From behind ever more water bore down, and ever more millions of tons of ice added their weight to the congestion.

The pressures and stresses became terrific.

Huge cakes of ice were squeezed out till they popped into the air like melon seeds squeezed from between the thumb and forefinger of a child, while all along the banks a wall of ice was forced up.
When the jam broke, the noise of grinding and smashing redoubled.

For another hour the run continued.

The river fell rapidly.