The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-21
TIE GREAT ICE sMAsII.
what II Did About wheeIlng-NothIntS
Hike u for Years.

what Il Did About IhInT
I1he Il for Years.
The great break up in the upper Ohio,
which finally got under way at this point
yesterday morning at $3.50 o'clock, was
peculiar in some respects beyond any that
has occurred in many years The ice 1t.
self had suffered no loss Of Arnncss and
strength by reason Of the mild weather,
the melting SHOWS or the slowly increasing
water, which had for days rendered the
final break up imminent. In fact, at the
very moment OF the great upheaydl Il was
the same atlamRntine pavement which
had hidden the waters for weeks and had
borne It's thousands Of merry skaters with
perfect safety. AS the great fields were
lifted and broken into thousands OF frag
ments, the upturncd edges were as blue
and hard and sparkling as in the coolest
weather Of the season,
For two days the steamhoatmen had
watched and waited with steam up, and
had added line upon line till every ring
bolt and post accessible became the center
from which radiatCd chains and cables in,
Vulnerable. The ice moved at $3.50 O'Clock
Sunday night about hundred feet. The
posts TO which three barges, belonging tC
Inc Monitor Towboat Company were at
tachGd BY heavy lines, pulled out Of the
ground aud the harges dropped down to
the model barge Harry, belonging to the
Wheeling Towboat and Barge Company
when the ice stopped and the bargeS were
made fast to heavy post. Under the
stern Of the model barge 10y the new
towboRt Annie Kelly, helongtng 70 the
same company, and overlapping the for
ward part OF the Peoples wharlboat, DO.
hind which lay tho wharlhoat OF Booth &
Son. At the lower end OF the wharf 10y
the float belonging to Capt. Ed. Horn
brook, and behind 1t was his towboat
Charley HOrnbrook. South Of these, BY
the ?. ". & Ky. freight depot, lay Capt
Billy Lists new steamer and the partially
dismantled hulk Of the old Express, with
Warren 4 Co.s oil boats Just below This
was the position in the rieighborhood Of
the wharf when the ice lot go.
At the first move all the lines (thir
teen) on Captain Lists boat, snapped
like threads, and the boats wert
gone beyond hope. Fortunately the
gorgingof the loo gave another chance
but from that moment until $3.50 O'Clock
yesterday morning all owners OF rivel
craft, with their employees, wefp on The
ragged edge Of consuming anxiety New
lines were put out on all the boats. Capt
List readjusted his lines, making then
fast to numerous piles pnder the r, W. &
KY, depot. At $40 o'clock yesterday
morning the ice moved again, Just enough
to tighten all the lines. The stoppagt
was but momentary, and then til
whole surface OF the river wa!
lifted up on masse and from un
dCrneath arose the ENORMOUS massel
that seemed to have gorgel to the bottom
They lowered up above the surface. like
huge fragments af a Orumbling Ice berg
Some OF them seemed to DO is muGh a
ten feet thick. The river was now crowd
ell from bank TO bank with the immense
tlOe. The barges belonging to the Monitor
Company loaded down with slaves ant
lumber parted their lines, driving against
tho model barge Harry which snapped itt
moorings and grinding past the steamer
Annie Kelly, lett hef 10 reppive thI
full force OF the crushing mass offe Pass
ing by the wharf boats and the stealne
lIOrnbrook, the model barge, with thu
Monitor barges, were crowded In TO thI
shore above Capt. Lists new boat, Their
was n rush Of the crowd OF spectators t
the depot WHO watched with breathles
inevitable late Of Tie nsE steamer. Lynn
SO fur out In the stream there seemed i
be no possible evant for hOr blu
destruction. Fortunately the barges werl
crowded hard ashore, and almos
stopped before reaching Capt. Lists boat
When they did stop the lumber barge Ia!
Quartering In thp stream, with her head t
yond the stern Of the new bolt, settlini
down gradually hard against it. Two o
the steamers lines gave way, which sseal
cd to bring the balance to an oven bear
ing, and although strained until they sun
| like 0 fiddle string they held. The end Q
tho lumber barge was sheared of by tn
ice. One OF tho stage hsrges EsS sun!
and showed under the model barge, liitIn;
it high up above the water. 80 '
Immense masses OF Ice grounded Rhoy
the barges, and the whole formed solid
massive wall which turned the current
driving the ice out beyond the steame
and making Q safe harbor She passe,
the crisis without. sustaining any damag
beyond tho pulling off OF 4 cqyil and III
breakage OF shear plank under tie cahil
deck, which latter was done by proSsnr
against point projecting from the ES
press.
After flo carrying away OF the barge
the towboat Ann 10 kpl!y WIS pressed il
hard against the Peoples Whariboaf an
Notwithstanding she is new and staunC
and was braced from stem To stern, he
timbOrs were sprung and crushed in for
distance OF thirty feet, opening great ga
Just under her guards She narpened s
that for little while It seemed as il Sill
} would go over on her side. She is iroi
sheeted, however, her whole length, an,
:. took but little water. The syphon wa
down with ease. She stood the pressur
bravely for several hours when she wa
dropped back into satpr quarters. .
The Mil City, which as'tied up tn
breakwater between 9th and 10th streets
hal surglng timp Of it,. but held be
ground and suffered no injury with tn
exception Of pounding her wheel t
pieces on the solid cakes. Above tn
breakwater were piled innumcrable ton
Of ice to the height Of twenty or thirt
feet, which threatened to topple over AM
finish the work Of destruction by crush
ing the remaining portion Of the Aonito
fleet, including the steamboat The break
water, however, proved an insuperabl
barrier, and the ragged mass, with ruin OIL
Its front, TPs hGld Rack from IFS work.
The Parkesburg packet IilSan, Yhicl
lay above the Water Works, was banked
in by an immense field and rode out tn
crisis without damage. The Cincinnati
packet AntlOG, which lay below the Bel