The Alaska citizen., 1917-05-07
1917 BREAKUP AT FAIRBANKS
 NOW HISTORY \

Yesterday for the last time in the history of Fairbanks, the piers of the old bridge were swept down stream by a crush of ice which, coming from the upper reaches of the Cinema river pushed by the pres sure of thousands of tons of water, caused the accumulated mass in front of Fairbanks to start on its way toward the ocean, taking out all of the six piers of the old bridge standing in it's path, The breakup took place at exactly 3:24 o'clo.k the flag posted on the ice passing under the bridge about half mn. ute after the bridge piers were swept away.
 Several hundred people witnessed the breakup from the new road commission bridge and both banks of the river. There was nothing particularly spectacular in the break up beyond the sweeping away ot the piers The two middle ones went first, to be followed later by the one on the Fairbanks side of the river and the three on the Garden Island side The sudden rise in the river, however, was a mat ter of wonder, the water coming up a foot in less than a min ute However, after the first rush was oyer it receded just as much and as quickly,
 The breakup of yesterday demon strated the wisdom of putting the new bridge as high up as it is. For a number of the big cakes of ice thrown high in the air by other cakes and by the water, came with in a foot of the floor of the bridge as it now is. Had it been more than a foot lower the structure Ccr- tainly would have received several hard jars by the ice
 Reports received here from Ne mana are to the effect that the Panama river at that place is clear Just above Nenana, however, at the mission, where the river is eXcep tionally narrow, there is a big jam which is undoubtedly holding back the ice above that point
 At Cinema the Panama rIyer is still holding. It is expected, however, that the ice damned at various points will go out today and that the Panama will be running soon,
 In the signal corps bulletin oI yesterday morning it is stated that the Yukon river ice at Panama is still holding. The water is stated to be running over the ice at that point, and the rising of the river in dicates that it is only a matter Of hours until it will be running freely.
 Owing to the fact that the Panama and Yukon have not yet broken, it is predicted that the opening of navigation will yet be a matter of several days.
 The breakup this year was one of the earliest ever known. Only twice before has the ice gone out on April 30 at an earlier hour, or at P. NJ. and 3:O5 P. NJ, in 1906 and 1907 respectively, while the rec, ord kept shows that the breakup took place one year on April 29 at 12:55 A. NJ.
 At midnight last night the river in front of Fairbanks was running prac- tically free of ice, except for an oc- casional small chunk It is also re ported that the river is clear for a long way up.
 No damage of importance was oc- casioned by the breakup, as nearly as can be learned, except to the In dependent Lumber company, which concern is reported to have lost all of it's booms. The ice also damaged a portion of the waterfront to a con- siderable extent, tearing some of the riprapping up badly just below the Fairview hotel
 MT. and Mrs. H. p. karstens are the proud parents of a baby boy, born at 1:30 o'clock yesterday morn ing at the government hospital at Nenana.