The Republican journal., 1904-02-25
THE ICE BLOCKADE OF 1904.

Crossing from Castine and Islesboro to Bel
fast on the Ice. Driving ON the Harbor
Sunday. Features of the situation in this
Vicinity and Along the Coast.
Although the bay and harbOr have been
closed to navigation since Feb. 7th, there
was but little travel, il any, on the ice out
side the land-locked harb0rs until Feb. 18th.
The mails were brought from lslesboro and
few passengers crossed by way of Satur-
day Cove by using sled and dory, the bay
being partly solid ice and partly open water
or thin ice. Even this plan was not feas-
able all the time and from Feb. 18th to the
10th no mails were received. Sunday, Feb
14th, large number of men, women and
boys walked far out on the bay, and two or
three went within a short distance of Tur-
tie Head. Thursday, Feb. 18th, three men
walked from lslesboro to Belfast, crossing
to Northport and Friday several came di-
rectly across from Lassell's Cove on the
west side, near Turtle Head, to Belfast
Saturday large number came over, and
two men came from Castine. The latter
went on the ice on the west side of the Cape
anu hCpt "Oi uP way. ohO Puloy Vi
four men that crossed from IslesbOrO Sat-
urday had sled on which they carried
coil of rope. They left on the return trip
about p. m, with a sled load of supplies.
The first Belfaster to venture on the ice
with a team was Joseph Tyler, who drove
his span down near the west shore Sunday
forenoon. Soon after, John P. Bragg and
Lewis Herbert arrived from Lassells Cove,
IslesEoro, and after short stay in Belfast
returned by the same route. They cut
through and measured the ice in several
places, and found it from 81 to 13 inches
thick Mr.. Bragg noted the difference be-
tween fresh and salt water ice. He has
driven considerably on the ponds, and finds
that there is constant cracking and roar
ing as the teams pass over. On the bay
there is absolutely no noise, the ride across
being as quiet as though over country
road. He found good Sleighing except
strip about a mile wide along the west side
of Islesboro where the ice from the river
piled up into large hummocks. Sunday
afternoon large number of persons were
on the bay in sleighs and on foot. A few
went well over to the Island, but as the
walking was hard the majority were con-
tent with going to the monument or a little
beyond. L. L. Gentner drove over to
Stockton Springs. VIM. II. Nickerson and
sleighs. They landed at Lassell's Cove,
drove across to Ryder's Cove, and returned
by the same route. A. S. Heal photograph
ed a group of people at the monument Sun
day afternoon.
A remarkable mirage was seen over the
bay at different times the past week. This
illusion is frequently noticed just before or
in the early hours of an easterly or south
easterly wind, Dice's Head and Turtle
Head appearing much nearer and larger
than their natural view. Sunday about
sunrise the eastern shores appeared unus-
ualIy near, and the illusion continued until
well into the forenoon. A young man and
two young women. not familiar with the
distances, walked out to the monument and
as Turtle Head appeared SO near decided to
walk across. They did so, but in returning
found the walking harder on account of the
softening of the snow. The young ladies
got thoroughly chilled and serious results
We're feared, but they were much better
Tuesday
Mondays rain melted the snow and at
night the temperature went down to the
freezing point and Tuesday morning the
whole surface of the bay was like glass.
Many pedestrians, few teams and quite a
bar of Sl-a mt tho do
and in the afternoon some hurriedly made
ice boats were gliding about, although there
was not wind enough for good sailing An
attempt was made to bring in a boat fl ON
Pitchers Pond but the snow was so deep
and the travelling so bad that it could not
be done Mr.. Estabrooks succeeded in get
ting his ice boat down from Swan Lake,
but too late for use that day. She was out
sailing yesterday forenoon. There were a
number of arrivals from Islesboro in the
morning They came over in sleighs and
went on the ice just this side of the lime
kiln wharf. They report solid ice all around
Turtle Head. The only crack was out by
boating on the bay is likely to become
popular sport.
Islesboro people report that the only
clear water visible from the island is off the
big ledges.
NO USE FOR THE FERRY BOAT.
Some idea may be had of the unusual ma
ture of the present winter from the fact
that on Sunday people walked from the
Bucksport side of the PenobscOt to the
Prospect shore on the ice. Several of the
young ladies of the latter place attend the
Seminary They go home Saturday MORN
ing as usual thing and return Sunday af-
ternoon. AS the young ladies are most at
tractive they always have admirers Of the
opposite sex. OF course these vary from
term to term. 1t is the custom of these
cavaliers to 20 down to the ferryslip at an
arranged time, SO as to be on hand to carry
the luggage of their adorable ones up steep
Mcdonald street to the mansion that crowns
the hill On Sunday afternoon it was dis
covered that the ice pack extended from
shore to shore. So the gallants started out
to walk into Waldo county. This was
quickly done without any difficulty what
ever, and when the girls had been told
several times how easy it was, nothing
would suffice but that they must duplicate
the feat. Hancock county was reached
without even triflng mishap.-Bucksport
Times.
LANDING PLACE AT SEA.
Captain Barbour of the Mineola said that
on his Saturday trip from Rockand he was
due to StoD at Isle an Haut at the edpa of