CHAP. XXIV. THE riLIXG OF THE ICE. 53 



This wall is now a great protection against the effects of the ice. 

 Broken by it, the ice piles on the street or terrace surmounting 

 it, and there stops ; but before the wall was built, the sloping 

 bank guided the moving mass up to those of gardens and houses 

 in a very dangerous manner, and many accidents used to occur. 

 It has been known to pile up against the side of a house, distant 

 more than 200 feet from the margin of the river, and there break 

 in at the windows of the second floor. I have seen it mount a 

 terrace garden twenty feet above the bank, and crossing the 

 garden enter one of the principal streets of the town. A few 

 3^ears before the erection of the revetment wall, a friend of mine, 

 tempted by the commercial advantages of the position, ventured 

 to build a large cut stone warehouse. The ground-floor was not 

 more than eight feet above the summer level of the river. At 

 the taking of the ice, the usual rise of the water of course inun- 

 dated the lower story, and, the whole building becoming sur- 

 rounded by a frozen sheet, a general expectation was entertained 

 that it would be prostrated by the first movement. But the 

 proprietor had taken a very simple and effectual precaution to 

 prevent this. Just before the rise of the waters he securely 

 laid against the sides of the building, at an angle of less than 

 45°, a number of stout oak logs a few feet asunder. "VMien the 

 movement came the sheet of ice was broken, and pushed up the 

 wooden inclined plane thus formed, at the tojD of which, meeting 

 the wall of the building, it was reflected into a vertical position, 

 and falling back in this manner, such an enormous rampart of 

 ice was in a few minutes placed in front of the warehouse as 

 completely shielded it from all possible danger. In some years 

 the ice has piled up nearly as high as the roof of this building. 

 Another gentleman, encouraged by the security which this ware- 

 house apparently enjoyed, erected one, of great strength and 

 equal magnitude, on the next water lot ; but he omitted to pro- 

 tect it in the same way. The result might have been antici- 

 pated. A movement of the ice occurring, the great sheet struck 

 the walls at right angles, and pushed over the building as if it 

 had been a house of cards. Both positions are now secured by 

 the revetment wall. Several movements of the grand order 

 just mentioned occur before the final setting of the ice, and each 

 is immediately preceded by a sudden rise of the river. Sometimes 



