The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-22
Break Occurs AbOUe Broad Rip
pie and Thousands Of Tons
Starr on a Journey Of De
SrHcfIon--Six NaJ7Oz0 Escapes
AcgHahc CHb'S Big Pleasure
Graft Hurled OUe,- Dam and
Burns IN Rfue,- T7gO Miles
BeIozC--CaROe CUBS Loss.
Gorge CrzmbLes Under Wet
MichIgaH-Sreef Bird ge--
Wasbm.yfOn-Sfreet Structure
IVfhSfandS Its Attack.

With a crash heard for miles the ice
gorge that had been piling up for twenty
four hours broke at the island a mile abovs
Broad Ripple at 1880 o'clock last nights
and a second later one huge wall. weighing
thousands OF tons started on a journey of
destruction down White river.
| The large houseboat Of the Indianapolis
Aquatic Club was swept before the ava
| lanche OF ice as IL IL were a rowboat, and
| at the same time the smaller houseboafss
the half dozen lighthouses and the huge
| dock were torn from their foundations and
moorings and borne down the river.
The houseboat was carried TO the bridgs
| OF the traction company, two miles below
the park, in less than a half hour, and as
2:5O o'clock this morning it caught be-
low the bridge. lying on it's side and burnr
ing. A lighted lamp IN the second floor OF
the house is supposed to have caused th9
| fire
| Six men narrowly escaped with their lives
as the ice bore down upon the boathcyse.
| They We're awakened by the crash and theirr
| escape was nothing short of miracle. Sew
! eral acts of heroism resulted I'm the rescus
| OF members of the party, who had diff
Guilty in swimming against the terrific cur
| blocks OF ice.
When the roar of breaking ice was heard
| half of the population OF the little town of
| Broad Ripple were awakened. Within avs
| minutes the men Of the suburb were on tho
| streets, and when the water was seen rag<
| ing over the banks and rushing down intt
| the park the fire bell was rung and gem
| eral alarm sounded.
| Every house visited and the occu-
pants warned to prepare to leave, as no one
knew the extent Of the trouble.
tbs boSseboat and the other debris. with a
| continuous road tore down the river. Grave
| alarm was felt for the bridge at Broad
| Ripple and the traction bridge. How tho
| housebOat passed under the bridge could
! not be explained.
FOUNDATIONS SHAKE.
The foundations Of the bridges shook .
the ice pounded up against them, but they
resisted the onslaught and The gorge parted
and passed under the different sections.
Trees along the bank were snapped OF
like twigs and helped to increase the weight
of the mass of ice.
AT the Canoe Club the large boathouse
was torn from its moorings and swept out
into the river. Tins was a few minutes be-
| fore the gorge reached the clubhouse and ir
was under the bridge and well down the
river when the greatest force Of the swift
|
| ice tore away the small boathOuse, and A
| message 10 the Journal at 1.30 o'clock said
that the large dock could not long resist
| the attacks of the avalanche OF ice.
| The bridge across White river at River
| side Park few yards from the boathouse.
was able TO Withstand the force OF tho
gorge, and at . O'Clock was in a safe con-
| ditiOn. Two watchmen were on guard TO
avert any disaster.
BRIDGES ALL HOLD.
indianapolis Journal reporters were at the
West Michigan-street, the Washington-
street and the Oliver-avenue bridges a
half-hour after the break was reported at
Broad Ripple. Each man was present
when the wall of ice hurled itself against
the abutments Of the bridges.
a half-dozen men were near the West
Michigan-street bridge. The woodwork on
the bridge and the floor was seen 10 trem-
bic at the first onslaught, but the struc-
ture was strong enough 10 Wlthstand the
attacks and the gorge pushed us way be-
1t was feared that the washington-strect
bridge would crumble before the gorge,
but IL. too. was stronger than the city
engineers thought. Although II shook for
an instant, the hugh mass OF Ice did noe
shake il from its foundations.
ROAR HEARD FOR NILES.
When the ice broke the roar Of the tor
rent as it rushed over the dam at a speed
of forty miles an hour could be heard all
over the little village and for miles beyond
All the populace was aroused and hundreds
OF anxious householdeTs. lanterns In hand
went out I'm the darkness 10 discover ths
extent of the danger 10 their lives and
their property. The fire bells were rung.
and within ten minutes after the burst
ing OF the ice not soul was asleep IN
Broad Ripple. The women and children
were dressed and prepared TO Zee for their
lives, and the men were seeking places
of safety for their families In case OF some
unforeseen disaster which might come Incl
dent TO the fast rise OF the river and the
ominous roar OF the waters as they surged
The breaking up OF the ice was fast ana
ferocious. In some places above the dam
m the limits OF Broad Ripple the ics wac
piled along the shore eight feet high. and
mile above the town the esrimate OK
shores OF the daredevil White river
would not be far wrong. The
White river. usually peaceable and serene,
| practically swelled itself out Of tts banks
iast night and IL went on a rampage which
will long be remembered by the residents
Of the little villages along It's shores
| The excitement IN Broad Ripple IN
| tense Women screamed IN terror and chib-
dren cried and clung closer 10 their par
ents as the oeafening roar OF the river grew
louder and louder. IL was not until the
| men OF the town had an opportunity 10
make a careful survey OF the condition
| that the people were brought down TO their
normal attitudes, and even then there Was
little sleep for the excited women and
children.
. /
| Ripple was caused by the Wild rush Ct the
waters yet the great excitement robbed
the people of their reason. and they Tor
| time were ia condition OF nervous fear
| that was appalling.
| The hOuseboats i'm the river were the suf-
| ferers from the Hood. but those which were
| mOOrcd I'm the canal were perfectly safe.
MEMS NARROW ESCAPE.
AS the loose blocks of ice carried before
the gorge pounded against the Aquatic
Clubs boathouse and were thrown against
the Sullivan boathouse the six men IN the
! latter were warned. The men aboard were
J. ID. Sullivan, the owner; Clifford Sickle.
W f. Johnson, Guy Robbins. Custodian
Pierce. OF the Aquatic club and Donald
| Morrison All OF them live ina the city.
Johnson lives al 5li East Tenth street. and
r. an cmploye OF the indianapolis News
b Sullivan and Sickle We're asleep board
the boat and IL was with difficulty that
= they were aroused Sickle was not awak.
encd until he out I'm the river. and ne
was struggling against the ice and water
while still asleep. All OF the men jompe<