Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-07-17
THE OsCEOLA.
Full Particulars Of Her Dis.
tructlonby a Tornado.


st. Paul Dispatch.
Gen. Mark ID. Flower, for several
years Adjutant General OF Minnesota
but lately owner and master of the
steamboat Osceola, which was badly
wrecked in a storm on the Yellow
stone June %, arrived in this city
with his wife yesterday morning
His boat left Memphis and went
up the Missouri river on a contract
for transporting government freight
from Bismarck to military posts on the
Yellowstone He was getting along
well with his work when the storm
struck him, and dashed his hopes.
A representative of the Dispatch OBJ
tanned in an interview with General
Flower to-day "a statement, as
follows:
"The tornado struck us at 6 O'Clock
p. M, June %, and in the twinkling
of an eye reduced the staunch little
steamer to a helpless wreck, threw
us into the river, and damaged or
destroyed a great part of u cargo.
The boat vas proceeding up the
Yellowstone, at a point 225 miles
above Bismarck. We were near the
mouth Of Powder river, and not
very far from the scene of the Gus
ter massacre last year. The banks
of the river are low at this point.
We had no timber for shelter or
even to tic the boat to. In all my
experience | never witnessed any
thing so terrible. The tremendous
wind accompanied by hail and rain
came down on us with only a mo-
ment's warning, catching us on our
starboard quarter and careening us
over to an angle af about fofty-fve
degrees, when our entire upper works
cabin, smoke stacks, steam pipes,
and all were swept into the boiling,
surging current Of the Yellowstone.
Relieved of the upper works the
boat righted up, and by this means
our lives were saved, Many were
blown overheard, but saved them
selves with the assistance of the
floating wreck and their compan-
ions who were lucky enough to
hold to the hull. The cabin and
upper works were split into kind
ling-wood and doated away. After
the storm had somewhat abated, by
strenuous efforts the hull or what
may be more properly termed the
remains Of the wreck, was fastened
to the shore, and we proceeded to
save what we could of the govern
ment freight, amounting to some
100000, which, Of course, was great
" damaged. Much Of the cargo
went into the river and lloated
away. We also had several thou
sand dollars worth Of freight be-
longing to a. r. Niminger, of St.
Paul. His loss Will doubtless be
about twenty-five per cent. on the
original valuation.
a was blown sixty feet from the
hurricane roof and fell in the river,
striking a spar and injuring my side
and back seriously. Mrs. Flower,
who was the only lady on the boat,
went overheard with the cabin, but
was rescued. She lost her entire
wardrobe, however, excepting the
clothing she r Captain Haycock
and his son Abner Haycock, Of St.
Paul, were my pilots, and both stood
to the wheel until blown with the
pilot house into the water. The en-
tire force of officers, crew, and car
penters did their duty faithfully. j.
Jones, fireman, and Bob Small sec
ond cook, both of Memphis, Tenn,
were drowned. My safe, containing
books and papers, and several hun
dred dollars in money went to the
bottom, irretrieyably lost.
eve remained near the wreck
until we saved all we could Of the
freight, and until passing boats took
it away and rescued us. The wreck
of the boat might have been got
out, had we given our first attention
to her, but before we got the freight
rescued, the water had fallen so as
to leave her hard aground, and there
she will have 10 stay until the next
rise. | left men in charge of her.
but have small hopes Of ever getting
her out. | had no insurance, as
companies refused to insure against
the unknown dangers oil the upper
Missouri and Yellowstone. My
thankfulness that we escaped with
our lives still overshadows my re.
greet at the unavoidable losses"
Gen. Flower speaks in the high.
est terms of the efficiency Of the army
in that region, and condemns severely
the senseless demand for a reduction
of the army, The 5000 troops now
in that country have a territory SOC
miles square to guard, protect and fight
over with the active, treaoherou:
. savages. They are necessarily
"spread out very thin,' and subject
to humiliation in detachments by
unavpaoteJ ot4oaEc