The Paducah evening sun., 1910-01-21
ICE SNEBPS into
TENNESSEE ABOVE
PADUCAH HARBOR
Endaneers Craft Tied TO
Island Opposite City,.
Tugs on Guard.
Coal Combines Fleet Of
Barees is Caught.
THE RECORD FOR FIFTY YEARS

Imperiling towboats and barges
and threatening TO shift to the Ken
lucky shore with change in the
wind. ice 20 feet thick and floating in
a solid stream for a distance of 100
miles from the Wolf Creek gorge,
began passing Paducah at O'Clock
this morning. II is the worst seen
here in so years and with the rising
river and north wind II is coming
through the chute at head OF Tennes-
see island in larger quantities than
ever witnessed before.
The towboat Russell Lord, owned
by the Aver g. Lord Tie company,
and feet os between ~ and is
loaded barges. besides other craft
moored on this side OF the island. are
hemmed in by the ice and valiant
efforts are being made to prevent the
Ice tearing them away. The towboats
Blue Spot, Pavonia and Pittsburgh,
above the Lord and her fleet, are in
constant danger.
Rescue work Is being done by the
Kentucky Coal company. and the Illi-
nois Central railroad tug, Anna S.
Cooper. The Harth succeeded in
catching a damaged empty barge that
was passing near shore. while the
Cooper pulled in a torn-up barge.
One red barge marked John d."
loaded with coal. passed at 10 O'Clock
this morning while packed in the ice
above here are is loaded coal barges
belonging to the big coal combine
that were swept away at DeKoven,
Ill. yesterday aftern ,on. They are
due to pass h re this afternoon.
The ice probably breaks all records
for immensity. Flowing with the
river current. which is between four
and five miles the hour. the ice is
passing down stream rapidly and will
last until tomorrow before the last
OF IL goes BY At noon today the
front OF the gorge had reached Grand
Chain and is now passing Cairo into
the Mississippi.
Arrived Today.
When Il reached Paduoah this
morning II resembled a great white
spectre in the darkness and was be-
tween five and ten feet above the sur
face of the water. The ice IL heavy
and extends between Is and 30 feet
below the surface. Trees. logs, broken
barges and loaded barges are passing
amid the giant cakes.
Ice began coming through the
chute today and as the day pro-
gressed the ice became thicker. Yes
terday afternoon Capt. Henry Baker,
Transportation manager for the Aver
& Lord Tie company, recognized the
coming danger to the barges tied at
the island and the towboat Hosmer
moved many Of the barges loaded
with ties to the Tennessee river, an
ice harbor where many boats are now
anchored. 1t was not feared that ice
would come through the chute, but
when II appeared today the barges
now moored at the island were made
fast with extra ropes and the Russell
Lord was made fast with hog chains.
Iron sidings were fixed at the outside
of the barges to prevent the Ice from
crushing them. Captain Baker re-
manned aboard the Russell Lord all
might and II Is impossible for him to
cross the river today. The Lord has
gotten up steam and will try to save
herself in case she is swept away
from her mooring. IL is said that the
ice is trenching under the boats and
barges and for this reason the danger
becomes more imminent.
The Lord is valued at about $i5,-
loco and is the flagship of the tie
lcompany's fleet. The ties and barges
lare valued at between $1,000 and
$4,000 each. The Blue Spot, recently
let off the marine ways and owner by
1.-THE Holcomb-Loeb Tie company, i
valued at about $25.O00 and Il
lpenned In between the island and ice
lOther towboats in peril are the Pa
vonia. owned by the Aver & Lord Tis
company and the Pittsburgh.
Wind From North.
With the wind blowing at higf
rate of speed from the north the ie'
was kept away from this side of the
river. but should the wind set in th'
east the ice will be forced across, en-
dangering the wharfboat, Dick anc
| Joe Fowler and Ohio, that are tiet
5 about the wharfbost-
Early this morning ice threatened
ltbe aeet of loaded coal barges of th'
ST. Bernard Coal company's tipple
INIT additional lines were made fas
: and the barges we're saved from bein'
e carried away.
e The ice was between 100 and Isl
; feet out from the wharfboat at moor
e and we'll away from the Illinoi
shore. 1t is keeping nearly 70 th'