Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-14

At last the ice in the river has gorg-
ed on account of the unprecedented
period of cold weather. The only sur
prising feature is the lateness of the
happening. There is no point near
where the ice might gorge of its
own account. and the only
way the river might close
here with freezing would be for
a gorge to form at some point below
and back up the ice. The current
from this point to Bellaire is too swift
at almost any stage to allow the ice to
form a gorge. At Glendale a gorge
formed Saturday and ever since the ice
has been backing up. Sunday night
the gorge stretched as far north as
Thirtieth street. 1t was exactly 4:30
a. m. yesterday when the gorge reach
ed the wharf boat. There was only
little space left between the ice along
the Island shore and the Wheeling
side of the river and the large cakes
quickly closed this up.
At 5 p. m. yesterday the gorge had
backed up as far as Welsburg. This
makes stretch of ice twenty-five miles
long from Wellsburg to Glendale.
The first person to cross the ice at
the wharf was Capt. Asa Booth, a
well known riverman. During the day
hardly anyone made the trip, al
though there is hardly any danger.
The ice is not more than three or four
inches thick, but it is very solid. There
are patches of ice all through the gorge
which make excellent skating. There
were a number of persons skating on
the ice above the suspension bridge on
the Island side and off the mouth Of
the creek. All day long workmen and
other pedestrians crossed on the ice at
all points between here and Bellaire.
Capt. Bob Agnew is putting new
sheeting on the Queen City from one
end to the other above where the boat
is already protected. He will also put
in double braces from stem to stern in
order to be better prepared to meet
the ice when the break comes. The
Queen City is very staunch craft and
Capt. Agnew does not anticipate any
dangerous results from the breakup.
Capt. Crockard received letter yes
terday from Louis Kimble, chief purser
on the steamer Keystone State. The
purser stated that the Keystone had
all she could do to get through to Gin
cinnati. He said the outlook below
was very unpromising.
Provisions Wanted-All persons who
have any provisions of any kind to do
nate will be received graciously at the
wharfboat in the next few days. Pro-
visions must all be in before the boat
leaves the wharf with the ice for some
southern point.
Rfvermen hate to think Of what will
happen when the ice in the river
breakes up. 1t is we'll known that the
running out Of gorge, especially one
twenty-five miles long is no small
laughing matter for any craft moored
to the bank along it's course. When
any craft is caught in the out-fowing
ice the force brought to bear against
it is such that all the lines that could
be put out would not avail to hold it.
TIE crew on the wharfboat has only
one condition to make should the boat
start on voyage of unknown termina-
ton with the ice. That condition is
set forth in the preceding want ad
The towboat j. C. FISCHER lying at
Bloch's has space cleared around
her tow in the ice. The boat is moved
up and down this space every time
ice forms on it. By keeping this clear
the crew hope to save the tow from