Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-03-07
DANGER AT PORT DEPOSIT.
Ice in the Susquehanna River
Causes a Flood.
PART OF THE TOWN SUBMERGED
Large Masses of Ice Rushing
Down the Stream.


Ice Formed Across tho River.
PoRT DEposIr, ND, March 3.-'rho dam
ger which has so long threatened Port
Deposit from the ice-gorge In the Susque-
hanna is now being realized. The water
continued to rise steadily all Saturday
night, and by morning was over the
wharyes. The beginning Of the serious
trouble was about midnight, when the ice
moved at Rock Run and at the quarries OF
the McCenahan Bros, Just above Port
Deposit. This movement, though slight,
was what the inhabitants of the upper end
Of the town were looking for and dreadlng.
Nearly everybody in this part of Port
Deposit was kept ON the alert oil night
long. Numbers Of them vacated their
houses for places of greater security The
people who slept throughout the night
found when they awoke IN the morning
that the water had risen nearly to the
tracks of the Columbia q Port Deposit rail-
road.
This condition Of affairs continued until
IL 80 o'clock when the churches were
thronged. Then all OF sudden the ice
made another move. piling itself up from
10 to SO feet high disgonally across the
whole river in line from the centre Of
Port Deposit to point below the opposite
town OF Lapidum, on the Hartford side.
This move was immediately followed by
rapid rise in the water OF six feet or more.
Congregations in the churches were
promptly dismissed, and, when the people
came out, they were surprised to lind they
they had to take the bills back of Port
Deposit in order to reach their homes, as
the water was several feet deep in the
street.
For two and a half hours things were
again quiet and the water subsidized some
what At 2 O'Clock large masses OF ice
from ~ to 90 feet thick broke loose and
made grand rush down the angry stream
to escape. But it made little Roadway. 1t
moved only about quarter OF mile and
stopped, forming a complete gorge clear
across the river. AT the same time the
strong current of the swollen waters swept
onward and not being able to get through
the gorged ice rushed down the railroad
track on the Cecil side fully five feet higher
than at any previous time. Many OBJ
servers of the grand scene presented by the
river at this juncture were out on the
wharves. and they were compelled to run
for their lives. lii few minutes only the
places where they had stood were six or
eight feet under water, which rushed
onward at a mighty rate seeking an outlet
and deluging everything in its course. The
suddenness Of the rise can hardly be
imagined, and it flooded the ground
around the back of the town hall, which
A barrier of ice stretching across the
Susquehanna river mile wide here, such
as was formed to-day, is a sight worth see
ing All the successive movements were
exciting even to those who had nothing at
stake and were on safe ground overlooking
the majestic scene, 1t is not often that so
much ice is iammed within four miles of
the river as on this occasion, and the
efforts one after another which the stream
made to remove the obstruction were ex-
tremely interesting.
Later in the afternoon the floods sub.
| sided to abou. level with the ground of
the wharves. and there it remained at
nightfall. The condition of the town was
at that time quite as critical as at any
| period yet. At any minute the upper ice
was liable to move again, and be followed
by flooding.
Serious danger was unprecedented from
| the still larger volume OF water coming
! down from the rapidly melting snow and
swollen tributaries up the river. 1t was
| only question of how long the huge bar
ricade across the entire river would hold.
While some water was passing under
| and through the barrier, water also con-
tinually backed up on the banks and ran
around into the streets of the town.
There was an open channel from Rock
Run to the middle of Port Deposit 2Ot
yards wide at the widest part. Large
masses of ice passed down this channel
1t was not known IL this ice found free
exit below. If it passed out all will be
we'll. but if 1t is gorging OH the bottom be
low and fills up, 1t will give great trouble
The icebOat broke the ice in the mouth
OF the Susquehanna Saturday as far up as
Perryvlle. All this broken ice has passed
out, but there is enough between Port De
post and the Baltimore & Ohio railroad
bridge four miles below Port Deposit, tC
give serious trouble.
Considerable damage has been done Il
out iildings. fences and other property ir
Port Deposit. A small house and an ole
shop were moved from their foundations
A large hay shed on the county wharf il
damaged, but as it is impossible TO get from
the centre of town to the inundated place
no estimate of the damage cali be made
The people having stores and dwellings oil
the lower side of the single street of Por
Deposit have been busy moving all da,
long. With everybody in the town 1t ha
been day of unusual activity. 1t is i'm
possible to reach the upper end Of town ex
ceptinG by the hills. Where the water ha
subsidized the street is filled with large block
of ice. On account of damage to the pole
and wires the streets cannot be lighted anC
Port Deposit is tonight in darkness as wei
as in danger.
PoRr DEPOSIT, ND, March 5.--The waite
has all left town, but the railroad tracl
for two miles is covered with ice from 8 Il
20 feet thick. The town authorities ar
trying to cut driveway through tn
streets.
There is 14-mile gorge at McCuirI
Ferry which may move at any time.
The damage by the flood will reacl
$4,000, most of which will fail on tn
uOOrnr Clalgps