Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-03-28
Destruction 10 Property in Nebraska
Caused by Ice GOrses.

men, together with their teams. This
heavy body of water, of course, is again
the volume of the Platte
river, and it is now again rising
rapidly. Several farm houses on the low
lands near Benton Station, east of Columbus,
are entirely submerged, the occupants having
sought refuge elsewhere, but il is feared that
there has been some loss of life. Great
damage is been DONE The food at North
Bend has been slowly subsiding since last
night, but this new food will cause another
overflow at that point. The streams all
through Nebraska are oyeihowing their
banks and destroying property. Bridges
everywhere are being swept away, and even
the most substantial structures are becoming
unsafe. The railroad bridge at ST. Paul, on
the st. Paul branch of the Union Pacific,
over the Loup river, has gone. All the wagon
bridges in Howard county have been swept
out by the Loup river The Burlington and
Missouri bridge over the Platte river at Ore
opolis has been abandoned, owing to its in
security, and the other bridges on the Bur
lington and Missouri are reported as
unsafe. The Union Pacific has aban-
doned the eastern division, and is now
running all trains without delay over
the Burlington and Missouri road, crossing
the Missouri river over the Burlington and
avoiding the bridge at Oreopolis. These are
but the beginning of the flood disasters in
Nebraska, and the outlook is very gloomy
Hundreds OF thousands of dollars will be de.
stroyed, considerable live stock will be lost,
and perhaps some human lives. Reports to-
night are rather meager, as great excitement
prevails at the inundated points, and tele-
graphic communication is more or less cut off
or interrupted. The Missouri river at this
point is bank full and still rising, and ice is
gorging opposite the city, about eight blocks
above the Union Pacific bridge. No damage
is likely to result to the bridge, but the gorge
will be likely to cause food on the levee, on
which are located the Union Pacific shops,
smelling works, lumber yards, etc, all of
which will, if the gorge does not break soon,
be more or less damaged.
s<1z A LATER ACCOUNT.
OMAHA, March 9th = Midnight. = The
whole Platte valley, from Columbus to FIRE.
ever occurred III the valley since the Union
Pacific was built through it. The food
which came from the Loup river this after
noon has reached Schuyler and Fremont, and
all places between Columbus and Fremont are
under water The first flood at Columbus
subsidized late this afternoon sufficiently to
show what damage has been done to the
Union Pacific. Three spans of the bridge,
which is an approach to the iron bridge over
the L)up river, were washed out, and the
track is washed from one to three feet deep
for a long distance east of the bridge and for
about three-quartsrs of mile west of the
bridge. Another gorge in the Loup river,
larger than the first one, broke at Genoa this
evening, and will again swell the Platte to-
night more than ever. A dispatch
from Benton Station late this even
ing, says that dead cattle, hogs, etc
also bridges, horses, wagons and lumber were
seen floating down the stream Several
houses were completely covered on the bottom
lands south of the town, and it was believed
one family had persisted. The total rise was
about thirteen feet. At Schuyler, between
nine and ten feet of water ran into the town
very lively, and the people became very
much excited, and loaded their live stock and
themselves on the cars, preparatory to moving
out An engine and caboose was sent to
Rodgers track TO rescue two families
Just at this time the wires went down. and
no further information has been received
from Schuyler. North Bend is again flooded,
and at Fremont the water Is running into the
town, the dam which was built to turn the
stream having been swept away. During
this afternoon everybody along the Union
Pacific Railroad was warned by telegraph of
the impending danger, and thus given time
to prepare for it. No further news can be
obtained from points west of Fremont, as the
wires are all down.
STILL FURTHER PARTICULARS.
OMAHA, March 27th.-No news whatever
has been received from the inundated dis
tricts of the Platte valley to-day, as all tele-
graphic communication has been cut off
The lines win be put up again from Fremont
west as soon as possible. General Snperin-
tendeut Clark went out to Fremont to-day to
look over the field and see what can be DONE
He had to make part of the trip on q hand
car. and had to have the party and himself
transported five miles in wagons in
order to get into Fremont. The water
at Fremont did not much damage the town,
and has subsided. How the other towns
North Bend, Schuyler, Benton and Celam-
bus-fared is as yet unknown. The general
impression is that large amount of farm
property and live stock has been destroyed,
aud that the towns have sustained serious
damage. There seems TO be no doubt that
some human lives have been lost, aud il is
believed that quite large number of persons
have been drowned in the valleys of the Loup
and Platte rivers. The Union Pacific track
has been extensively washed cut in various
places, and several bridges have been
the company. No trains vera run out to-
day by the Union Pacific, as the Burlington
and Missouri would not receive them until
they had repaired and strengthened some
bridges on their own road. Trains will prob
ably be sent out tomorrow, however, as the
work will be completed by that time. If it
is not, arrangements will be made to transfer
at one or two points.
The ice IN the Missouri river went out this
afternoon at this point, and was witnessed by
fully 5000 persons. All danger is now passed
The city of Lincoln is flooded by the over
flowing of Salt creek Reports from the
Platte valley and Loup valley districts are
being awaited with a great deal of anxiety
here, and crowds gathered on the banks to
see how it would affect the great iron bridge
of the Union Pacific Railroad. The ice went
crashing with fearful force against the iron
piers, which stood mistaken and unhurt by
its attacks
GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE SCENE.
CHICAGO. March 27th.-A dispatch to the
Inter Ocean from Omaha says: The Platte
valley, about seventy. five miles west Of here,
is the scene of the most disastrous food ex-
perienced In the history of the Union Pacific
Railroad. The Platte is broad and shallow
stream, which has overhowed its banks, and
all its tributaries are now pouring vast vol
umes of water and ice into it, until it has be-
come rushing 13od pouring out over the
level prairies for miles on either side. The
freshet which has done the most damage &C.
Cured yesterday, when an immense ice gorge
in the Loup river, which is tributary Of the
Platte, broke and let loose an accumulation
Of water and ice which tore out the Omaha,
Niobrara and Black Hills Railroad bridge
this side of Lost Creek. The water fl ,oded
the surrounding country and struck the main
line of the Union Pacific, washing out the
track and telegraph poles between the Union
Pacific bridge over the Loup and Column
bus for about mile and a half. The
damage done will probably reach several hum
lced thousanddollars, and fears are entertained |
IF loss of life. When the news Of the food
vas received at the U nion Pacific headquar- !
;ers here warnings we're telegraphed to towns |
,elow on the Platte. and people took refuge
IN the roofs of their houses. Barns and |
ences were carried away and all the stock
lrowned The so. coo wagon bridge at Co |
umbus was washed away. The food reached |
,chuylkill at o'clock last night. and was a |
aging torrent ct North Bend %. The tale
-raph poles at these points are down, shut