Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-01-25
AN ICE BRIDGE GIVES WAY.
The Structure Formed by Ma
ture Collapses,
ACCIDENT AT NIAGARA.
Three Persons Carried Down Stream
on Cakes of Ice, but Are Saved
-Ferryboat's Danger.

Niagara Falls. n. Y. Jan. 23.-While
nearly 100 persons We're on the great
ice bridge in the gorge of the Niagara
river the icy mass was broken loose from
the banks at either end There were
thousands of Sunday sightseers in the
parks ami upon the upper steel arch en-
joying the beauty Of the crystalline
structure. They heard the cracking OF
the ice and saw the great mass as it was
moved by the swift current of the river
and hundreds shouted warning to those
on the bridge.
Some Of these venturesome persons
had only gone a short distance from the
river bank, while others were out in the
center of the bridge and were crossing
the river. These near the end soon
found safety, but further out toward the
center were number of small boys Be.
fore they were fairly started for the
shore the great bridge was loosened from
its fastenings. Then it became q race
for life. but the Youngsters, amid wild
shouts, finally req ched the shore.
1t was then seen that all except three
persons had reached places of safety
One was man far out from the New
York side. The others were Il man and
Il woman who were fleeing across the
ice toward the CANADIAN side. The man
lear the New DIRK shore kept his cour-
age well. His eyes were directed to-
ward the steel arch under which be would
pass If the ice continued to move down
the river. Onward it went and just as
he reached the bridge he leaped from
the ice and caught the arch as it rises
not far out from the abutment. The
man ami woman made record time mean
while ana safely reached the Canadian
shore,
The. ice is piled in great mass about
the abutments of the upper steel arch
and it is rumored that the structure has
been injured, but this cannot be verified.
Inc steamer docks on each side Of the
river have been wrecked, and the ice has
piled up close to the inclined railway build
ing in the gorge so that it is III danger
Ferryboat's Close Call.
Buffalo, \. Y, Jan. 23-Locked in 4
huge ice foe the Canadian ferry Niagara,
with nineteen persons on board, was
swept helplessly down the Niagara river
Saturday and dismantled by the Inter
national bridge.
The boat, which plies between this city
and Erie, Ont. left her dock near the
mouth of the river III the early evening
on her last trip of the day. having on
board fifteen passengers, six of whom
were women and two children. Her
crew consisted of four men.
The river was full of floating ice that
was drifted in from Lake Erie but the
boat, heading diagonally against the cur
rent, made her way TO the cenrer Of the
stream. Here she became imbedded in a
great field of ice and her engines were
powerless to propel her. The current at
this point is exceedingly swift and the
momentum of the iceneld carried tho
ferry with it.
The iron Orders Of the bridge raked
the boat clear of her second deck, carry
ing away smo6estack. pilot house. hurri-
cane deck.
The passengers and crew were below
deck and escaped injury from the wreck
age. Swinging clear of the bridge, the
Niagara broke free from the foe and
drifted into Il path Of clear water. 4
hand gear was attached to the rudder.
the engines, which were uninjured, re-
sumed their duty and the dismembered
craft was slowly worked to a dock Oh the
American shore