[PW] Wolf Creek Ice Gorge

[Daphne Drewello]

Susan Thurman wrote

> I have a postcard that was mailed in 1910 (it may have been 1916, but the
> stamped date looks more like 1910). On the front of the card is a picture
> of
> the Ohio River at our town (Henderson, KY), with the railroad bridge
> (well,
> the one that was there in the early 1900s) in the back. The title of the
> postcard says "Wolf Creek Ice Gorge, passing Henderson, Kentucky."
>
> I'd like to know more about this ice gorge, but have been unsuccessful.
> Can
> anyone point me in a direction to look?

  Is this the right place? (2nd paragraph, right-hand side of page 158)

http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/038/mwr-038-01-0158.pdf

Retwcen the mout,hs of the Salt and Wabash rivers condit.
ionn were entirely cliffercnb. On t,he evening of December

21, l!N)9. a gorge formwl in thtt short bend of the river just

I)dow t.lie t,own of Wolf Creek, Iiy. It backed up gradually,

antl eventually reached t.he mouth of Salt River. ahout 20 miles

helow Louisville, so that at the time of its breaking its total

lengt,h was about 53 miles. A smaller gorge also formed at

Mount Vernon. Intl., on December 26, 1909, backing up as far

as Evansville, Incl., by December 29. This gorge moved out

on January '3, 1910, without doing any damage of consequence.

In the ineantinie conditions above Evansville had been graclually

1)econiiiig more serious, and the safety of near-by towns,

as well as t,hat of property below the gorge was threatened.

hlilcl nntl rainy went.1ier set in on January 13, and warnings

were at once issued from the local 0fic.e of the Weather Bureau

at Evansville to protect or remove all property liable to damage

from ice or high water. With t,he advent of a warm rain on

January 18, the gorge finally gave way at 1O:lO a. m.,



Daphne Drewello

Alfred Dickey Library

Jamestown, ND