Wolf Creek Ice Gorge 1910
Henderson Morning Gleaner • Sat, Jan 15, 1910:
Up to a late hour Friday night the gorge in Wolf Creek was holding fast, but a break-up was expected at any hour. The government sent out warning to all points below that there was great danger from the rushing ice and the flood water that would be turned loose whenever the gorge broke.
The gorge has become larger by other gorges breaking above and lodging when they struck this gigantie field of ice sixty feet long and from thirty to forty feet high.
When the break does come nothing can stop the rush. which will be something terrific and will sweep everything before it.
The gorge has prevented the water from moving down and has blockaded a large quantity of water, which, when the ice dam breaks, will pour out in a perfect flood and will accelerate the speed of the ice and make the situation more dangerous than it would be.
WHARFBOATS TO MOVE
Fearing that the Louisville and Nashville wharfboat would be damaged by the rushing ice, Capt. Server has orders to remove it to Green river today.
Capt. W. W. Shelbs, city wharf master, said last night that he might have the city wharfboat moved up the river as far as the water works, but he would not remove the boat to Green river. River men advocate the blowing up-of the gorge with dynamite, thus lessening the danger. If the gorge does not let go by the first of next week the dynamite plan may be put into execution.
There are several steamboats in the harbor in Green river whose owners are anxious to get out. One boat ventured out for a trip to Evansville Friday. Some think that the boats couid safely attempt to make trips to Evansville from Green river, as it will take the ice about thirty-six hours to reach here after the break comes.
EXPECTS NO DAMAGE
Capt. Server, who is an old river man and has seen many gorges, had all kinds of experiences and encountered many dangers from floating ice. said last night that he did not believe that the ice would do any damage here.
He was of the opinion that there was no necessity of moving the boats from this port. He said that the river was narrow at Wolf Creek and when the ice spread out and floated 130 miles it would not be of a very dangerous character when it reached this port.
The John B. Lowrey is expected here Trom Tolu with a barge of corn today and will take a cargo of corn bags and return to points down the river. This will be the first boat that has landed here since December 18.
The John S. Hopkins is in Green river and the Joe Fowler is harbored in the Tennessee river.
MUST RECKON WITH WIND
None of these boats will venture out until the Wolf Creek ice has passed away. One danger of damage here is the fact that at present the wind is in the north and should the ice reach here while a north wind is blowing it will rush all the ice to this shore. The river is rising rapidly. The gauge shows 19.2 feet, being a rise of 8 of a foot between the hours of 7 o’clock Friday morning and 3 o’clock in the afternoon. There is a great deal said about the danger of a flood, but unless there is more rainfall than has been the case in the last two days there is little likelihood of the river reaching the danger line, which is 35 feet.
There is little danger of the lowlands being overflowed unless a larger volume of water is in prospect than seems to be at present.
