The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-20
TmEICE GORGE.
IT'S Arrival at this Point Last Night.

IT'S Arrival nj this Point Last Night.
The exciting news from up the river con.
corning the Sudden rises and .breakups, ut
tended by disaster at some point. and
lucky escapes at Others, prompted hun
dretls Of people to go the river yesterday
with the expectation Of seeing breakup
in our harbor. Boat owners, steamboat
men and others interested in floating
stock, wore off the long, long, weary,
dreary day In hope, expectation, doubt and
fear. They were anxious for O breakup,
but feared for the result, and they, too,
with the hundreds OF lookers.on, were dis.
appointed, up to dark, in not witnessing q
grind movement OF the ice in our harbor.
At twenty minutes past eight o'clock In
the evening, the shrlll whistles Of the
steamers at the landing announced that
the long.expected gorge had arrived, and
summoned hundreds OF people to the
wharf. The cracking OF the Ice could be
heard at intervals for perhaps Ave minutes,
the noise made bearing some resemblance
to the discharge OF firearms. Then the
huge body slowly moved with the strong
current, for the distance Of perhaps loo
feet, when II again became gorged. The
distance mentioned was not accomplished
nj once, the stubborn ice moving slowly
and at irregular intervals.
The position OF the steamers al this
point when the ice moved was as follows;
The steamer Mallie Ragon, at the Water
Works; the Nall City, at armstrong; Cos
breakers, Just above the suspension
bridge; the Annie Kelly, at the foot oil
Twelfth street; the G. ". Hornbrook, at
the foot OF Fourteenth street; Capt. Lists
new boat, ut tho b. 4 0. depot; the Andes,
near the Belmont Mill; the Iron Valley,
ut tho La Belle landing, and about twenty
barges and the model barge Harry, belong.
ing TO the Wheeling Towboat aud Barge
Company, scattered along shore.
The Courier is at Marietta, the Phaeton
at Sistersville, the Telegram at Darlington
the Thanhauser ata point opposite Sardis
the Della and James Jackson at Steuben'
Vile, and tho boats OF the Pittsburgh and
Cincinnati Packet Company at various
points along the river.
After the excitement incident 10 the
first move" had somewhat subsidized, care
full inquiry failed to developany particular
damage that had been sustained. Two load
ed barges lying hphinl Armstrong; break
ers, near the Nail City pulled outtheir posts
and were forced down against the mode
barge Harry, just below, where they were
again SECURED, The lines on Capt Lists
new boat, thirteen In number, parted, and
thesteamer aspushed, with tho hull ofthC
old Express, O diGtanCe Of about one hun
dred feet further down. Here she was So
cured by eleven new lines, and every
thing put in readiness for defense against
the next charge Of the ice king. Nothing
worth mentioning occurred to any al the
other boats or barges. .lDt
Just before midnight tho boats again
sounded their signals OF distress, and al
though the weather had become by this
time bitter GOLD, there was In A very few
moments large crowd OF ladies and gen.
tlemen along the bank OF the river, who
patiently watched for the immense Ice
field to again move. The scGne was hardly
so grand and picturesque as it had beef
pictured in their imaginations. The Ice
moved only few feet, and again stopped
and OF the many curious spectators who
lined tho wharf, we doubt il dozen saw
the ice move at all, The boats stood the
pressure nobly, and came out unsGathed.
At 2:30 o'clock this morning the gorge
seemed to be still intact, and there WOrC
no external evidences OF speedy dissolu
tion, Tho river men, however, were still
on the alert, and ready for business at any
moment. Should the gorge hold unit
daylight, q grand scene is promised.