Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-05
TaE lCB BREAKS.
IT FLOATS TO GLENDALE, WHERE A HEAVY
GORGE FORMS.
The Gorge Breaks About -Four O'clOck-The Back
water Causes the River to Rise Rapidly.
Narrow Escape of the Occupant
Of a House Beat

Of House Boat
The recent rain and thaW had the ef-
feet of causing a rise in the Ohio. Being
followed by a period of cold weather, it
was thought that the volume Of water
would be checked and the ice in the
river would not be broken. The rise
amounted to several feet, however, and
as the stage of water kept slowly creep
ing higher and higher, rivsrmen real
ICED that the break would come, and
were not little anxious regarding the
consequences.
The break came yesterday morning.
1t occurred on the previous evening, at
points about Steubenville and above.
| About four O'Clock the frozen surface OF
the water parted with loud report
near Martins Ferry, extending to the
upper end OF the city. About daylight
the shore ice started on its way down
| the river. The cakes were very large
at first, but were broken by contact
with each other The river rose grad
ually the night before, and at S o'clock
in the morning the marks on the land
ing showed a stage Of water OF feet 6
| inches.
When the ice started out it foated
down the channel of the river until 1t
struck the east pier OF the new steel
bridge, where it parted, and then came
crashing
AGAINST THE WHARF BOAT
at the upper end of the landing. 1t
came with such force that Wharfmaster
Crockard stated that the boat was
lifted above the surface of the water. 1t
is constructed OF heavy material, how
ever, and with especial regard to
strength, and it was only this fact
which saved the wharfboat from de-
struction. Several persons were on ii
at the time and all were badly scared.
Capt. Crockard said he never had such
shaking mp" in all his river expert
eDce.
The ice was very heavy, being from
| five to eight inches thick, and filled the
river from bank TO bank. When the
occupants of the wharfboat got over
their fright, they were startled by cries
| OF 'For Gods sake help me! Save my
lifer' Looking out, they saw small
shanty boat about the middle OF the
river, and its solitary occupant stand
Ing in the door appealing for aid.
! Henry Bruner, who owns the store
boat lying about the wharf boat, also
heard the cries, and although the river
was full OF floating ice, he called q com
panlon, and entering the skiff, the two
! roWed out to the rescue Of the man in
the house boat. The shanty boat was
surrounded by heavy ice, but the two
men succeeded in reaching 1t, and the
man was
SAVED FROM A wATERY GRAVE.
The man, who proved to be John
Zercher, wanted his rescuers TO wait
| until he packed his clothes and brought
out his dog. They declined to linger,
and he needed only to be told to
step lively, or they would leave him
alone. Zercher's boat had been moored
Just above the bridge at the foot of
Ninth street. 1t appears that he with
another family had made it his home.
All had been warned Of their danger
on the previous evening, and the others
left the boat, Zercher remaining to
take care OF it. Fancying the boat Sc
cure he fell asleep, and was awakened
by the crash.
The house boat kept on down stream,
and was last seen at Moundsvllle, where
one end was half submerged. The
handsome Brunswick boat also broke
\ al
! OF the creek on Monday morning, and
noated of down stream. 1t passed
Moundsville about five minutes after
/ the other boat, and was riding oa the
surface OF the water, apparently unin-
iured by contact with the ice. Both
boats we're surrounded with heavy ice.
Several members of the Brunswick
Fishing Club went down to MOundsyille
Yesterday afternoon, but the boat was
in the middle OF the stream and they
could do nothing to save it.
BIG ICE GORGE.
The heavy ice from this vicinity did
not travel far until it was stopped by a
heavy gorge. The gorge formed at
Pipe Creek, and extended up to Wee
Gee, and was piled up in some places
to a height of twenty-five or thirty feet.
There was an immense volume OF ice
and people living near Moundsville
entertained fears that it would cause
an overflow Of the banks, as the back
water caused the river 10 rise rapidly
AT the Pittsburg Coal Works, below
Bellaire, the river rose eleven feet be-
tween s o'clock in the morning and
o'clock in the afternoon, while at the
Wheeling wharf the marks showed II
feet at the highest stage, a rise OF about
> feet inches.
Fortunately the ice in the gorge gave
way at about four o'clock, and ran oui
swiftly. Crowds stood on the banks a.
Glendale and Moundsyille, and watched
the scene, huge cakes Of ice filing the
river from bank to bank, while owper'
of shanty boats saw that their craft:
were properly secured to the shore
Fortunate very little damage was done
so far as could be learned, beyond thS
loss of few Households. II Is moi
thought that any Of the packets or tow
boats along the river suffered any dam
| age.
When the gorge broke the river fell
rapidly at all points above. At the
/ Pittsburg Coal Works the water drop
ped AZ feet in a half hour. At eight
o'clock the river marks here showed
feet 9 inches and falling. At midnight
the stage OF water was s feet inches.
rp,rrrc VIII. NOT RE RESUMED.