Evening journal., 1900-01-25
YOUNG BOATMAN
WAS IN PERIL
-
Carried From Port Deposit TO
Ha7rc De Grace By a Swift
Current.
THE ICE IS BREAKING UP
AND HUGE CAKES ARE PASSING
OUT OF THE sUsQUEHANNA
INTO THE BAY-FEARs OF
GORGE SOMEWHAT ALLAYED.

A dispatch from fOil bcPo9ie s"""'
says:
The recent mild weather has caused
tho ice in the Susquehanna river 10
break up and general movement be-
gan early this morning, acres OF ice
passing out to the Chesapeake bay.
Reports from points up the river state
that the river Is almost free from ice
and consequently there Is no fear AZ
present
Yesterday the river presented the
appearance of a vast plowed field COW
cred with a slight snowfall, fringe OF
ice thrown up along the shore giving
the appearance OF the outside furrow
The ice in the river is just on level
with the ton log OF tho steamboat
wharf Backwater has pushed It's way
through some drain and culvert pipes
and some low places near the shore are.
submerged.
While there is still a great quantity
OF ice held between Port Deposit and
the mouth of the river, numerous
channels have cut their way through
and afford an outlet for any ice that
may be coming down.
Up TO last night there had been no
apprehension of danger from the river,
ana lut 1lilAluo VI ln0 lOMh WIZ oAA
prised to see a report in a Philadel-
phia paper that the town was in dan
ger. The report stated that the river
was frozen over solidly with Ice from
three to ten feet thick; that great dan
ger to property was imminent, and
that people were moving to the upper
stories of their residences and making
preparations for any emergency. Or
Inn 81,
ment and no anticipation Of trouble.
Creswell First, a young man liyins
in Port Deposit, ventured out in his
boat about o'clock yesterday after
noon to catch a piece OF driftwool
which was a few feet from the Hhor'
and the swift current and floating icl
swept him out into the river.
Just below where he put out an ic
fold begins and extends diagonally GU
into the river constantly widening /
until it almost reaches the western
shore While this field OF ice is sta
tlonary it is filled with holes and con
tains a great deal of mush Ice whic
would not sustain tho weight OF a per
son. Along this field OF ice the swo
len river PUSHES filed with floating il
and debris.
Fnist who evidently misjudged Ii
swiftness of the current and the daI
ger of his attempt soon lost control
his boat and began drifting helplessl
along the margin OF the ice field r.
alizing his inability to return to q
shore he gave himself up to the Gu
rent, hoping TO effect a landing som
where down the river. The swift Gu
rent would carry the boat against b
ice field and stop it when he would
seen TO get out and push his boat in
tho current, jumping in again as
started.
Crowds gathered on the shore waite
ing him in his perilous position.
boat was seen TO put out from Lapidu
to rescue him, but as darkness eettl
down the two boats were drifting "a
idly toward a narrowing cham
through which water and ice We
rushing like q vortex.
Mr.. Frists mother was FRUSTRATED
the danger in which her son v
placed, but his family were relieved
receiving word that he had succeed
i'm efecung landing at Havre
Grace. Later First arrived home
train, apparently none the worse
his perilOus journey. The men Y
started out from Japidum to res
him did not succeed in Overta king h
and turned back.