Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-03-24
TRAIL OF Ruin
LEFT BY FLOOD

terest at the present time, as there IS
not a mile of the way but the eye is
caught by immense fragments of the |
ice pack and the general topsy turvy |
appearance of things along the shore, |
which indicate that wonderful flood |
has held sway and devastation and
ruin been wrought which makes the
present year memorable.
The passengers are constantly on the
qui vive and on every side may be
heard EXPLANATIONS of surprise as the
attention of one or another is called to
some object of interest. A trip mere
ly to Bloomsbury, up the river on one
side and down the other, affords food
for several days reflection.
1t is not generally known that con
siderable portion of the big ice gorge
between here aud Roaring creek still
| remains intact Beginning at a short
distance above Boyd's for a mile or so
one of the ice wedged in between the
| islands aud the southern shore has
moved. 1t is formidable looking
mass, lifted by the hood out of its bed
sufficiently to reveal its thickness,
which ranges from five to seven feet.
| Obviou -ly this immense deposit of ice
alone i IA factor which will have to
be reckoned with when the next freshet
occurs, to say nothing of the great ice
packs which still remain farther up
| the stream.
/ Everywhere there is ice Over a belt
at least a hundred feet wide skirtiHg
the waters edge the big cakes many
| feet in thickness are tumbled pronis
cuously attesting alike the height of
the water and the force of the cur
rent. All about the fields. often an
eighth of a mile from the river por
tions of the ice packs in great con
glomerate masses lie stranded. For
| long stretches the cars on the 5. H. Il
| W. track run between nearly per
pendicular walls of ice. which even at
present, after thawing has set in are
sufficient to give one good idea OF
| the depth of ice deposited on the track.
Persons familiar with both routes of
travel would scarcely recognize the
old landmarks at present. The cheer
less winter aspect is wonderfully ac-
centuated by the trail OF the great
food and the swift succession of
dreary sights crowdiug in upon the
traveller is apt to turn his thoughts in
to a sober if not a melancholy chan
mel.
At Roaring Greek things present an
appearance weird and desolate in the
extreme. The pleasant little island at
the mouth of the creek is the founda-
tion for an immense mound of ice.
The trees which previously sheltered
the spot have all disappeared, along
with the fine row of willows which
grew above and below the spot on the
river bank.
The amateur photographer missed
an opportunity who FIJI d 10 visit
| Bluff, some two nr ru'r' miles above
| Roaring Greek. 1t VA II this point
that things Sc 'mei to roach their cul-
mination. At no plto are the ice
cakes larger nor ne th"re more OF
them. For IA mil. Of mo.e there is
nothing i'll sight itom tie cars but
ice. if we except an occasional glimpse
of the river or the naked branches of
the trees on the mountain side above.
1t is here that one sees genuine ruin
buildings overturned and wrecked or
leaning out of perpendicular nnder
pressure of ice piled up against them
nearly as high as the caves.
For at least one half of the distance
between South Danville and Cata
wissa the telegraph wires are down.
Here and there the poles are leaning
and thus support the wires. but for
long stretches they have entirely dis
appeared and the wire is carried along
the ground supported on the merest
make shifts. sticks Of wood often not
more than three fe { nigh.
In Catawissa the track of the flood
is clearly discernibIe. At least one
house was overturned and still lies i'll
that position. The trcsile carrying the
S. II. & W. over the CAtawissa creek is
nearly completed and trains have been
passing over for a day or so. The riv-
er bridge is an object of great interest
to passengers going through Cata-
wissa The two spans next TO the
town are gone. Although iron, both
were carried away on the ice Bent
and twisted out OF all semblance TO
their natural shape they lie along the
channel below the town. The pier
from which the bridge was taken was
lifted from its foundation at the up
per end and firmly intact presents a
very odd appearance leaning at an
angle OF about fifteen degrees.
The ice still remains in the river
above Bloomsbury. In crossing the
bridge from East Bloomsbury the low
er end of the great pack lies in full
view not more than one-fourth of a
mile away. Between Bloomsbury and
the river is a wide territory that was
submerged, the water rising to the
height of five feet. The river bridge
was damaged, being lifted slightly at
the Bloomsbury end and portion of
the iron work carried away. The dam
age was on the upper side and the
roadway along one-half of its width is
quite safe for travel.
On the D. L. & W. between Rupert
and Danville conditions are about the
same as on the Pennsy. Above Dry
Saw Mill for distance of several
miles the scene presented is remark
able one. The ice gorge lifted from
its bed III the river seems to have been