The winter of 1903-04 was one of massive snow depth and cold. Due to the extremely cold temperatures, the North branch of the Susquehanna River was covered with a thick coating of ice all the way to the West branch at Northumberland.
Early in March there came a prolonged rain, followed by a warm spell that caused a quick melting of the snow. Together the rain and melting snow caused a sudden rise of the water in both branches of the river. The warm sun and the swollen waters caused the ice to heave and break and move along with the high water.
As a result, on Wednesday, March 9, 1909, the Danville River Bridge was lifted by the water and floating ice and carried from the stone piers downstream. At the same time, the water backed up Mahoning Creek and quickly filled the cellars of Mill Street stores, extending onto Lower Mulberry Street and into cellars of homes in the Second Ward. Two-hundred families in the town were temporarily removed from their homes. Boats were the only way to navigate around town.
At 3 p.m., the Water Works sounded its shrill whistle telling the Danvillians that ice in the river was moving. Scores of people lined the shore to watch the sight. Spectators were warned to stay off the bridge; warnings were posted of the danger. About 3:30 p.m. the plank sheeting of the second span for the Riverside end was ripped from its mooring by the relentless ice pounding the pier. At 4 p.m. the span fell into the river with two other spans following almost instantly. Soon, the fourth and fifth went. The two remaining spans, both on the Danville end, held on.
The William Howe Truss covered bridge, built by Smith Bridge Company out of Toledo, Ohio, had served the residents of Danville and Riverside for 29 years.
Construction of a new bridge was planned, but until completion people had to find a way to cross the river. This created a great hardship on people on both sides of the river — residents either had to use the ferry in good weather or ford the ice during winter. On June 15, 1905, a new iron bridge opened. This was the fourth bridge in this location crossing the river between Danville and Riverside. This new iron bridge stood against floods and ice flows, unlike the past covered bridges, until a new concrete bridge was dedicated and opened to the public on July 21, 2000.
-- Lynn Reichen is president of the Montour County Historical Society.
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Getting involved
Annual membership to the Montour County Historical Society is $15 per individual, $25 per family (living under one roof) and $300 for a life-time. Newsletters are sent out quarterly. Send membership dues to MCHS, P.O. Box 8, Danville, PA 17821. The Montgomery House is open Memorial Day through Labor Day on Sundays 2-4 p.m. and by appointment by calling 275-0383 or 275-7875. The Mooresburg Schoolhouse is open for the day the first Sunday in October and by appointment by calling 275-3690.
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News
A March flood washed away
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Cases involving gas station drug sales advance to Montour County Court
DANVILLE – Three people charged with selling heroin and Oxycotin tablets during two separate transactions at a convenience store lot Jan. 2 will face court action.
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Danville school options aired with borough council
DANVILLE — After borough officials pledged to work with school officials toward a decision on the flood-damaged middle school, council members voted not to give or sell any farmland it owns. The purpose of the unanimous action by the council Tuesday night was so the district knows that rumored option to move the school won’t happen. The borough owns a farm across from the Danville Primary School.
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Five watershed projects receive $873,000 in state funding
NORTHUMBERLAND -- Five Valley watershed projects will get nearly $873,000 from the state Department of Environmental Protection, which announced funding for 73 projects to improve watersheds, stormwater runoff, acid mine drainage and educational programs, among other environmental efforts.
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Dispute turns into gun threat, troopers say
After an argument in which his wife threatened divorce, William Warren Woolsey, 36, grabbed a .22-caliber rifle and told her to meet him in the bedroom, saying he would kill himself, state police at Milton said.
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Mom allegedly beat toddlers with brush
MIFFLINBURG -- A 22-year-old Mifflinburg mother has been charged with beating her two toddlers with a hairbrush until they bled from abrasions all over their faces and bodies, state police at Milton said. The abuse came to light when Brittany Morgan Sullivan's parents came home and found the wounds on their grandchildren, according to police.
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Commissioners give disabled Sunburian a chance
SUNBURY -- A 22-year-old disabled man asked the Northumberland County commissioners a life-changing question last week. "Can I have a job?" Giuseppe Bua, of Sunbury, was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a genetic disorder in which bones break easily. Sometimes the bones break for no known reason. The disorder also can cause weak muscles, brittle teeth, a curved spine and hearing loss.
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Trucking firm to add 25 drivers
MILTON -- The president of Watsontown Trucking Co. said Tuesday that his firm will be hiring 25 truck drivers in addition to several diesel technician and management positions, all due to expansion. President Steve Patton said the company, which has been in the Milton Industrial Park since 2004, bought 14 additional acres in the park, adding 10,000 square feet of office space and maintenance facilities. Construction on the new space, he said, will begin shortly and is targeted to be completed by June.
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Mayor wants trucks to help fund roads
SUNBURY -- Mayor David Persing is frustrated with truck traffic entering the former Celotex site on North Front Street, and he wants to do something about it. Charge an impact fee. Gas companies have paid millions to repair roads damaged by trucks in the Marcellus shale region, and Persing wants to levy a fee to compensate the city for damage to roads caused by trucks hauling drilling waste through the city. About $25 per truck per visit, he said.
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18-year-old dies in truck crash on Routes 11-15
LIVERPOOL -- An 18-year old Selinsgrove man was killed when his pickup truck collided with a tractor-trailer on Routes 11-15 in Perry County.
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Reactions to budget plan mixed
SUNBURY -- Reaction to Gov. Tom Corbett's proposed 2012-2013 budget came from all directions Tuesday.
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Proposal alters school funding
HARRISBURG -- Gov. Tom Corbett has proposed steady funding for K-12 basic education in his $27.1 billion budget for 2012-13. But how school districts get their money will change as four line items will be combined into one block grant for most basic education funding. That has made for some debate about any actual increase to basic education.
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High school roundup: Rosini pin lifts Ironmen over Tigers
DANVILLE -- Steven Rosini's pin over Connor Houseknecht in 37 seconds in the final bout of the day at 132 pounds prevented disaster for Danville as the Ironmen pulled out a 40-36 Heartland Athletic Conference crossover victory on Tuesday.
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Cases involving gas station drug sales advance to Montour County Court
