The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-02-10
on A HIGH.
RFeaK.UP or the Greek Yesterday
Serious Damage 10 Several Bridges
Scenes and Incidents.

BfeARsUP u Nhe NEeek AeAteE2AS-
Serious Damage 10 Several Bridges
Scenes and Incidents.
. The continued rains Of the last few days
and the very mild temperature have been
removing the snow from the hills and
breaking up the ice that has confined the
waters Of eur creeks and smaller streams
during the past few months, and when
the announcement was made yesterday
"the creek is breaking" very little commo-
ton was caused in this city, When that
stream last closed up there was very
small quantity OF water in 1t, but what was
there was frozen "cIean through" and it
was apparent that when breakup did
come it would take powerful volume oil
water to upheave the mass OF ice IN the
bed Of the creek. It was about s O'Clock
yesterday morning when the ice began TO
move near Fulton, but 1t At once goIged,
and began to "baCk up" the creek, and
over the low meadows, around Leather
wood and the mouth Of Woods run.
At nine O'Clock it again moved a few
yards and again gorged, and alter this
lime there was no further movement I'M
til after five O'Clock, when the grand "go
out" began. During this interim, howev'
er, the ice was gorging, and the gorge
spreading out and over all the low-lands
from Fulton to Pleasant Valley. The
scenes Of the great ice gorge OF 1877, at
these pOints, are still fresh, TO
our readers, and theae yesterday
were only an exaggerated repetition
OF them. AT LeatherWood, from the base
Of the summit upon which Messrs. Du'
Bots, O'Brien, Greer, and others reside, to
the creek, aud to the National road, ia a
large piece OF bottom land, upon which
are several houses, school house, and
many out.buildings Soon after the gorge
began in the morning, this piece Of ground
was covered with water, which soon ex'
tended across the road 10 the residence oil
Mr.. ReineCke, dairyman, forcing him Ia
remove his cows, horses and utensils IRON
his barn, and a part OF his furniture from
his house. The house OF Mr., Louis Cook
was partially submerged, and one or two
other houses, the property OF gentlemen
whose names we did not learn. The neat
and beautiful cottage recently erected
near the toll house by VIM. Woods, Esq,
was surrounded on all sides by a mass OIL
ice, wood and other debris and damaged
considerably. The school house at Leath'
erwood was lifted from its foundations and
forced some distance from them into q
lot close by, Many fences and out.housel
about Leatherwood were overturned and
carried of by the water and ice gorges al
various times. 0ne Of the first acts OF the
water was to lit the toOtbridge recently
erected at Judge Thompson's, and deposit
1t at some distance from its abulments up
on the ice gorge.
Tho yard surrounding Judge Thomp.
sons residence was soon filled with water,
and the basement Of the house during the
afternoon was Eeveral feet under water,
The stable, barns and other buildiags near
by were on lower ground, and were Of
cOurse submerged,
At Fulton the gorge was high and the
waters had spread over all that portion oil
tie town near the creek, and many houses
were full OF ice and dirty water. Butchers
and others whose property abutted on
the creek bank were very appIehensive
about It's safety, and awaited the
giving way OF the gorge with much
anxiety. The gorge did not extend very
far below Fulton,
During tho afternoon the gorge was Wis
tied by largo number Of people from this
city, many OF whom stood out in the rain
for hours anticipating its moving,
It was shortly after five o'clock when
the immense volume Of water from behind
forced this huge field OF ice forward. Full.
ton was the first place affected by it's force,
and a portion OF Fred. SchenCk's slaugh.
ter house, just below the bridge, was
quickly torn TO pieces. Parks pork
packing establishment, above the bridge,
also suffered slightly, while the slaughter
houses Of several butchers were more OF
less damaged.
The Steenrod bridge came down and
lodged within hundred feet OF the Full.
ton bridge, and temporary gorge was
again formed, but this gave way about six
O'clock, and there were no further inter.
ruptlonB. 800.
The Steenrod bridge was thrown with
great force against tie Fulton bridge and
rod or two Of tho latter bridge broken,
but no other damage was sustained. This
shock broke the StOenrod bridge into frag.
ments and started it down the stream
when II again struck tho county bridge at
the foot Of MCUOlloCh street, and the
Hempheld bridge, at the tunnel. By these
successive shocks It's usefulness was con
sidererably impaired, 90 that when it
struck the Zane street bridge 1t did no
damage and thence passed into the river
without attracting much attention.
The three large oil barges at Warren &
Co.'s refinery weathered the terrible run
nicely.
Mr.. S. Fritz, their efficient foreman,
was Captain on that occasion, and James
McGill was first.mnte. Much credit Is due
them for holding the boats safely through
tho worst run ever made by old Wheeling
creek.
The force Of road carpenters and engl-
neers usually employed on the Hempheld,
had been at work all day under the direC.
ton Of Captain John Bentley, fastening
the wooden wing walls OF the Hempfeld
bridge withiron rods 10 the main trestle.
This bridge escaped without injury, and
its salvation Is attributable 10 the very
cause that threatened Its entire destruC.
tiona few days ago whom the river broke
ND. At that time immense quantities OF
Ice backed in behind the wooden wing
walls, which, when the river fell, threat.
ened to fall into the creek on account OF
the weight Of the ice behind them. This,
however, was prevented by Tie rods 10 the
main line Of treste This solid wall OF
Ice, eight or ten feet high, made as good q
backing for the wing walls as one Of frat
ClsEs masonry.
A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
The Baltimore and Ohio passenger de.
pot Is built across the mouth OF Wheeling
creek, and Is a building Of nearly thirty
years standing. It's supported on each
end by terra firma. and large pier In the
creek supports the centre. This depot or