The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-23
HAVOC ALONG RIVER
BY WATER And ICE
Description of the Damage from
Riverside to the Lower
Bridges.

The custodians of the Canoe Club build
ing. who spent a sleepless night following
the suspense of Thursday, saw much of
the fury and the destruction Of the ice that
came down White river. The first break
of the ice in the river near the clubhouse
came at about O'Clock Thursday evening,
but it went gradually and with no damage
to the buildings on the river bank At 6
o'clock the immense gorge that had formed
at the mouth of Crooked creek broke and
came crashing down stream. tearing the
Habich boathouse from its mornings and
bearing it away. This was followed about
10 O'Clock by a second rush of ice that fol-
lowed up the destructive work of the first
by tearing away the clubs bathhouse and
the floating dock on the opposite bank of
the stream. About 80 O'Clock the rush of
ice and drift from the break at Broad Rip
pie roared past. bearing with il the still
blazing ruins of the Sullivan workship.
This hit the corner of the clubs dock and
partially capsized. so that the fire was
temporarily quenched, but The flames blazed
up again and the burning structure con-
tinued down stream imprisoned in the
ice.
The clubs floating boathouse and dock
was securely moored to the bank by two
large cables and three smaller ropes. Those
who saw the masses of ice, crashing and
pounding against each other and against
everything on the banks that impeded their
progress, stated yesterday afternoon that
Il almost miracle that the boathouse
was saved at all. After this last gorge had
passed, the river was comparatively clear
OF Ice until o'clock yesterday afternoon,
when mass of Ice and drift came down,
taking nearly an hour In passing.
RIVER VERY HIGH.
A drive down tba RfvarSida bo,,Iax,or5 zoe
terday afternoon. starting from the grounds
Of the Canoe Club. revealed much of the
fury and extent of the flood and its burden
of ice. The river was swollen to twice its
normal volume and the torrent of muddy,
surging water had overlooked i'm many
places into the lowland along the banks.
Borne along this stream at a speed of
many miles an hour were bits of driftwood
and stray icefioes. while the masses of gray
clouds that the chill wind swept along over
head added wild beauty to scene not
Pieces of ice large and small, chung to the
banks along both sides OF the river, where
they had been left by the water as it sub
sided after the widest swelling OF the cur
rent.
Below the dam the river rushed in a series
OF muddy rapids. the roar of which could be
heard for a great distance up and down the
stream. Just below the dam at a low place
in the road. the river had left huge ice foes
that were piled so high yesterday morning
as 10 impede all traffic on the roadway but
these were partly cleared away before noon
so that vehicles could pass the spot. Even
then horses had to be guided between two
high pieces OF ice, and half a foot OF water
overfowed the road into the field beyond
The nOrthernmost OF the two steel suspen-
sion footbridges that cross the river was
badly wrecked. the supports at the eastern
bank being wrenched out of line so as TO
allow the center of the bridge to sag far
down. The land Immediately at the eastern
end of this bridge was separated from the
road by space or muddy water, in the shall
lows of which pieces of ice lay stranded.
CAUGHT FISH IN HANDS.
peculiar case of winter fishing was
noted, in which neither hook line nor seine
was necessary to bag three fine fish A man
at the south loop OF the Riverside Park
car line had these fish on a string, and
gave the information he had caught them
with his hands. where they were helpIessly
entangled in bushes at the side of the river.
but still alive when taken. They were
black bass. the largest apparently weigh
ing several pounds A similar case
was reported at the Michigan-street bridge.
where a large carp was caught.
The Michigan-street bridge is now in
practically the same condition it was when
condemned two years ago. The mass of
wooden piles that were driven into the
placed added supports for the bridge floor
were almost torn away by the ice render
ing the bridge too unsafe for any traffic.
The floor OF the bridge itself appar-
emily intact. but an officer stationed at
either end allowed none but pedestrians
90 pass over IT,
Conditions along Fall creek are much
the same as along the river, although on
smaller scale. The muddy current of the
stream bears little resemblance to the lazy
current that creeps along between green
banks in the summer season. The great
est damage that has been wrought by the
swollen current of the creek and the fee
II brought with IL was at the Northwest
ern-avenue bridge. but another work OF
destruction lodged against the stream Is