The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1826-06-29
DomrStfr e. MistrlIanrouS.
FRESHETS.

The St. Louis papers of the lst inst. give
melancholy accounts Of the sufferings by
ttreshets on some Of the western waters
We are informed, says the ST. Louis En-
duiyer. by gentlemen engaged in the fur
trade, who have arrived froni the establish.
ments on the Missouri, within few days
past, that the late freshets have been very
destructive: that nearly all the houses.
boats, and other property belonging to them
have been washed away, and the men. in
many instances barely escaped with .heir
lives.
At the Mandan villages, the wa,c. rose.
IL feet perpendicularly In few hours, and
at the Aricara towns Is feet in two hours
only. Such was its rapidity, that every
thing on the low banks was eitherswept a.
way or entirely inundated.
A band of Sioux were encamped some
distance below the Arickaras. when the
water suddenly coming upon them, between
sixty and seventy of their number, men,
women and children, perished in its bosom.
The scene as described to US, was truly
appalng--some ofthe sufferers were seen
IN the attempt TO swim, dashed down by the
resstless current and crushed to death a.
mongst the drifting ice and timber. 9th
ers hung to the branches of trees, until they
became benumbed with the cold, gradual
ly slackened their grasp and were borne
down the stream. Several OF the men sue
ceeded IN climbing trees, where they re-
mained considerable time in hopes OF res
cue but their inevitable fate was only for
short time protracted. A sudden change
in the atmosphere, accompanied by heavy
fall of sleet, deprived them Of all feeling,
and they dropped senscless into the water
below.
The rise is attributed to the melting OF
the snow and ice at the heads of the Yel-
lowstone and Chevanne Rivers. These
streams flow from the South, and are ge-
nerally the first in the spring that pay their
annual tribute to the Missouri. At the
commencement of the present freshet, the
ice had not broken up in the Missouri, nor
many miles up the other rivers; but as the
water rose, IL forced its way down bearing
every thing before it und breaking loose.
with tremendous crashing, the thick k-ribbsd
ice Of the Missouri.
A great many packs Of Buffalo Robes
were lost by the diflercHt traders, and some
of these enterprising young men, we are
sorry to say have lost every thing they pos.
sessed.
II is stated in the Detroit Gazette, tia.
The Mississippi has risen fourteen feet, and
overfiowed its banks at Praire du Chier,
and driven the troops from their quarters ia
The garrison. The consequence is, that il
Is very sickly there.
a letter To the editor Of the Arkansas
Gazette, from the Post OF Arkansas, dated
18th of May, says-"the whole coast. from
Dereusseax down, is overfioved, although
much labor has been done in making le-
wees"
The Ohio, Tennessee, Tombecbee, and
other Rivers east ofthc Mississippi ere at
the same time so low that they are unnavi-
gable for steam boats. At the last dates
from st. 1ouis the waters were retiring
within their natural borders.
NEw-YonE.
TIE SEA StRPEsr. This celebrated
animal was seen by the captain. passen-
gers and crew Of the ship Silss Richards,
off Georges Banks, FIVE days before tse
arrival Of that ship at n. York. The Dali
ly Advertiser says, at was about ten Sods
from The ship, the sea perfectly calm, nuc