Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-03-10
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the press this morning the big wooden
bridge still sranned the river. The
great ice gorge at Roaring Greek was
intact. The river, however, covered
with ice approximatiug three feet in
Thickness was rising rapidly. Above
the great ice Jam flood conditions were
prevailing at Catawissa, AT a late
hour the preceding night the water
rose to a height of 81 feet. On Mon
day ught the 7th inst, two spans of
the Catawissa river bridge were raised
from their piers. At Wilkesbarre and
points below great flood was on, at
the former place at p m. on the Sth
inst, the water reaching the 2S foot
mark. At Nantitoke there WAS 80
foot flood. During March the Sth the
ice gorge above Berwick moved about
3 miles and then jammed. At So'clook
at night there was movement in the
Roaring Greek jam, which gave rise to
the report that the ice was moving.
The disturbance, however, was purely
local in its nature and the great gorge
held fast.
When morning dawned the height OF
water in the river at Danville did not
exceed twenty feet. The situation was
full of suspense and uncertainty. All
knew that the great ice dam at Roar
ing Creek was holding back the might
lest food that ever swept down the
valley of Susquehanna. How long
would it be able to maintain its su.
premacy in the face of the mighty pres
sure back of it and when it broke
what would it mean to Danville?
These were the reflections that thrill
ed the people during the morning
hours.
At 10 oclock in the forenoon the
river at Danville was 23 feet high. 1t
was then rising rapidly. At 10 :45
o'clock the whistle at the Water Works
sounded, which was the prearranged
warning that the ice was moving. 1t
was an anxious and excited throng
that materialized from every part OF
town and before the whistle had ceas-
ed to blow the street all about the en-
trance to the bridge was packed. while
the river bank from the Water Works
to Pine street was black with human
ity. There were ut least 5000 PEOPLE
in the crowd.
With n SLOW and uniform motion the
pouderous mass of ice, intact from
shore to shore, moved down upon the
bridge. The ice as it struck the piers
broke up into immense masses, which
revealed a thickness exceeding three
feet At three of the piers the ice
cakes each many tons in weight were
driven up against the sidewalks, tear
ing away many of the timbers. At one
place the railing was broken and there
were only three plank left to walk up
on. The accompanying cut shows the
appearance presented by the bridge
during the forenoon while the water
was steadily rising and after the big
crowd had assembled TO see the ice
move. The number of persons seen on
the sidewalk shows that not " withstand-
ing the damage wrought by the ice the
belief was not general that the bride
was in any Immediate danger of being
| swept away.
Shortly after IL O'Clock the ice stop
ped moving. At :l5 O'Clock in the
afternoon the Water Works again
sounded the warning that the ice was
moving. In few minutes the great
mass of humanity present. in the fore
noon again lined the river bank. The
water had reached the 81 foot mark
and the ice was running rapidly. There
was still room for rise of five feet
before the bridge seemed in any es pecl-