Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-01-31
THE ICE GOES OUT.
VERY LITTLE DAMAGE DONE IN TIE yICN-
ITY OF WHEELING,
Although Some Loss Was Experienced at Points
AbOvs-Si1tssn Bargss Swept Away at
East Livsrpool-Seen's and Incidents
Of the Day.

the ice in the river, the situation OF
which had not changed during the
night, and there was very general
opinion that the break would come some
time during the afternoon.
Towards eleven o'clock there were
slight movements in the fee AZ places,
and at ten minutes Of twelve the big
sheets extending from the suspension
bridge north around the upper bend be-
gan 10 float of southwark, crashing
against the piers Of the steel bridge,
aud the warning whistles from the boats
at the wharf soon brought an I'm
mense crowd to see the event. The
fee moved slowly at first, with a num-
Der OF pauses, as though reluct-
ant to Quit the locality where 1t had
remained so long, and it was al hour
before the increasing force Of the cur
rent got the ice above the city in mo-
ton, ous all during the remainder OF
the day and all night long the river was
filed from shore TO shore with grind
ing mass Of heavy ice, often several
feet above the surface Of the water,
large fields OF solid ice being frequently
intersoersed IN the general and grand
rush. Frequently 10 water could De
seen, and the Swiftly-moying surface
looking more like a river Of ice sliding
down a well-greased chute than any
thing else.
A regularity about the breakup was
that the ice started TO move at up-river
points first, starting at Steubenville at
half-past eight in the morning, and az
points below that city still later. A
gentleman who came down on the
noon train from Wellsburg stated that
the ice didn't commence to run there
until nearly eleven o'clock, and that
when the train got to Short Greek the
fee there was sill firm, and they beat
the breakup into Wheeling. This tes-
turs OF the break had q tendency TO
run the Ice from above under and on
ton of the fields as the break extended
ON down the river, and as the Ice ran
past this city for more than two hours
and a half before the gorge st Mounds
vile bend let 60, some idea OF the great
mass OF CONCEALED water between this
city and Moundsville at two o'clock
may be gained. With the river
still solid al MOundsyille up 10 half
past two, a stream OF ice as vide
as the river and from one TO halt-a-
dozen feet thick was poured down
stream from noon until the gorge gave
way, and one Of the results was that the
water rose over six feet az MOundsville
in a single hour. Before the threat
ened damage resulted, however, the
gorge In the bend let 90, and the enor-
nous mass OF ice and water went out
with a rush.
Notwithstanding all the warm
weather and rain we have had the past
week, the ice was still very firm and
solid, ana even a mOderate-SlZed field
would cause a decided tremOr to run
through the steel bridge to the Island
when it came crashing against the west
channel pier, and the big Union railroad
bridge up al Martins Ferry was
shaken almost as easily In the
same way. At times the ice
seemed TO extend TO the bottom
OF the river in 3 solid mass, as the mud
would be stirred up until it was a very
even thing as 10 whether the mixture
contained more ice than water, or more
water than mud, and often big cakes, a
foot thick, could be seen going down
edge-wise, DrOtruding several feet above
the general mass, and evidently having
their lower edge on the bed OF the
stream. Mixed up with this ice were
numerous remains OF willows, which
had been torn from she banks by the
fee, and not a few planlIs and logs were
TO be seen, all such, however, being
rapidly reduced to spliuters. At a
quarter after three a big new coal
barge came down the middle Of the
stream and passed under the Union
bridge, missing the channel pier
by about forty feet, much to the
disappointment OF the spectators
who were standing out on the bridge in
the rain 70 see the crash. leu minutes
later smaller and older barge, two
thirds full Of water, came down and
struck the pier a glancing blow. Al
though the barge set In the water at an
angle, and didn't hit the pier fairly, It
was cut In two very neatly, the two
fragments floating on down the stream,
being sustained by the mass Of ice. At
six o'clock half Of a big coal barge came
down, passing along the wharf but
about twenty feet outside the wharf
boat Other barges passed during the
night OF course, no effort was made
20 catch any OF this floating property,
hnl in a
rush of ice. Sixteen bargeS were car
ried away from East Liverpool during
the morning, a number from New Cum
berland, and others still from the neigh
borhood of Browns Island, while not a
few passed through the Davis Island
dam, coming from far up stream.
At this city there was no loss ex-
perienced, save the cutting down Of a
store boat, the Lizzie X, belonging 10
Captain Prince, and lying just above
the steel bridge. The craft was only
worth 3 few hundred dollars. The
wharfboat bore the brunt Of the ice
pressure, and being we'll In the lee Of
the east channel pier Of the bridge, the
two served as an excellent protection 70
the Phillips, the Lizzie Townsend and
the c., l.. 4 w. wharfOOat, which were
below. q All the fishing boats, house
boats, etc., were reported safe last
night, and the ferry boats likewise
got out Of il without loss. AT
the Laughlin mill a model barge
loaded with nails broke loose, but a
large number Of men rallied to the res
cue, and the craft was caught again,
after drifting but a few hundred yards.
This result Of the breakup was very
satisfactory, as old river men agreed
that there was more ice In the river dur
ing the afternoon and evening than for
a generation past, and one river man
said it was the worst breakup for thirty
FIVE years. and that had not the ice been