Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-21
DANGER IS NOT PAST,
The River Has Fallen, But The
Gorge is UnbIOten,
RISE REPORTED At COLUMBIA
High Water Would Prove highly
Disastrous Here.
ATEMPrs TO BREAK THE GORGE.
Dynamite Employed by the city Yes
terday-Trsnsporfn Companies
and Others Act with James River
Improvement Committee To-Day.

IUf EtfAa .lNu ir ltNNfi Hl'iE ANi'Ah''ttN- p
than g. was Saturday and Sunday.
The river has risen about seven feet az
Columbia since Sunday morning. and the
ice gorge which begins at the lower end
" this city. and extends the whole
length OF the water front. 81 unbrokeu.
Every effort to break # has been fruit
lees thus far.
II is the opinion o. those most familiar
with such situations that a moderate
freshet would have one OF two disastrous
results. 10 would either back the water
far up into the streets Of the city. or II
would break the gorge. The latter re-
suit would be- almost certainly produc-
tive Of great damage. A flood would
carry the ice away very rapidly-practi-
cauy AN at once. The destruction OF pro-
perty would Boz great.
The gorge is. in itself a menace. High
water bids fair t0 become 900 added d8n-
ger. u is po-sible-and not entirely lm-
probable that the water from the above
Will NOT swell the river 10 "a great height
o. IS realized. however that there SIS still
The mountains The present warm suns
are melting it rapidly swollen water
courses are certain Consequence.
no REMOVE THE GORGE.
That the gorge must bc gotten out OF
ihe river IS now fully recognized. If DO
remains. and there is Hood. it viii cause
serious damage. n there be- no food tho
continued blockade of the river. prevent
ing au navigation. viii prove very costly
to steamboat companies and Others most
Interested The latter rctis fully rccog-
nlzed by the representative of the water
and rail transportation c0mplnies hero.
and by the business. men OF the city gene
orally At meeting of these af tho
chamber OF Commerce yesterday after
noon 30 was resolved to take immediate
steps t0 clear fhe river Str. q. +. IT,
BurgWyu. one OF thc best known civil su-
giueers boo Richmond. was given charge
of the work Liberal subscriptions wrfe
received from the represeutauyes of fhe
various companies and the use OF tho
Chesapeake and ohio tug Wanderer Was
placed at the disposal OF Nr. BuT.Wyu
by Gcuerll-NauHser Stevens. under err-
faiu conditions a committee OF three
Was appointed 90 receive subscription
fo dtfrlY thc expenses Of h'riur fue.
and of the other work necessary ln oprn-
ing navigation. The same committee WHe
authorized t0 confer with the Comm'ttc,
of the Council on james River Improve.
mcut With Wow tu securing the aid
aud cooperation of chat committee. 10
being understood that under the crcum-
stances the committee might feel au-
] o.
harb0r lines. as lt was the consensus ~
opinion that eneotiy, work would hay,
t0 be done from below the ice gorge. so
that when lce wac detached 90 would
Doe carried away bv the current THE
zlufertuee between the Subcommittee
of this meeting and the james River Im.
proyement Committee OF the CIft Cuun.
go will be held to-day at ! J.. NJ. in Room
80. o. third floor Ciy Han
BUSINESS MEN INTERESTED
Mr. 5. W TrtNers. of the Virginia
Carolina Chemical COMPANY presided 400
the meeting yesterday afternoon. Al
though the notice was short the attend
ancc was good. Among those present
were Mr Parrish OF ihe Richmond Cedar
Works. Mr.. Meyers of the W. H. Trgg
Company. Mr Laud.rkin. Of the Itlch-
moud Ice Company MI Brown. or Bald
win N Brown Nit ". vs.. Harlwicke. Mr.
g. vs. Pierce General Manager Stevens.
~ The Chesapeake and Ohio; Genera .-
Manager Weisiger OF the Virginia NaN-
cation Company. Colonel William f. CUE
shaw. city Engineer. Mr e.. J.. h.. Burg
Wyn. now BOO charge of thr interests OF
the General Government in the james
river Improvement aud others.
The situation was quite fully discussed.
Upon the best Information that could b-
at some points on fhr river below itch-
mond were between forty and hfty fset
high.
THE CITY USED DYNAMITE
The Council Committee On james River
IMPROVEMENT held meeting yesterday
morning for fhe purpose of considering
the situation as regards the condition az
the river The result of the meeting was
the decision to employ dynamite in an
attempt % loosen The grip of tA- ice-uack.
THE determination was put into execution
Yesterday afternoon. Several charges ~
lynamit. were exploded .n abe lower end
10 the gorge opposite Gilic's creek The
results were NOE perceptble beyond
iouds Of ice and snow. Colonel Cutshaw.
city Engineer dld not expect auy resul b
from the use ~ the dynamite. 81 the
meeting ~ the committee Yesterday mlrn-
INM M. Nll.NN NA f.Al-A tN'lAiN ttf hNtt
un Eighteenth street he said as mu JOY,
ana would rot recommend the plan. lie
said the best method Was 90 employ a
tug and begin at the lower end OF the
s0rg. and gradually work "a way up thr
tiNrr The public was anxious that some
ching should bf done and he did not illhA
it would cost any great deal 90 expert
ment with the dynamite To see ~ ihf zee
could bs broken sufficiently 10 starr =
few
Major r. l. Emry. ~ Norm car -lli-l'
who is constructor Of the canal ihto--h p
poanoF. ranils and Who is dn expert ii
saeh matters. by invitation. aedreSsed 'he
committee. H said he asreed WIN 'ol--
r.l Cutshaw as % the good 10 oe a.coih-
rHsbe3 by the use Of dynamite. a. IL N's
ir,noss,hl4 for any one % estimate "n'.
u,.f,ls h. the result He suggested tnAl
,p erort h.. made with dynamite 80.
Srius i'm order 10 reach saFneient u'p'H
IS an experiment ,..,.-.g,
T-pon motion OF Mr.. seay II vas ot1eIe q
tbat $40 ~ appropriated from the sAprhse e
80 81 h. used iu blasting with dsha-
- Immediately upon adj urnme Z
r. chair 9rdered the purchase OF several
s,,-S,ea mounds OF dynamite, and me
s,a-s vas begun a few hours atteF~ ~ar-s