Evening journal., 1904-01-23

Whipped into a lashing. roaring tor
Int by the heavy rains and the thaw
ich caused the water to pour from
I, hills on both sides for twenty miles
o the ice covered Brandywine river
tally so placid and beautiful, has
IN converted into a destroyer of life
4 cause Of much suffering and anx-
to those living or having business
.ng its banks.
The stream began to rise yesterday
ernoon and continued to become
ilre turbulent until between three
Ii four o'clock this morning. Then
water receded slightly. but the
4 rst is feared about nightfall today.
E broke up
4 .he ice. which covered the stream at
\ thickness of about twelve inches,
gan TO break up about midnight last
> ;ht. AS the big cakes were wrench
s apart by the surging waters cracks.
Z e the discharge of firearms were
s ard and in big blocks the ice began
& descent down the river. grinding
Il d crunching as it was carried by the
n ift moving water. The roar of the
& ter could be heard for more than
= luarter of mile and many thought
4 tornado was upon the city and got
n L of their beds.
n BY Z o'clock this morning most Of the
was carried out into the river by
B surging waters. although occasion-
q y a big cake would come tuubhng
81 Wn the stream this morning.
Feared Railroad Bridge Would Go.
'robably the greatest apprehension
felt at the Brandywine bridge of
Pennsylvania Railroad Company
e water raised until it was on "a level
q IN the high bridge at. = O'Clock. this
rning. The heavy cakes of ice kept
81 lnding against the structure, which
# mbled and shivered beneath the
ws. Grave fears for its safety were
ertained and at 130 o'clock Superin-
81 dent Barnard came down and or
ed seven, 100, 900 pound cars loaded
h coal upon the bridge to give IL
1itional weight TO withstand the on
ught Of the water and Ice and it-is
,bably due to this fact that the
dge now stands.
Trains Ordered OF Bridge.
he ohicials ordered all trains to run
bund over the Edge Moor cutoff and
cross the bridge until the water
eded. They resumed travel over the
dge after daylight this morning and
u continue until nightfall when they
probably be run over the cut-ofi
+ ain.
Man Drowned in Raging Waters.
While endeavoring to protect the cof-
dam at the Brandywine bridge. Ell
cd Jones. living at No. 9l5 Church
Get. an employe of Ryan & Kelley
S swept from the piling by the tor.
t. AS he was borne down the STREAM
st his companions they tried tC
.ow him a rope. Twice it fell with
a few inches of him. He tried t,
asp il, but each time it was swep
yond his grasp. He passed from thl
cle Of light thrown from the arr
nps and was swallowed up by tn,
ging waters. Horrified. several mel
shed along the bank with ropes. hop
he would be able to keep afloat
the ice and water had done thei
rk.
is thought the man was struck b,
piece OF ice and knocked insensibli
d drowned. The accident Occurre,
put 1890 o'clock. Throughout tn
sht men with lanterns patrolled boil
nks OF the river below the bridge
ping the body would be washe,
bore. but nothing has been seen o
n since his frightened face wa
shed beyond the circle Of light.
Ohm II. Jones. father of the deal
II. has offered a reward of. 800 10
recovery OF the body, but it is no
lpected it will be found for severa
ys. il ever.
cofferdams Washed away.
rhe dams around the foundations 10
new bridge have been washer
ray and the piling wrenched from it