The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1904-03-12
PORT DEPOSITS
HOURS OF PERIL
Flood And Ice Masses Sweep Down
Upon The Town.
Port Deposit. March II.

During the last week all usual discus
SlonS have given place to ice gorge talk
From Saturday morning to latte ON We'd
neT$day the greater portion of Port De
post was flooded
The rain and warm weather caused the
river to rise elWd about 3 O'Clock on Sat
urday morning the head of the gorge
began to move down the river. Inas-
much els the ice did not yield ut the
mouth Of the river it only piled higher
in the vicinity of Port Deposit. This
caused the water to back into the town
and it continued to stand mt varying
heights until Tuesday afternoom about
4.3O. Warming had been received thrlt
the Columbia gorge had brokekn and
was being borne rapidly down river by
an extraordinary flood. Then word came
by telephone from Colowingp that the
great mass of ice had reached that point
taking away two SPANS of the highway
bridge which CROSSES the river at that
point. 1t waS then but short time un-
til Il Waterman at the quarlieS OF the
McClenahan Granite Company detected
the advancing Ice and sounded Il siglreil
whistle. At this call hundreds of people
mounted To vantage points to see the re-
suit when this Irresistible flood should
throw its great weight against the hith.
elto impregEnhle gorge that had held its
place firmly since jack Frost first spread
Il hlHliket across the river in November
And what happened was thr'lhngly
| spectacular and wehl repaiu the sight
ScerS. The gorge yielded without cuus,,
| Ing the water to rise any higher than il
lDI lnn, mi, tb,
| the inhabitants sat down to supper with
| feelings of relief from the long appre
| hcr~iHn of six weeks
Unfortunately this feeling of relief was
of but short Duration ;i> the channel was
inadequate. and II gorge formed again
| At Il O'Clock the water be@rn rising rap
| idly, and in Il few moments every square
| foot Of Main street was submerged and
the ice gorge of 1904 made its mark only
Il few inches below the record-breakina
mark of lSS6. Then the great weight
Of the back water forced another exit
md the water began to recetle slowly
Then huuSthoGelS got busy with brooms
sweeping ont upon the rctreatmg tlooi
its own deposition of shiny mud By
| Thursday morning the water had re
cedcd sufficiently to Hlluw Il lelrgc force
of workmen to begin clearing the tracks
of the Columbia n Port Deposit railroad
| Efforts Will be concentrated upon the
| lower section 80 that trains may be rlI
from Perryvillc to Bank Station ~
early g2 possible.
The Rowland Manufacturing Comma nv
will probably be the heaviest losers b,
damage to machinery and shedding, ant
| loss nf lunh,r Unnt Il
2uh warehouse uf the TolcheSter Steam
EElt Company hats been damaged con
>idrrably. The loading plant of Nc
ClrHalan Grant" Go. ~n Rim.hart' :,
wharf WAS entirely demolished. but tn,
machinery WAS removed from the Stlrlc
tnrr some time before the rum of ice.
| There will he many small individual
losses for wrtrkAgr Of fync,, and small
outbuildingA. The brick engine house. be
longing to- the PENNSYLVANIA Rnilroa,
Company. which had more recently beer
used arS II canning house. w!S pushed
over slul wrecked
| 1t WINS fortunate for the town that tn,
l1ipmprrd wall Hlcng the railroad track:
| helped To keep the ice within rive
bounds. The river continues to fall
Some MASSES of ice are passing down
Some gorgc> up thr river are holdn:
but 1t is thought the channel here will
carry off any surplus water. 1t is Sait
that luS>t> on the west side of Nmtl
| Main street will be small. Mayor Nc
Chral!an is quoted AZ putting the los
i'll the aggregate at about S32 600. 4
large force is ut work clearing the rail
road from PerryviIlc up. and Contra
| truiIt, will Iva, ,,,,i