is in good order
its entire length The Canada Southern have 800
cars the city in Canada; for the same reason
stated above they cannot move them. At Other
points they have nearly four thousand ears.
WHAT Is.
This delay is causing much loss to the several COM
panes The New York Central and Hudson River
Railroad state that the loss from all during
the embargo at about S65.000 per day. The Erie
place their loss Mt nearly $4,000 daily and the Lake
Shore ut $40 900. On the Erie there has been
loss Of life and but little injury to the rolling
stock The cause of this is found in the fact that
they closed down all attempts to trains dur
ing the severity of the Storm The Lake Shore Cam
southern and Great Western also fortunate
in using the same precautions Passenger trains
moving freely anu with but little detention on all
the roads.