Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-03-09

is 40 feet high. Particularly Is this
applicable to the river in the vicinity
of McCal's Ferry.
When the first break occurred early
in January, the mush ice was caused
to run down and jam at Port Deposit.
at which time there was 4 moderate
rise. The gorge at McCall's Ferry
backed the water and permitted the
mass Of ice opposite the port to settle
soliily to the bottom The subsequent
severe freeze, aided by the vast
quantity of snow which drifted into
the cracks and crevises, cemented the
pack, making more formidable
obstruction than has ever damned the
river before
The causes suggested for these dan
gerous ice gorges are numerous. Some
say the boom cribs erected BY the lum-
her company for the purpose of catch
ing drift logs are 10 be blamed. Others
attribute the floods TO the piers erected
ior the two railroad bridges, and even
the ghost of the tidewater canal has
been hauled over the Goals and severe
" censured for all damages done.
These suggestions are secuted by
well-iniormed people, who find the
cause in the typographical conditions
in this vicinity. The fact that the
Susquehanna has sharp fall from
Columbia to Port Deposit Of about 80
feet causes the momentum of the water
to be great. especially in Il spring
breakup. The immense weight Of this
volume of water meets Il barrier when
it strikes tide water at the upper end
of the town. for here the river reaches
the level Of the bay. Every year the
debris, consisting of logs. trees, stumps,
hogpens and much OF the soil from
PENNSYLVANIA, comes down with the
annual freshets, and owing to the eddy,
caused by the retar,ling Of the current
Oh reaching tidewatcr, accumulates on
the flats on the west side Of the river.
These have been filed up.
The boom cribs possibly have assist
el, although only their foundations re-
main The flats extend nearly two
thirds Of the way across the river to
the east shore. and are covered with
about five feet of water when the river
is in It's normal condition.
The occupancy of two-thirls Of the
river by these flats, and their gradual
filling up. is undoubtedly the main
cause for the gOrges. 1t renders the
outlet at tidewater insufficient. to carry
ofi the torrent which pours down an
S0-foot incline in about 80 miles. The
accumulation of ice and debris causes
the trouble.
That the tidewater canal should in
any way cause an impediment seems
Iudicrous in the extreme. William
Roberts, the owner of Roberts Island.
who has had So many exciting and
dangerous experiences in past gorges,
has given up his island home and
built residence in town He prefers
hereafter to share the fate of his Port
Deposit friends rather than he mon
arch Of all he surveyed on his lonely
island.
Hav:e de Grace has suffered very
little from these gorges, having deep
water abreast of the city, and. as the
river commences to widen i'll the centre
Of the town, the water and ice have Il
good outlet. OF course. more or less
damage is done about the waterfront
and wharves, and usually the extreme
lower end OF the city is flooded Point
Concord Lighthouse is located there,
and Keeper Henry i. o NeilI has ON
several occasions been completely
isolated from the town by being sur
rounded by ice and water During
the hurricane which visited here last
May O'Neill and family were driven
upstairs, the water rising until it
reached the kitchen fire, which was
extinguished.