The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-01-14
The ICE GORGE
At Cincinnati Moves, Doing In-
mense Damage.
Two Steamers sunk Mt Pettit's-Fifty men
Carried Away on imperiled Crnft-The
scenes Witnessed by thousands on
She Shore-Ihrilling Escapes.

NlNtlNNAlls |
hke the falling Of heavy timbers the
great ice gorge in the Ohio river at Gin
,innati gave way at . o'clock Sunday
afternoon. 1t was a fearful and cXcit-
ing time for the river men and they
watched the outcome with grave mis-
givings.
The break was twelve hours later
than expected, and, instead of occur
ing at night, the dangerous mass of ice
let go in the afternoon.
This was most fortunate and, doubt
less saved a great deal of property and
some lives. The army of men engaged
along the river bank and on the steam
ers at the wharf-boats were enabled to
see what they were doing and could
take advantage of any emergency which
might arise. 1t was q remarkable and
thrilling sight that was witnessed by
the thousands Of people who gathered
on the banks of the Ohio river in antici-
patton of the ice gorge giving way. Few
of them outside of the men who are ac-
customed to the river could appreciate
the danger which attended the gorging
of the river with great banks of ice,
and which might crush the big boats
like so much paper From shore to |
shore for a distance of twenty miles |
were solid masses of ice which looked |
like stubble in q field. The frozen river |
was so rough that even where there |
| were no open pools or thin cakes it was |
dangerous to attempt to cross on account |
of the uncertainty of the footing and |
the peril of . sudden breaking of the |
gorge.
The steamers along the wharf-boats
at the foot of Broadway and Walnut |
street had been huddlcd as closely as
| possible TO the shore.
Some of them were comparatively
! safe in almost any event, but grave fear
was felt for the Mary Houston, which
was on the outside of the fleet and had
! to bear the brunt OF the encroaching
| masses of ice The Bostona, lying a
| short distance below the Houston, but
near the shore, and protected by
others above it, and the last OF
the boats was the Tacoma, and
it's little stern wheel swashed
constantly and seemed to keep out the
flow of ice remarkably we'll In less
than an hour it was evident that the
fleet at the public landing was safe, but
the news came that number Of barges
had broken loose at Coal Haven, KY,
and soon the news was confirmed, for
thirty-one barges came down with the
ice and passed without doing any in
Jury. All sorts of rumors of great dam
age were aAoat.
The George Matheson, coal steamer
belonging to the Marmet Co., was
turned over at the foot of Central ave-
nue. and sustained serious damage. 1t
is valued at 915, 600, but it is believed
that the boat can be righted and the
injury can be repaired for few thou
sand dollars
The most stirring scenes We're those
between Central avenue and the South
ern bridge for the sweep of the river at
, those points added an impetus to the
moving ice and made the condition of
the boats and barges more perilous. y
number OF prominent coal men lost
number of loaded barges.
Twcnty-nine coal barges of the Wini-
I, frcdc Co. broke lose and tloated down
the river. Collier Budd St Co. lost six,
but other firms We're more fortunate.
= Besides the barges which were
filled with coal u large number OF
, empties were carried away The loss
from this source was considerable and
may reach $25 600. The breaking of the
gorge was attended with many narrow
escapes from death, and it is yet possible
that the loss of men who are helpless
, on floating bargcs may be reported.
l When the barges at Coal Haven, Ky,
parted from their moorings two men
were on one of them. The shock and
break were so sudden that they did not
have time to reach the shore. 1t was
only after the daring efforts OF three
men, who bravely rowcd out into the
floating ice in skiff, that they were
rescued, almost frozen and completely
Frustrated by their rough experience.
A still more thrilling affair is reported
rom Delhi. Early Snday morning
fifty men were put to work at Buck S
! landing near Bromley, on the Kentucky
) side of the river, to try and cut the ice
+, around twenty-nine barges, so as to
form a harbor around them and prevent
their floating off. The worlSmen were
, engaged in doing this when the
= gorge began TO move. In an in
slant the barges were snapped
from the cables by which they w>re
! held aud were out in the stream with
! the mass of floating ice. The men We're
absolutely at the mercy of the river,
and the crowds on the banks attracted
by their cries for help were thrilled
y with horror The barges and their hui
man occupants tloated down past Delhi,
and as the ice was moving slowly il
was feared that they would be gorged
| in between Delhi and North Bend. Al.
: together about fifty coal barges and
c two steamers were lost and the entire
O. loss is placed at S500,00O.
Il RothschidS win Help Hungary.
|, BUDA- -PEsTu, Jan. 0. Tho Ungarischt
: Post says that the government signet
IS nn agreement with the Rothschids, by
5. the terms os which the latter will take
r at 81 515, 900, 900 crowns worth of pei
Is cent. rcntcs that will be issued to re
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