The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-04-29
THE MISSOURI FLOOD.
OMAHA. AND COUNCIL BLUFFS INuNDA-
Everything Afioas Along the river

|
Everything AAoas Along the River.
VCMAHAs April 23.-The river is expected
to attain its highest point by morning. II
has risen fourfeet to-day, making 20 feet and
@ inches above low water mark, or IL feet
higher than the previous rise this spring.
There was no detention of passengers or
the Union Pacific, but all trains were on
' time to-day. >Afew passengers reached the
transfer depot from eastern roads by wagon
and boat, from which point the u, p. pro.
ceeded to take the baggage and mails, and
started for California to-day. Eastern roads
cannot deliver passengers generally 10 the
transfer.
OMAHA, April 24.-The situation both a,
Omaha and Council Bluffs and at all points
in this vicinity is becoming hourly more
| alarming. The river rose four additional
inches last night making % feet and 10 in
ches above low water mark, or about 90 In
ches above the previous high water mark.
ALI buildings on the Omaha levee have been
abandoned and the people are anxiously
| awaiting the result. There are few dwell.
ing houses, small frame structures, not more
than 70, that are Imperilled, but the princi.
pal interest Is conferred on the Union Pacific
shops, the smelling works, packing houses
and lumber yards. There is between 4 and
feet of water in the smelling works which
are located close to the channel of the river
As yet the building and brick smoke stacks
are all right, but considerable loss has been
sustained by damage to the material, princi-
pally to the large quantity of blue yit.iol and
| acids. ' '." '"i
A frame slaughter house fioated down and
struck boom this morning near the Union
Pacific shops, and broke it, letting loose 4
large rot Of telegraph poles. Three large
ice houses have fallen down. At Boyd's
| packing house there are 20 inches of water
and 300, pounds Of meat have been piled
| mp out of danger. ed. lis
The lumber yards are utterly demoralized,
| everything being ahoat, but held by booms.
Nearly every office, shed and other buildings
in the yards are floating Or toppled out of po-
| sition.
parted oil time to-day, taking out the delayed
| passengers. To-day's passengers from the
| eastern roads arrived here tonight. The
transfer by skiis is kept up between the
transfer depot and eastern trains which can
not come within two miles of the transfer on
the east side Of the river. The Chicago, Bur
lington & Quincy, Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific and Wabash st. Louis & Pacific trains
are all run to the dry spot near the Deaf and
Dumb Asylum on the southeastern outskirts
Of Council Bluffs, to which point skifTs aIe
run. The Chicago Il Northwestern trains
cannot get within three miles of Council
Bluffs, and have to transfer with wagons and
then small boats. The Kansas City, st. Joe
IL Council Bluffs trains have been entirely
abandoned, the track being under the water
for 20 miles. To-day a large number of
skiffs were employed in transferring mails
between the Union Pacific transfer and east
ern roads. A large fiatboat has been engaged
for this purpose. 1t is two-mast sail-boat,
capable of carrying 10 or II tons. All the
mails were transferred to-day, but very little
baggage or express was handled. Not more
than one dozen sacks of through western let
ter mail went out OH the Union Pacific to-
day but to-days western mail will 20 out on
to-morrow's train, about car load having
been brought over to Omaha this evening on
of Council Bluffs.
In the lower part where several hundred
houses are abandoned, and in which the wa
ter varies from three to five feet i'm depth, it
is estimated that there are 1900 people driv-
eli from their homes. Many of them are
staying with friends In the higher part of
town. Several hundred are being taken care
of In the court house and public halls and
buildings at the city's expense, as was done
during the recent food. The sidewalks are
all afoat, fences have been washed out and
all the railroad tracks.
The Chicago u Northwestern depot isused
as landing place for parties wishingto walk
up to the business part of town, which Is not
flooded. = -.''F"s f. a .5.E1- o..
The VI. p. transfer to the Northwestern
depot, by boat, is one mile. A person start
ing from the northern city limits for the
southern part of the city can sail nearly in
straight line through the thickly settled
streets. Fully one-half of the area Of the
city is under water. The inundated portion
of the town Is occupied mostly by the poorer
people, by railroad depots, stock yards, and
such.
The report from Sioux City is that the Big
Sioux river rose four feet yesterday, and
would reach the Missouri river last night. It.
was doing considerable damage and will
make All additional rise In the Missouri.
Covington, Neb., is again submerged and the
people have gone over to Sioux City. n
COUNCIL BLUFFS, April 25.-Atter the
continuous rise since Wednesday the Nilsson
ri river became stationary here. Yesterday
the water ON the overlooked districts, how.
ever, had been rising slowly all day, and now
covers more territory than ever, the river be-
ing fully seven miles wide. The worst is
thought to be past, and by tomorrow 1t is
expected that the water will begin to recede.
Yesterday the river proper fell one inch,
which is encouraging. Several hundred wa
ter bound passengers departed yesterday on
the outgoing DEMONSTRATING from point sew
aral miles haynuJ the eity limits +. + .-g a