Evening journal., 1912-02-15
DELAWARE RIVER
FULL OF ICE FLOES.
Interesting Narrative Contributed by Whining
tonian Who Took the Trip to Philadelphia

Having received permission 70 go 10
Philadelphia on the steam tugboat
Meteor. which tows the Bush Line
barges 70 and from that port, we went
aboard at six O'Clock in the morning
II was still dark and cold but by the
time we had settled ourselves in the
plot house, alongside a steam radia-
tor, the eastern sky began TO bright
en- and it was quite light when the
captain climbed the steep steps and
blew the whistle for a start Taking
a heavy hawser from the barge To the
stern Of the Meteor. and sounding the
gong 10 the engine room, we got un-
der way aud the first movement OF
the boat sent long cracks runniDg,
like crooked lightning. across the
face Of the ice. Here in the Chris
tiana the big blocks. Ave and six
inches thick, had been knitted to-
gether by the freeze Of the night, but
they were easily pushed aside by the
iron bow Of the tug boat Yet there
was a curious humping and jerking
about the motion very much Ike
Shedding over cobble stones, and the
crack and grind of the ice as il dis
appeared under the bows or Slid along
the sides of the boat made a good
deal Of noise.
The captain and mate were both at
the wheel and It required constant
attention to keep the boats head
straight for the larger ice cakes
pushed the bow first one way and
then another Just beyond the
Third street bridge. we found an open
space, with only the thin skim Ice,
covering the surface Of the water. II
is only a quarter of an inch thick
and presents no obstacle to an iron
or steel vessel but cuts the water
line of wooden vessel like sharp
knife.
No trouble was met going out OF
the Christiana creek and we turned
up the western channel of the river
finding IL almost free from ice. Along
the shore Il is piled up IN great
heaps. the thick blocks set one On top
of another and on edge, like paste
board boxes and the whole eastern
half Of the river a jumblod, frozen
mass. AZ the Wilmington Yacht Clnh
the mounds Of ice are almost as high
as the roof Of the pier. and the shat
tered end OF the pier gave some Idea
of the rcsistless force OF the mass
of ice when piling up. That seems
10 be the only wharf along the river
which has been damaged. though
there are other places where the
brownish white chunks are pushed w
almost as high
A few floating fields were met Oh
the way TO Chester, but u was Jus.
above here that open water stopped
and we entered tho white expsnse
stretching from shore 20 shore. Due
/ 10 the constant work Of the Philadel'
phia ice boats. the Wilson Line boats
and other craft. there is no smooth
ice except along the shores in shoal
water. but in the channel the ice Is
constantly broken up and trozeL
AGAIN until IL Is a rough, Jagged
mass. The Mother Carey chickens
-nerch on II here and there picking vi
scraps thrown out on the ice tron
vessels. A few ducks are seen. ny
ing high. and even a flock OF crow
settled near us SO long as we stay
cd in the wake Of some boat whicl
had crushed It's way through, w
could make fairly good time. nut !
once that wake was left. or II Il ha'
B. frozen over again, the tug made sloV
headway. the bow lifting up on a nll
"deld." settling down as II oFok'
through, rearing up again. JerElni
hack and forth. aud sometimes Wnel
we struck a Geld larger than usual
stopping with a bump until the iolo,
opened a crack Of open water aneao
through which we could push.
SOME of the ice cakes, as they Wer'
slowly pushed aside. we're eignteel
inches thick and measured two nun
dred square feet of surface. NO won
der the boats have trouble getunE
through. A big can buoy, near us
was dancing about in an extraordin
arv. way pushed clear out OF sight b.
Zoe bobbing up again with
rush and straining back aud iorth oi
its anchor
OF the Reppuno Chemical work
on the Jersey shore. the tug Harrie
was trying TO force her way In u
shore through unhroken ice backni
off little. then running ahead. com
ing up with visible Jerk when sh'
struck the solid ice riding up on u
then settling down again with head
way gone and backing OFF for anoth
cr TRIAL.
! We met the Wilson Line boat "cit,