Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-02-16

Dut no logs OF any consequence NcIS IA
the river here at o'clock to night.
At $50 o'clock this evening the gorge at
Mount Ararat broke, relieving the river
here, and at o'clock the ice between the
two railroad bridges began breaking up
and moving at the same time. shortly
afterward, however, II began gorRng
again at the Philadelphia, Wilmington x
Baltimore bridge, between llayrc de Grace
and Perryville. AT y O'Clock the ice at
Perryvillc was reported to be moving The
river above Port Deposit was ut the same
time falling. Thegorgeat McCall $ Ferry was
still holding.
William Roberts, the owner Of Roberts
Island opposite the upper end OF Port De
post, is in Il perilous position on his
island. He neglected to leave on Thurs
day, and when the ice began to move on
Friday morning 1t was impossible to get
away, lie cannot now leave the island,
nor can any one from the main land reach
him. should the river rise much higher
his only safety would be on his house top
or i'll the branches of the trees. should
the rumor o [ the breaking, of the
Cleariield boom he true his peril would he
increased tenfuld. When the Williams
port boom broke in lSS0 lot Of logs
passe over the little island, cutting swath
through II as clean as u dozen steam
shovels would do it.
Notwithstanding the fact that the water
| here began falling rapidly after O'Clock,
| going down below the wharves, point it
| had not reached before to-day, and that the
| sheet ice began moving down the river be.
| low PerryYilc few people had the courage
to 20 to bed. The streets were alive with
| people nearly everybody carrying lanterns
and every now and then anXiuusly in.
| spccting the river banks. The moving of
the sheet ice ut Pcrryville and the break
! ing Of the gorge at the mountain has
helped matters considerably, but the
| people are still anxious about the gorge at
| Mclall's Ferry, As long rs this holds
! Port Deposit is reasonably safe. Nearly
| every room III the hotel has been engaged
by persons who expect their houses TO he
inundated This is the anniversary of the
gorge and flood of lSSG, which occurred On
Sunday and Monday February 18th and
18th.
ELkToN, Mn. Feb. l3.-The latest intel
| ligence by telephone from Port Deposit
this afternoon says the tncaslness OF the
people OF that place from dungertu persons
and property due to the gorging of the ice
and the raising of the water in the Susqut,
hanna river still continues. and the sltua-
ton is far worse.
Since midnight Sunday the heavy rain
has caused the ice to break up and move
more rapidly down the river Since mid
night large body of ice has come around
the gorge At MCGalls ferry and jammed at
| Port Deposit, The water on the Port
Deposit 4 Columbia railroad was already
; feet deep. nut had not risen or fallen
since midnight until noon to-day, when
the water began To rise slowly and threaten
the town with Hood
between Port Deposit aud McUall's Ferry
the river is reported clear Of ice, but at the
latter place The biggest ice gorga ever
known here has formed, it being 10 miles
in length.
This the people Of Port Deposit fear
most should the hard rain continue and
cause the river to rise and the gorge to go
down the river and reach the small gorge
at Port Deposit, which is not thought can
well move until the gorge from Stumps
Point to Hayre de Grace light house and
the lammed ice from there To Port Deposit
moves first.
The city tug Baltimore, which re-
ceived orders last night to leave early this
morning for llavre dc Grace, to make an
attack on the ice on the river between the
two railroad bridges, and cut il SO it could
drift down, had not arrived up to 2o'clock
tins afternoon, and 1t seems impossible for
u TO get up safely without the gorge be-
tween Stump's Point anil Havre de Grace
lighthouse moves voluntarily.
The boat is auXinusly looked for as O
relief.
PoRr prrosIT, Mn. Feb. lS.-This was
another an Xious day for the people of this
ce-besiegcd town. They say that nothing
like the present situation has ever beer
known before. Hitherto when flood has
been expected it has either come promptly
or the danger passed away quickly. The
present situation has been critical since
Saturday morning. Until late tonight thu
people have been expecting the great gorge
NJ MCtallS Ferry TO give way and permit
the tremendous mass of ice and water thai
is backed up between the ferry and SAFE
HarbOr to come down.
Safe Harbor is eight miles north Of
McCalls Ferry, and the river at that poin
is over a mile wide, forming pocket ot
. which the ferry is the mouth Over the
entire surface of this pocket the ice j!
gor2ed to thickness ot at least 10 feet
The gorge has remained intact although
ice has been coming down the river all du,
long, aud the water has been slowly risnl
until back yards. kitchens and cellars q
, houses on the river side Of the street havl
, been flood. The water has been on leve
! with the rails Of the railroad track in sew
/, eral places between Port Deposit and Me
! tlcnahan's quarry for several hours tn
night, but shortly after 8 O'Clock il begai
to show signs of falling.
A telegram from MCCall's Ferry AT
o'clock tonight announced that the rive
, had fallen feet at Safe llarbor durin)
the day and was still falling, with little %
. no ice running there or ~ any point north
The McCalls Ferry gorge hal chunnc
partly through. but kilgore channel wa
) closed. kllgOTes is the channel at AICCall'
Ferry neck.
} This statement. taken in connection will
! the fact that the ice has been running her
all day, would indicate that tile ice an
l water is finding Il vent beneath the gorge
: although slight one.
: PoKT Deposit, Nh, Feb. li-Despit
e all the preparations tile people of f'or
= Deposit had made for the Hood grea