The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-04-14

re ntS running through the establish
ment. Two hundred men were tenn
porarily out on account of stoppage of
works. During the forenoon the
water rose very rapidly and soon
flooded all the Union Pacific shops,
some ten or twelve large buildings, to
the depth Of from six to twelve inches,
and work was entirely suspended;
!, 300 men temporarily thrown out of
employment.
At Sioux City the river reached it's
highest point since the country has
been settled. There are several hun
dred homeless people being taken care
of in Sioux City, among them being
the entire population of Covington,
located opposite Sioux City, who
abandoned their submerged town on
a steamer which was sent to their re.
lief. Forty five houses were destroyed
at Vermilion, but no lives lost. Neck
ling was destroyed all except the ele-
vator and one dwelling, in which are
1000 people.
At Council Bluffs the entire lower
part Of the city was Under water
a telegram dated Yankton, April
8, says: The damage to steamboat,
railroads and private property by ice
gorges in this city has been fearful.
Steamers at the levee were carried
inland, and now lie on the railroad
track. The steamer Peniah struck
the railroad machine shops and COM
pletely wrecked them. The boat is
now on the prairie about a mile from
the channel. The government ware
houses are destroyed and many of
the goods stored in them carried away.
Rescuing parties report great suffer
ing and destruction among the settlers
on the bottom lands between Y anlzton
and Vermi]lion. A number of houses
at Y anktOn were moved from their
foundations, and some carried off.
| The Gen. Terry has arrived from
| Chateau creek, and is the only one of
the feet escaping without damage.
A Kansas City telegram says: A
| house standing on the bank of the
| Missouri river near Parkvllle, Occu-
! pied by q woman named Cordell and
| three children, was swept into the
stream by the current cutting into the
| bank. After floating down the river
about seven miles, the house was dis
| covered by two young hunters named
who put out for it In skiff, cut hole
in the roof, the only part Of the build
ing above water, rescued the terrified
inmates and took them back to Park
vile.
f. NJ. Smith, a gentleman living at
Vermilion, says that the place has not
been 50 badly wrecked as has been
reported. The depot, stores, hotels
and nearly all the residences still
stand. The Dakota Republican Office
is wrecked and floated off. The St..
Nicholas hotel has been moved from
it's foundation. The Carl Jensen
house and three others, with numer-
GUS barns and other outbuildings,
have been floated off. The water ran
so strong through the main street that
/ it was impossible to row boat. Sew
eral OF the business men nearly lost
their lives in trying to save goods
from their stores. but had to give up
the job. Lee & Prentis saved about
half of their goods before the rise
grew too high. Reeves & King and
J. A. Grange about the same. Lunde
saved nothing, nor did any of the hard
ware or drug dealers get out any
goods. The county records were saved
by swinging the boat in which they
were, with rope to the bluff below.
From the bluff back of Vermillion,
flags of distress could be seen at farm
houses all over the bottom lands west
of town. Near Meckling number
J Of people could be seen with glass
on the roof of a cor1l-crib. At Meek.
ling. on comparatively high bottom.
land, the water seems to be halfway
up the windows Of the lower floor.
Mr. Smith says that it is impossible
that any stock on the bottom west OF
4 Vermillion can have lived. He thinks
too, that when the flood weakens so
that boats can be got through, many
drowned people will be found in the
flooded country, both above and be-
low the town.
During the flood a church came down
the river and lodged on the lower
part Of Green island. TWAS evidently
of strong timbers and came down in a
dignifed, majestic sort of way, as
though it was used to that sort OF
thing. It had steeple, and in the
steeple was bell, and as the building
rocked with the current or jostled
, by the ice, the bell would
toll. Over the crash Of the ice and
the-Ioar Of the flood could be heard
;, I the deep, monotonous clang OF the
Z bell, and sight and sound were alike
awe-inspiring. Where the church
; came from no one seemed to know fol
: a certainty, though it is surmised il
came from Frankfort, where there
was chapel which had been erected
for Indian worship. Some Thought il
! was the mission church at Santee
agency, but others say that the ground
on which that church stands is sc
high that it is not possible that the
water could float it off.
: A dispatch dated Elk Point, Dakota
: April says: For several days the
women and children had been leaving
Elk Point, and when the news came
of the breaking Of the gorge ther,
was a general exodus, and by Tuesda.
night fully tWo-thirds of the Wome1
3 and children had been removed t,
points Of safety. Fortlandyille i
Overlooking with people, and the cit