The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-02-02
Later.

ST. LOUIS, FEB. IA Few minutes be.
fore O'Clock the gorge in the rivef, be.
tween the bridge and Market street, sue.
cumbed 10 the pressure Of the loose ice
above and gave away. The tug, Katie NJ,
lying OF the elevator, gave the signal, and
the information that the Ice was moving
was Immediately telegrsphsd 10 all direc.
,ions, and hundreds Of people from the
lower section Of the city focked to the
river front and crowded the wharf. boats
along the shore. The steamer Maggie P,
which 10 moored directly below the bridge,
aud has so long been considered to be In
psrilous position, bad large hole knocked
iato her hull and soon after tipped to one
side. The engineer, Mitchell W. Grant,
the fireman aud cook we're eating
dinner down in the cabin at the
time the Ice frst struck her.
The shock sent the dishes flying
IA oil directions and nearly upset them
from their seats. They Immediately rush.
ed to the upper deck, and seeing the peril.
Gus position In which they we're liable to
be placed II they remained aboard her
much longer, went below, put out the fires
and made hasty preparations
TO ABANDON HER.
After moving for about five minutes with.
out doing any further damage the ice again
became gorged. That Immediately below
the center span Of the bridge, near this
side, did not move at all, but the force OF
the heavy mass Of moving Ice between it
and the shore. resulted In piling 1t up In
some places eight or ten feet high. At the
foot Of Market street the ice is hard aground
In the middle Of the river, and the gorge
was piled up fully fifteen feet high. The
pressure on the wharfboats was
tremendous, and many OF them
were forced back on the levee
several y ards. Every few minutes brought
swasms OF curious visitors to the scene.
The levee, the wbarfbOats and every avail.
able place were occupied. About ten
minutes after O'Clock the ice began to
move again above the bridge. 1t was
thought the Maggie P. would surely 60 at
this time. The officers and crowd that
we're aboard her, with the exception Of q
few foolhardy fellows, rushed ashore, and
every one gazed with eager expecta-
ton at the approaching mass. 1t bumped
against the gorge that extended some dis.
lance above the bridge and set the entire
mass In motion again. The alarm signal
was struck on the Anchor Line Whariboat.
The immense crowd that had gathered
aboard it rushed pell nell over the gang
way to the shore. The Ice crushed up
against the Maggie P, and for q moment
she shook and trembled, but just as every
one expected the next moment would be
her last, the ice suddenly stopped and
gorged again. The steamer is undoubt.
eddy doomed-nothing short Of miracle
can save her as soon ~ the gorge fairly
breaks.
THE JOHN b. MAUDR,
living at the Sectional Docks, foot OF Les.
perance street, was damned up against the
shore, and the boom Of u large derrick fell
over on her roof, caving it in and causing
damage to the extent Of several hundred
dollars. Her hull has not been damaged
90 yet, but she IL In very bad situation,
and the report from the Sectional Docks Is
that the prospects there are awful blue.
| The docks themselves are not hurt.