Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-02-22
A Second Deluge.
TIE lee Gorges Break and Destroys
..'- Mach Property. :. .t..' ~ Il. =.

A little before IL O'Clock, Friday night
the icegorges mp river gave way, falling 10
hold out longer sssiust the thaw and
ireshet for two days preceding. The ice
and snow melted away ss by magic on
Friday, the weather being quite warn,
and the warm rainin the evening capped
the climax. The river and creeks rose
rapidly, and when the Ice commenced to
break away and thundered down stream
the water was near as hi "a, IL not as high,
as It was the week before.
The fire alarm bsll gave warning to the
people on the flats to seek higher ground,
and was the means of calling hundreds OF
citizens from their beds, who repaired to
the river and the bridge to see the grand
sight as well as the darkness would per-
NIT. The noise made by the ice and rush
ing water was terrific and for time IL
seemed as though the food must take ev-
erything in It's wake, including our beau
tiful iron bridge, which appeared to be
the center oi all anxiety and hope. But
the structure withstood the racket nobly,
and as ice, out-houses, barns, cribs, saw
logs, trees and debris Of MI descriptions
strack IL they were allowed to pass under,
but in most cases in delapitated condi-
tion, leaving the bridge unharmed with
the exception Of tearing away of part oi
the west sidewalk. 4l
The frame house standing Immediately y
at the south end Of the bridge, owned by
Mr.H. E. Cary and occupied as meat mar
ket by the Nulsen Bros, was completely
ground to pieces by the angry waters and
veritable ice bergs. The slaughter house
Of Mr.. M. Reiser was also carried down
stream, togsther with number of fences,
outbuildings, barns, &c, along the river
bank within the corporation.
Most all property sbutting on the river
in this county received more or less dam
age, by losing barns, Lumber, stock, hay,
fodder, produce &c., and the aggregate
damage cannot be told, but 1t will reach
anywhere from $4,000 to $50, 900. n
And not only did property abutting up
on the river suffer, but that along the diff
ferent creeks likewise, as all the streams
were swollen to proportions unheard ol
or seen before. Bridges, fences and other
property were damaged or destroyed en-
tirely the whole length. Of these streams,
obstructing travel to such an extent as to
allow but few to come to town on Satur.
day, and many who were in were compelld
to walk, wading through water and over
ice cakes to get here. 803e. sr.4 s,,
During the going out Of the Ice citizens
were very much excited, and many wore
anxious and frightened countenances
This was especially SO amsng those in the
lower end of town, whose property and
homes were in such immediate danger Of
being swept away, and probably their all
| taken from them. But they did not lack
friends in their hour of trial, and many
were the willing hands to do what they
could towards relief. The receding waters
leaves this part of town in sorry and de-
lapitated condition, and it will require
much patient labor and the sacrifice Of
many hard earned dollars to replace what
has been disarranged or entirely destroyed
by the food.
We are informed there is much ice still
| in the-river above to come down, but
it is thought the worst is over, and that nc
further damage can be done by the ice
and water this season. We hope it may
prove to be true, for we have had all the
| "water n ours" we wish for some time.