Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1873-08-28

The New York 1ribxne's correspondent
accompanying the Yellowstone expedition
under command of General Stanley, writes
that paper highly interesting statement of
the party's progress along the upper Missou-
ri and across the Aduvdises 1erre, or ''Bad
Lands" of Dakota. 1t describes journey
through wild region, of which portion is
desolate beyond all comparison; but the
cheeriness of camp life and the fresh winds
of those highland plains breathe through the
sentences. To the difficulties which usually
attend march in distant and unsettled re-
giops, red tape at Washington has added
special embarrassments. The country travers-
ed had the reputation of not being subject
to rains, and therefore pontoons were not
provided A swollen river spreads to width
too great for the longest timbers brought by
the engineering corps, and carries their
bridge away. There is no growing timber
of useful length. Here was dilemma where
the man of precedents would have come to
q stand and here was just the exigency
where the American soldier rose superior to
circumstances and overcome them. A por.
ton of the party had crossed the river the
day or two before, and cut off from the main
train, were in need of provision and forage.
The river kept rising rendering it impossible
for the train to cross or for bridge to be
constructed, as there was no timber at hand
of sufficient length to span the stream. We
leave the correspondent to tell the story of
the crossing
Instead of going down, the stream, refresh
ed by some remote tributary, went up to its
original height. When Monday morning
came, we were Just as far from the other side
as the day before. General Stanley was de-
termined to wait no longer. The commissary.
Lieutenant Ray, ,once more solved the problem.
He offered to build bridge and cross the
command. But how could he build bridge
without timber, pontoons or lumber? We
have in this expedition over one hundred wa
ter kegs. Nearly all Of them are reformed
whisky kegs. When they contained whisky
the bung always leaked. They finally leaked
temperance kegs have been heretofore car
ricd on the wagons Lieutenant Ray now
proposes to carry the wagons on the kegs.
Ninety-six empty kegs were accordingly
ordered to report at the stream. -Four wag-
on-beds were dismembered of their covers
and wheels twenty-five or thirty men were
then set to work to bung and plug the kegs.
Only those thoroughly coopered were accept
ed; the dry and unserviceable ones were re-
jected and their places supplied by others.
Each of the wagon-beds just held twenty
four kegs placed on their ends side by side
in three rows. Some timber was, meanwhile,
cut into poles, and one pole placed length
wise over each row of kegs to keep them in
place. Ropes and chains were passed over
the poles and completely around the wagon
beds, so that the booms and kegs were firmly
secured. The wagon-bodies were then drag
ged down the bank and launched IN the
water bottom-side Hp-that is, with the kegs
down. Each wagon-bed was then floating
upside down upheld by twenty-four air-tlght
kegs. These extemporized floats were then
moored lengthwise in the stream. The next
trouble was to lash them securely side by
side. This was no easy matter; but Mr..
Kay met it as he did every other difficulty in
the construction with ready brain and o
ready hand. He had one man on the hrst
noat with him, and with coat Oft and sleeves
rolled up, lashed them together with his own
hands. The shores were lined with officers
and men watching the experiment. Very lit
tle confidence was expressed in the structure
by the wagon-masters and teamsters. Il
tell YER" said one, this here thing amt
goin' to work no how. Jest as soon as one
OF them big wagins gifts on that bridge the
old thing IL sink an wagins and mules will
60 TO-" The destination indicated was
much further than the Yellowstone. Some
OF the less experienced officers considered
the whole thing as foregone failure The
bridge, like the boat, was born under cloud
of doubt.
By means of some wagon reaches and
plenty of picket rope, the boats were finally