The Newtown bee., 1893-02-17
Z0AR BRIDGE ALMOST A WRECK.
Sight-Just Who the Sufferers Are.-wM there bs Further Devastation.

there bs Further Devastation.
 Zoar Bridge, or Stevenson, residents saw more people last Sunday than have before been there in several months. The cause of all this excitement was the mighty ice jam that blocked the river and tore away portion of Zoar bridge.
 On last week Tuesday the ice began breaking up in the river and passed leis- urely down the river, looking as if it would do no particular damage. The cooler weather of the following two days froze up the river again and stopped the moving of the ice.
 Then came the snow of Thursday night, followed by the
 FURIOUS RAIN STORM.
 The ground was covered with ice and frozen hard, making an excellent water shed. Small streams became raging tor rents, carrying with them everything in the way and adding to the power of the already high Housatonic river.
 On Friday morning the ice on the river began moving again and by o'clock the same night the river was higher at Zoar Bridge than has ever been known by the oldest inhabitant. @
 The river at this point is situated just right for an ice jam, for about mile be- low are what are known as the Otter Rocks, where the first effects of the dam at Birmingham are felt. Here the
 ICE BEGAN TO PILE UP, s.. .r blockading the river and causing nigh ty set back.
 All day Friday huge cakes of ice, vary ing in length from two to 30 feet, rushed down the river and lodged. Early in the evening the water was within two feet of the bridge. At 9 o'clock gorge of ice somewhere from above gave away and, rushing down, hurled great masses of ice against the bridge, tearing away the low. CT portions at each end for a distance of about 9 feet. Strong irons twisted like so many pipe stems and on Saturday morning, when it was light, all around was sight to behold.
 ICE, ICE, EVERYWHERE, monstrous sea of uneven, broken ice, with the crevices filled with debris of ev. cry kind from trees to pumpkins and ev. erything that came in the way of the flood.
 But the damage to the bridge was not all. Down on the south side of the river | runs the road, but no road can be seer now, for at least 30 feet of ice covers the place where it was. About 100 feet be. low the bridge stood the house of Nancy French and known as the Nichols French place. -z sl gT-.. F5
 Just before the rush the 5Ga 5@Eg3 WATER STOOD TEN FEET DEEP sa in the house, but when that came, huge cake of ice came along and, striking the house, knocked it from it's foundations, s distance of about 12 feet up against 8 maple tree, where it anchored, crushed out of shape. @ Mrs French, with the assistance of hel sons, saved most of the household effects having removed them early in the day. John Dillon's house was completely surrounded by water and ice, but being | on rise of ground, escaped injury There was two feet of water in Abran | Bassett's kitchen and aa
 IN THE OLD TOLL HOUSE ! now occupied by John Stowe. The wa ter in the cellar nearly touched the foo l and when it receded left it full of ice, 8, that he will have supply for next sum mer without harvesting it, by the ap pearances now.
 The telegraph company was also sui ferer, the poles being broken off for quit a distance.
 Never before has the water been a high at Zoar Bridge and the only al proaeh to it was in February, 1875, whe the former bridge
 WAS PICKED UP BODILY and carried half mile down the streaE with only one end being broken away I People afterward went down and wen across the bridge perched upon the ict
 The damage to the bridge will at leas be 5000 and probably more. The abui ments, foundations and cables are nc damaged but the floor of the hsid9e su it's supports are Wrenched out of shAp and will have to be replaced in man places with new parts. ssf l THE ROADWAY IS BURIED s out of sight and only the warm sprin weather can make it peesable for team Those who drove doWn on Sunday to se the devastation and freaks played by th ice gorge were amply repaid for thel trouble. s
 PICTURES. THAMES AID MUSIC.
 These are specialties with Northroi 9- . uN