The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-23
HIGH WATER IN RIVER
AND BREAKING OF ICE
CAUSE MUCH DAMAGE
From Broad Ripple to City the Ice
Gorge Leaves Mark on Boats
and Bridges.
BIG BRIDGES YET STAND
Damage to Washington Street
Structure the Source of Much
Inconvenience.
JOHN ssCHoWE IS LOST
His Lie and that of His Wife
Sacrihced-The Days De
velopments.
BIG BRIDGES YET STAND
JOHN ssCHOWE IS LOST

Yesterday was a day of suspense to many
people in indianapolis. In addition to the
loss of two lives, material damage has
been wrought by the high water and ice in
White river and Fan creek, in this city
and at Broad Ripple. that will amount 10
about $15,5O0, by a rough estimate. This in
cludes damage TO the wooden truss work
under the River-avenue, Morris-street,
Washington-street, Michigan-street and
Northwestern-avenu bridges, to the
stone pier of the river bridge at
the Charlottesville road. to one of
the small steel suspension bridges at River
side Park and the bathhouse and other
property at the Canoe Cluo and the floating
dock across the river from that place, and
to the Aquatic Clubs boathouse, the
steamboat Sunshine and Denny Sullivan's
workshop at Broad Ripple This allows
something. also, for the destruction of sew
eral houseboats in the city and the destruc-
tion of small craft along the river.
\ hasty inspection of most of the
river bridges and the property of
the Canoe Club by reporters for
the Indianapolis Journal yesterday
afternoon and last evening and COM
munication with the city engineer and in
terested persons all along the river, indi-
Gated that the material damage would not
go above the figure stated.
MOST SERIOUS DAMAGE.
The most serious damage, or at least that
which will entail the greatest amount Of
inconvenience and delay to street car and
other traffic, was that done at the West
Westinghouse. bridge across the river. The
first break in the ice at this point, after
the long period of waiting Thursday after
noon, came at o'clock Thursday even
ing. With great roar and a crash, the
gorge of ice that had formed above the
bridge broke, and immense masses of ice
were hurled against the wooden piles that
supported the structure. The bridge trem-
bled and wavered before the attack, but
held. Again the ice gorge formed, only
to break again at o. oclock yesterday morn
ing, and again the bridge withstood the
fierce attack. When daylight came it could
be seen that it would have taken but lit
tie more of an onslaught to have wrecked
the bridge completely. AS it was, Sc
rious damage was done About one
third of the way from the western end
of the bridge, the supports were loosened
and wrepched from place so that the floor
and the pole supporting the trolley and
other wires in the center of the bridge at
that point was thrown out Of perpendicu-
lar, indicating how near to collapse the
whole structure had been. At this point
a great mass of driftwood and smaller ice
foes collected all day and was being
steadily added to as darkness came OF last
evening. 1t appeared, however, that the
greatest danger was past and no more
damage was expected unless caused by an
unprecedented rise in the river, and this
appeared impossible because Of the colder
weather that set in during the evening
At the River-avenue, Morris-street and
Northwestern-avenu bridges the damage
done was to the wooden truss work under
| meath the floors and between the stone piers
This is serious only in the loss of time and
the great inconvenience to large numbers
of people that it entails. 1t is not consid-
cred at all probable that any further dam
age to these bridges will be done, although
various rumors of the complete collapse OF
one or the other of them were afioat yes
terday afternoon and last evening With
the receding of the water in the river and
Fall creek, the repair of the damage-pro.
| vided conditions grow no worse than now
appears-will probably be a question Of only
a short time.
A PIER DAMAGED
At the bridge across the river on the
Charlottesville road the easternmost of the
two stone piers was so seriously damaged
by the masses of ice that were precipitateC
| against it that all traffic across the bridge
was stopped. a row Of the large stones thai
int
| water lof the pier were torn away and
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6, COL ID