The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-05-04
OVER THE RIVER.
Condition of Affairs in the Over
flowed District of Sny Island.
From the Hannibal Courier.

From the Hannibal Courier.
The only means of travel on sny Island, ex-
ccpting along the lcvee, Is by boat. With n licht
skin and n good pair of oars you can 70 whcr-
ever you desire, provided you have the muscle
and endurance for u long pull. Yesterday after
noon a Courier reporter, In company With n
friend, got into n skin and dropped down to
Rouse's place, where n portage was made over
the leyee and the boat launched In a small slough
leading out to the great prairie lying south Of the
T., W. q W. Il. Il. The ground near the lcvsc
Is generally out OF water and the wheat fields are
very luxuriant, presenting that dark green mp
pearance which indicates n healthy growth. Fol-
lowing the winnings OF the slough through n
skirt Of timber We finally came into the prairie,
where the placid waters spread out In every di-
rcction almost as far as the eye could reach,
presenting a novel and rather picturesque APP
pearance. The numerous farm houses which
have been erected within the past two or three
years are surrounded by water and generally
deserted, presenting n rather forlorn and desc
late appearance.
This district is almost entirely submerged, the
water being from one to five feet In depth, nc
cording TO the elevation or depression of the
ground. In one large field, where II lot OF
prairie hay was cut last season, the ''doodles,,
h"' wv" ' wv NV kibNitfy Nv wv net Probably
not finding 1t convenient to concentrate them
into stacks OF ricks. just now the tons of these
hay "'loodlco" are just visible above the water,
and the fields present the appearance OF u lake
dotted over with musk-rat houses. Occasional
'ya large straw pile looms up from the water,
looking like a rock IN the ocean, on top of which
u few solitary and forlOrn-loOklng chickens
have taken refuge.
WItpra tln unt.r 1n1. is ,roy l,o,,ut II. -
frcstlc work on the Wabash road, about three
miles east orthis city, 1t runs very rapidly and
makes II great habbling, which yesterday could
be heard at least two miles away, comiAg over
the placid lake In subducd and musical muir
murs, which was n complete realization Of tsc
poctical idea Of the Emusic OF the wntcrs.o
Again along the gravel road from Sand slough,
the water likewise rushcs over The hard roadbcd
with a great noise, which at u distance falls up-
on the ear with n musical anil sosthing sound.
In some of the wheat fields south of the rail-
road, the green wheat blades are beginning to
appear above water, presenting beautiful set
tings Of emerald In u vast crystal ground. This
wheat looks rs green and fresh rs though the
water hid not touched 1t, and where the water
has entirely left the ground during the sulsi-
dcncr of thc flood in The past few days the grow
ing wheat presents quite as healthy an appear
nnce as that which has not been under water N,
all Making Il portage over the railroad en-
bankmcnt we pulled across Dan IIaincr's large
wheat field, all of which was exposed to the
terrible food Of raging waters occasionrd by the
breaking of the Lcvee-ruilroad cmbankmrnt OBJ
posite this city, Tuesday night, April 18th.
Here, too, the top Of the green wheat, which for
nearly u week has been out of sight, Is again
making its appearance, looking quite fresh and
In our opinion most Of the wheat will
come out of the food all right, and We prcdic,
that the crop on the island this year will be
greater and better than that of lasr year, that /,
II the weather continues cool, and the river sub
sides within its natural channel within n rcas-
enable time, and the fields ARE not subjected to
another overflow from the June rise, II calamity
that may be avoided by properly repairing the
breaks.
The farmers will suffer great loss in fencing,
for in many places where the fences were strong
enough to withstand the rapid current, gres,
logs and drift wood have been hurled against
them carrying away long sections of post and
board fence, AMI in every direction huge gaps
are revealed.
Altogether itsccms to us that the shy Island
farmers can find many grains of comfort inthcir
niiSiorinncs. Its demonstrated that the lcvcc
can he made n complete protection, and now
that its weak points have been revealed no effort
should be spared To strengthen the work and
Keep II in complete repair ready for any future
emergency.