Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-03-23
A BIG ICE GORGE
Threatens Large Amount of
Damage on the Hudson.
United States Government Inyesti-
gazing With View Of Removal.
Dynamite May Be Used Similar 10 Operations
on the Kennebec.

New York, March 22-The attention of
the United States government having been
called some days ago to the existence of an
immense ice gorge that had formed for
miles in the upper Hudson, Colonel George
l.. Gillespie, of the Engineer Corps, acting
under orders from Brigadier General Will
lam y. Craighil. chief of the Engineer
Corps of the army, sent an agent to Kings
ton and points north with instructions to
look into the matter and report back to the
War Department.
The agent was empowered by Colonel
Gillespie to spend the sum of $1,000 in
breaking up the gorge if that amount of
money could be prottably expended. 1t
was found. however that until warmer
weather sets in all efforts t0-break the Jam
by the use of high explosives would be of
no avail.
Lieutenant Gregory, Of this city, is now
in the icebound region. engaged in a more
minute examination of the gorge. lie will
in all probability submit detailed report of
the character of the obstruction. tomorrow.
1t is not believed to offer any menace
to property unless a prolonged thaw
supervenes within a very few hours
Il think said Colonel Gillespie, in
discussing the matter. yesterday.
that the danger has been much over
estimated The gorge extends a dis
lance of from five to six miles. and is
connected with the shore by columns
of ice that are the work of a long and
severe winter. l do not see how il would
mend matters to blow up these shore
connections with dynamite
I'VE might diSlodge the ice for a
time. but it would only fall back again
and freeze anew. Money would simply
be wasted in an attempt to dislodge
distractions in this manner until the
weather breaks.
las soon as we begin to get a little
shore connections and endeavor to keep
the ice moving, which is al that can
be done with ice that forms in high
attitudes. The best engineering du-
thorities of Europe will tell you that
this is the only thing that can be
done with such accumulations. Keep
them moving and depend on the
river currents to do the rest.
Now. as | understand it. this is
precisely all that can be done to re-
ieve the jam in the Hudson. The su--
sested use of powerful tugs to break
it up would do no good whatsoever,
are any river craft powerful enough
for this purpose.
las | said before. the only plan at
present is not to suffer the ice to col
lect inshore. but keep it moving as
much as possible. Then, when warm
weather comes, we will be in a posi-
ton to break our shore connections,
and so get rid of the whole mass
River men in the vicinity of King
Ston are very much alarmed over the
present conditions. They fear great
damage from break up that now ap-
pears inevitable to them. The natives
say that for miles the river forms a
mass of gorged ice while in many
places the banks have been overlooked
IN each side, covering the lowlands
With banks of ice averaging from one
% six feet.
What makes matters worse is the
act that the recent snowfall has buried
the sorges SO that they are protected
from the influence of the sun, which
night otherwise assist their breaking
up. There is Il large amount of snow
through the section draining into the
liver and the ice from the tributary
treams has yet to come down.
1t is declared that a few DAVIS of
warm Weather will bring about a seri-
nus hood from the combination of all
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