The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-04-14
The Fresaet in The Missouri.

the past WlutcT, 1OllOWcU ny Miiu
in March in the valleys of
the Yellowstone and upper Missouri,
brought down a food which swept
everything before it, breaking up
the solid ice below and causing it
to gorge in many places, thereby
overlooking vast tracts of the rich
bottom lands along the river to a
depth sufficient to sweep away build
ings, destroy stock, and in fact ruin
hundreds of well-to-do farmers who
had sctteld along the Missouri bot
toms. 1t is impossible at present to
learn the number of lives lost, but
it is feared that the list will be a.
long one. We have room only to
note . few particulars and Incidents:
At Omaha, on the 9th, it was be-
lieved the river was at its highest.
The river was six miles wide, reach
ing from bluff to bluff. The Union
Pacific shops and smelling works
were in great danger, rs from two to
five feet of water was flowing through
them.
Council Bluffs was inundated, and
. large number of the inhabitants
were compelled to leave their houses.
The trains on the eastern roads cen
tering there were unable to reach the
transfer depot.
A Sioux City dispatch of the 18th
says: The depot building at Vermil-
lion was washed away in the flood,
and it is stated that the channel Of
the river now runs where the city of
Vermillion stood. No lives were
lost there, but there was great loss of
life on the bottoms. One house
floated from Gayville to Vermillion,
distance by river Of seventy-tive
miles, containing twenty-five people
who had taken refuge in it. They
were finally taken out by boats.
West Pierre was totally destroyed.
The east side was more scared than
hurt, though we'll soaked with four
feet of water.
Mr.. Frank J. Meade of Mandan,
Dakota, who arrived in St. Paul from
Sioux City on Friday last, gives the
following account of the flood: l was
at Sioux City for four days trying to
get to Yankton, and had good op-
portunities for obtaining information
in regard to the terrible havoc made
by the roaring river. The floods
all along the river from Pierre down
are unparalleled. From Sioux City
to Yankton the bottoms run from
four to fifteen miles vide, and all
these bottom lands are overlooked,
making perfect inland sea. All the
farmers living on these bottoms con-
fine themselves to raising corn, cat
tie and hogs. All the stock is
drowned or starving, the fodder hav-
ing been washed away or being un-
der water. Such of the farmers as
have two-story houses have taken
refuge in the second story thereof.
1t was impossible to reach these peo-
pie with boats, even if there had
been plenty of boats. There was,
however a scarcity of boats. Iheard
reports, but did not trace them to
their source, of loss of life by drown.
ing. 1t was known that some
mostly woodward men along the ri,.
er were drowned. I think when
the water subsidies it will be found
that there has been great loss Of life
I Yankton is a town Of $500 inhabit
ants, and the announcement that the
lower part of the place is submerged
means that one-half of the people
have been driven out of their homes
} The bridges on the Sioux river, a.
far as Sioux City, have been washe'
out, and those on the Janice hav'
. been carried away, for ! don't know
how far back. All communicable,
: between Yankton and Sioux Cit,
Y has been stopped. There are eigh
r or ten steamboats, wrecked, but near
& " all were insured. Those Of tn
Coulson line were fully insured.
did not see any of the people of tn
y Peck line. The old Dakota South
d ern railroad-which was bought las
3 year by the Chicago, Milwaukee 1
= St. Paul company running fror
Sioux City to Yankton, is u tots
4 wreck. 1t runs along the bank Q
e the Missouri, and all the bridge
h over the streams have been carrie
,!away and the embankments washe
Iout. It's a badly located line an,
= how. and I have heard railroad me
|. saw that it would probably never I
J. reconstructed. 1t will be a mont
r. or more anyhow before any atten::
y can be made to repair it. kno
> the suffering will be ;mmen'
throughout the flooded region. Me
i who were rich week ago are be-
y gars to-day.
t. During the flood a church cSm
N floating down the river and lodge
n. on the lower part of Green 1slan'
:. 1t was evidently of strong timber
- and came down in a digni6ed, MAZE
y tic sort of way as though it was use
:, to that sort of thing. 1t had
-, :. steeple and in the steeple was q bel
=. and as the building rocked with Il
y, current, or jostled by the ice, IL
y bell would toll. Over the crash I
e. the ice and the roar of the foo
- could be heard the deep, monoto
:, Gus clang of the bell, and sight AZ
y sound were alike impressive and aw
T., inspiring. Where the church can
y from no one seemed to know for
- - certainty, though it is surmised
% came from Frankfort, where the
'.0 was a chapel erected for Indi;