Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-03-24
TELEGRAPH OPERA
TORS EXPERIENCE

On Monday, March IL was assigned
to duty along the eastern bank of the
North Branch of the Susquehanna riy-
er, at the home of Mr.. Arthur Ken
nedy. where the Penna. Railway Com
pany had placed a telegraph office, so as
to be in touch with the movements OF
the great ice gorge which seemed to
be the most dense at this point, owing
to the islands in the river. which serv-
ed to hold back the gorge, that at some
places reached to the bottom of the
river.
arrived Monday noon, and before
night the river was forced out of its
channel, flowing over the railroad
tracks, interrupting traffic.
The water continued to rise all
night and every change in the condi-
tions was at once reported to Sunbury.
The great ice gorge continued TO
hold all day Tuesday, except now and
then it showed signs of weakening,
but the ice was still able to resist the
terrible force of the water hurled
against it, and coursing madly down
over the low lands on each side,
threatening everything i'll its reach.
The river now was beginning to men,
ace us, and we had all the furniture,
carpets, etc, on the first floor, remov-
ed to the barn which is somewhat
higher than the house, and is situated
on the side of a hill Tuesday night
was again a sleeEless one, for all the
inmates of the house. but as we had
not removed the household effects
from the second story, we still had
some comforts of home life. The riv-
er continued to rise and on Wednes.
day morning the water had just about
surrounded the house, and heavy cakes
of ice rushed Uninterrupted over the
railroad tracks that were covered with
water from four to five feet deep.
About D. IN. we noticed the trees
along the bank begin to tremble, and
then the cry was carried along, The
ice is moving" The great gorge trem-
bled and moaned making the earth
shake and slowly gave way under the
mighty pressure of water, which would
recede several feet and then rapidly
rise again but the water had at last
gained the day over this great foe.
The great ice foes were forced up
in the air from twenty TO forty feet,
aud then slowly gave way as van
quished foe and rushed madly down
the river. Again it resisted and mass
ed itself against the water, forcing
much ice out of the river and great
foes were being carried III the direc-
tion of our house, just as the house
seemed surely doomed the gorge again
broke, letting the high boulders of ice
that were menacing US high on the
bank. The great gorge swept on, our
danger was passed, but the danger was
just approaching the town of Danville
four miles below.
The messages were flying fast OF the
work Of destruction, soon the report
came of the Danville bridge being
carried away. This grand structure
had withstood the tests Of great
many floods, but what strength could
resist this great destroyer:
AS the water receded it brought tc
view the full extent of the damage in
this vicinity. the ice had been forced
over the tracks; in some places it had
torn them from their bed. The sta
tion at Roaring Creek and the tele.
graph tower at Bluff were crushed.
The telegraph line is sad sight; out
OF 9S poles in one stretch, 30 were car
ried off and at some places the track
can only be cleared by the use Of dyna
mite. There is force of several hun
dred men at work clearing the track
in this vicinity. Although the rail
road company has sustained great losse
there is scarcely family in the Norti
Branch valley that has not suHereo
some losses. Houses and many small
buildings were washed away. Th'
people of this neighborhood declare
that never in the history of this rivel
has there been such food and it viii
be remembered by them as long al
they live.
A. L. GRISSINGER, Operator