The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-04
THEY'RE OFF THE BANK
The Grounded Steamers Floated
Again Last Night,
THE BACK RIVER GORGE BROKEN
The River stin Rising, Though Not
Moro Than Twenty-Five Feet is Elk
peoted Now-somc Ice Yet in the
River-NavIeatiou to be Resumed
Next Monday


The river men were iubilant last
night, and with good cause. The river
got up far enough to allow tho steamers
r. L. Phillips, Lizzie Townsend and the
Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling wharf
boat to again float in their natural
element,
The ice continued to float by through
out yesterday, but is now very light and
not much 1T, 1t is expected that this
ice which ia from the upper Allegheney
will all pass down by Sunday, and then
navigation will be resumed all along the
line, In this connection 1t will be OF
interest to know where the big packets
have been during the late, but not
lamented, freeze up.
The Andes was harbored at Parkers-
burg, aud hada narrow escape whom the
Little Kanawha went out She leaves
Parkersburg Sunday morning for Pitts
burgh.
The Hudson was at Gallipolis and
came through without any damage. She
left Gallipolis yesterday Tor Pittsburgh.
The Scotia and Keystone State were
safely harbored at Pittsburgh. The
Scotia was advertised to leave for Gin
cinnati yesterday, but the order was re-
called on account OF the run out OF tho
Allegheny ice, so the keystone State
will be the frat packet to leave Pitts
burgh for Cincinnati. She leaves Pitts
burgh Monday evening and will be here
ut a. m. Tuesday. She is already as
sured big trip.
The Ben Hur has been laid up at
Parkersburg and leaves there to-day for
Pittsburgh.
The Courier was ct Marietta, as was
also the II. X. Bedford, which left there
Yesterday morning for Pittsburgh. The
Courier also pulled out for Pittsburgh
yesterday
The r. T. Phillips will resume her
daily trips to Bellaire probably to-day.
The boats that have left down river
points for Pittsburgh will probably have
considerable trouble with the ice, and
will get in very late.
About 0 o'clock yesterday morning
the big gorge at the head OF the Island
on the back river broke and passed
down the stream without doing any
damage whatever. This was so far as
known the last remaining gorge in the
Ohio, and the only reason It didn't pass
away sooner was on account OF the dam
there, which held it back
At noon yesterday the stage Of water
at tho public landing was 20 feet 6
inches. AT 4 p. m. it was still rising,
with the guage showing 81 feet3 inches,
showing rise during the afternoon at
the rate OF over two inches an hour. AT
$3.50 p. M, when the grounded boats
went off the bank, it was % feet. The
boats went on the bank at q feet 10
inches.
Both the Lizzie Townsend and R. q.
Phillips had steam up during the latter
part OF the afternoon prepared to make
every,possibe effort to get back into the
river when a sufficient stage OF water ar
rived. Nothing was done until o'clock
when the jacks and planks under the
Townsend were pulled out, and shortly
after that the signal was sent down to
the engine room to start the wheel.
The wheel started and in about half a
minute the boat gave a jerk and slid of
tho bank. At S:45 the Phillips set her
wheel in motion and attempted to back
or quarter off the bank. At first the
effort was unsuccessful, but another
trial was made with better success, the
boat this time going of all right.
The Townsend after getting afoat
steamed up alongside and went to work
to pull off the O., L. & w. wharfboat.
The head Of the latter was way up on
the bank, and the steamer had good
half hours job before the wharfboat
was afoat.
The rise in the river was very FORUM
ate for these stranded boats, as other
wise the launching OF them would have
been an expensive job.
The reports from headwaters late last
night were as follows:
Morgantown-s feet and falling;
Warren, Pa.-4 feet; clear and cold.
Brownsville, Pa.-13 feet and falling;
clear and cold,