Year: 1868

The st. Louis Democrat of Jan. 31st gives
the following description of an Incident
which has already been briefly referred to
in the Press:


The intense cold of the past few days has
caused the ice in the river to gorge, and yes
terday the ferry-boats were stopped and
people passed over on the ice on a walk oi
planks. No danger was apprehended. and
people of both sexes crossed on it. At 4: 80
o'clock in the afternoon the passengers who
had arrived by the Ohio and Mississippi
train, numbering several hundred, commenc-
ed crossing on the plank road, at the foot of
Washington avenue. There was a line of
people-inen, women and children-extend
ing nearly ecross the river. Some of the
men were prcking valises, some carrying
shawls and overcoats, and several had babies
in their arms. just as the pilgrims on the
sea OF ice were stretched out in long line,
a crash was heard, aid suddenly the ice be-
gan to move. The widest CONSERVATION
prevailed among the travellers. Some ran
back toward the Illinois shore, out the I'M
mense mass of ice upon which they were
floating had drilted some distance from the
shore, leaving gap OF deep running water
twenty or thirty feet wide. Others ran to-
ward the Missouri shore, but this was also
inaccessible from the same cause, and there
the multitude were left, on raft OF ice float
ing slowly toward the Gulf of Mexico


The police were at once marshalled under
Commissioner COddlng, and efforts were made
to rescue the people from their perious situa-
ton. The danger was that the large body of
Ice would break to pieces by coming in con-
tact with the shore ice, and that the people
on 1t would be swallowed up and ground to
pieces by the icy boulders. The noise of the
moving ice was heard at a considerable dis
lance Kissing, grinding sound, mingled
with splashes of broken Jumps and the crack
ing of large cakes as they came in contact
With other bodies 'snait stesrnbont was
lying about a block below the plank road, and
the ice struck her bow, and to this point the
crowd rushed, but as the ice came against the
bow of the boat it was crushed to pieces.
and the distance from the ice to the boat was
too great for anything but IL hog or grass
hopper to leap. At length stage plank was
run out from the boat to the moving ice, and
over this the excited multitude clanbered on
board in great haste--some being literally
dragged along by their hands and clothes
An anxious traveller, who had lost sight of his
wife in the confusion, and was watching bis
chance, with an overcoat in his hand and
promising baby in his arms, became terribly
agitated as his portion of The ice drifted near
the boat. Seeing Officer Gordon on the 9th
&c side of the gap, he called out: "Here catch
this baby" and tossing the infant through
the air distance OF twenty or thirty feet,
turned to look for his better half Gordon
being an expert base ballist, caught the baby
in his hands.


The ice continued to move, and the stage
plank was kept in position until the ice was
pretty well cleared of its passengers. After
the excitement had partially subsidized It was
discovered that man and boy were still
on the ice, going down, all the rest having
reached the shore in safety. The crowd CALI
ed to them repeatedly, but they pad no aten-
tion, and seemed utterly powerless to make
an effort Or to comprehend what was said to
them. AT length Mr.. Codding drew his re-
volver and fred shot over their heads, and
this recalled their wandering senses, and they
found their way to the stage plank and were
saved.