Crittenden record-press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1909-191?, 1918-02-28
The Great Ice L'rge.
(6y LoNNlE Cliff J

% -umrthng about the great ice !
..L,s mcn have filed the Ohio river
.,uu- ny cast few weeks but there |
I- no, one person IN ten who has ac-
t.aHy syeu Those sorges with their
oau eyes. There are quite a number
If people who would like 10 know the /
tuil PARTICULARS concerning these i'm /
mense gorges and it is for the purpose I.
Of enIghtening them just a little bit
that | am writing this article.
There was a tremendous gorge
which recently lodged at Ford's Ferry
and Weston and for many hours this
great ice flow remained at complete
standstill. People came to the river
bank from many different parts of the
neighborhood, in order to witness the
unparalleled spectacle which lay before
their eyes. So many interesting re-
ports were issued concerning the size
and appearance of the mighty gorge
that finally decided to 90 down ard
see it myself.
When reached the river bank. it
was a wonderful sight which greeted
my gaze, Large blocks of ice o: al
most ever" conceivable size and shape
were piled together and they filled the
river from one bank to the other. A
cons derable part of the ice had been
ground up into small pieces. but there
were quite number of gigantic cakes
which possessed a thickness of u to
Is inches and length and breadth of
10 10 20 feet. The great heaps of ice
were not arranged in any systematic
manner but piled together in a most
varied and irregular fashion. Some of
the cakes were piled IN layers one up
on another; some of them were stand
ing end on end aud were pointing
straight up toward the sky; and yet
again there were many other pieces
which were tilted in leaning attitude
and were pointing in as many different
directions. 1t was all, a most inter-
estlng and picturesque sight, and there
were quite number of elderly citizens
who vowed that they had never seen
the like before during all the many
years in which they have lived close to
the Ohio river.
In some places the ice was heaped
up in gigantic piles which looked like
steep hills on dry land. A group Of
young ladies' boldly walked out on the
Ice and climbed upon the top of the
biggest ice hill which they 20 Id find.
There they stood. and calmly gazed up
and down the river, while the specta.
tors on the shore marveled at their
GOODNESS and daring courage,
During the latter part of the after
noon there was a group Of men who
walked out into the river, and they
went very considerable distance from
the shore. Some of them were laugh.
ing and joking while walking arouni
on the ice, but there was one Of the
men who suddenly became filled with
apprehension, and he turned to his
companions and said:
Suppose this gorge was to suddenly
break loose and go crashing down the
river before we could get out of IL?
| have wife ana children on the shore
and they are depending upon me for
support"
He hurried back to the bank as quick
as possible and the other members Of
the party followed him in more lcis-
urely manner. There was large
number of people who did not dare to
get out upon the great ice gorge. am
not ashamed to confess that was one
among this number.
In the meantime the pressure OF the
water against the ice from above had
become increasingly severe and short
while after the party had returned to
the shore, the big gorge suddenly
broke loose and went sweeping down
the river in a most spectacular manner.
The water rose about 10 feet in less
than two hours which was without
doubt the mosta mazingly rs pid rise the
people Of this neighborhood have ever
seen.
A few days sfterward the great ice
gorge which had been lodged at Evans
vile, came floating down the river but
II did not stop anywhere that we know
Of. More than . dozen barges in sd.
dition to number Of shsntyboats and
= derrick boat, accompanied the last
great flow Of ice At the time Of the
present writing the river has risen
TO very considerable height and II is
not thought that the people Of Ford's
Ferry and Weston will ever see such
tremendous gorge Of ice a. they Wit.
messed several days ago.