New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-06-06
SWEPT AWAY BY FLOODS.

GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF TIE TERRIBLE "oRk
OF WATER AND IcE-DEvAsTATloN on EVERY
sIDE-BOTTOM LANDS COVERED WITH SAND
HUGE ICE-FIELDs SILL UNIV LTED-THoUsANDs
OF CATTLE LosT-RKIIEP FOR THE SUFFERERS
IRON AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF The TRIBUNE
YANKToN, ID. T.. June 1.-The great flood in this
valley of the Upper Missouri two months ago has
been pushed from the public mind by succeeding
sensations But the traces Of this late glacial epoch
arc now most clearly in sight ! have sometimes
thought that if Noah bad left us a little pen picture
of the scene soon after the Flood it would have
been az interesting the account Of the Flood itself
Nor would this people decline a special bow of
promise against future drowning Let me attempt
TO describe what the newspaper man Of Noahs day
forgot.
! cannot describe the complete upper valley for
900 mcs-from Bismarck to Sioux City-which
was laid waste by the water at average loss, IL is
estimated. of at least 100000 per mile. Tho
best of these valley lands are uninhabitabe and
untlable the present season by reason OF the beds
of sand the banks Of ce lagoons OF water, drifted
trees half bured, decaying carcasses and the want
Of I'LL stock dwellings farming tools. and tho lack
OF ability to purchase them. But can describe tho
worst scene Of the disaster which formerly was the
garden section of this region Between this city and
Sioux City. sixty miles below, there lay an un-
broken stretch of rich Alluvial bottoms averaging
ten miles in width, and fenced in by high bluffs
Viewed at long range. its polished smoOthness per-
suaded one that Mother Nature had once been a
better laundrywOman than some who iron shirts.
Here q few pioneers began making their ZONES
full generation ago. 1t had become thlckly settled.
there being in all 200 families. and every
half section being distinct farm. Through this
low plain runs in zigzag manner like rail fence.
the Missouri River in its sober seasons Nowhere
bex rods and in
at midsummer as many feet would span the lazy
stream Before the food this tract of 800 square
miles at harvest time was most ravishlng scene,
full Of temptations for those who love farm lilo
good buildings large crops fine stock.
LIVING IN TENTS ALONG TIE BLUFF.
Seen after the food. il seems 20 be ravishe'l by
nature Of all natures gifts and mans achievements.
Standing on the bluffs here with n glass. looks
fifteen miles away without seeing one home. There
is not one perfect building left. aud only here and
there is thcro q relic Of human habitaton. Now
aud then. nearest the bluffs is poughcd field.
The rest is dcsolation More than half Of the
/ 200 families whose claims jumped are
living IN tents along the bluffs most Of them doing
nothing because they have nothing 10 do and moth
ing 10 do ANYTHING with. The savings of years and
the possibilities Of this year in the valley are lost.
The young men and some Others have gone away
during large part Of the last sixty days. old men
and grandmothcrs, delicate women aud little
children, accustomed 10 warm houses aud good beds
and plenty of food have huddlcd together straw,
scantily clothrd mranly fed. and covered chiefly
with shivrrs at night. Driven ont of their houses
through chamber windows and SIX lights ns the
wHcr came mp the stairs they escaped principally N
skifs many with nothing saved but their night
garments. For ia many places below the IT," gorge,
which was from fifteen t0 thirty feet m height aud
ten miles in length where "A gorge dam broke. the
waters rolled down upon the SETTLERS like the waters
Of the Red Sea upon the Egyptians.
These people arr painfully IN need Of clothing and
bedding gifts from their moro fortunate fellow
men. The people of this aud other towns along
tn river have contributed generously but not many
in ucw country supplied with surplus ol thrs"
goods Govrrnor Orlway and other leading citizens
have united m extended movement asking for
aid and have aent out to the country nj large the
Rev. " illiam McCready pastor of the Methodist
Episcopal church here. Thus week he ~ III Iowa
soon he viii 90 10 Chicago. Cincinnati and the
Atlantic cities But u ~ not necessary for passions
or other phinnthropiss 10 wait for him or any other
special agent. for the American Express Company
has now invested largely IN this cbdnty. | am
authorized state that goods for the relief Of
sufferers by the ilo9d II dcl,yeTed !" itS agents ana
addressed To the Rev. William Met treaty., care OF
Governor Onlway innktnn. D. t. VIII be trans
ported tn this CITY free of chars 90. And think that
they will be udiclously distributed. Many of the
sufferers are members OF churches. and It - further
arranged that any packages. the donors OF which
prefer that they reach sufferers of ANY specific de-
nomination. Shall ~ bc gwen oul
PILES OF ICE RESEMBLING BUILDINGS.
Now come back to the bluffs and the hedglass.
gaze again. and you may catch sight Of some -oli-
tary horscman pressing through the mrcpts to learn
the latest state Of things around what used to be his
home; or he may be- turning his horse IN that Iii
rccion A. one light ride through curiosity into the
plain Of the Dead Sea. There still remain bits Of
iccbcrgs hat in those few days were built up like
little pyramids forty feet high, their bases being
ucaSurcd by acres. For huge cakes of blue Ice four
feet thick and rods square, piled up ike block OF
buildings and cen cnted by fresh wcting and FREE
ing fight the sun far toward his cr solstice.
at I3o north latitude. Thr fields Of ice that wcrc
only ten feet thick. aud that were spread over
entire townships in one patch, gone though they
rem aimed well into May, and form ell reservoir that
keeps half the bottoms still wet. But the ice-ioes
and the mighty sweep Of deep water carried and
sprrad over these valley lands squarr miles of sand
and slime. which will not disappear until the next
flood lifts them. These deposits vary in depth from
ono to six feet and from all can learn they arr
very general between this point and Sioux City.
Many farms are ruined by these deposits Of barren
sand The black deposits are rich but needless,
a, the soil was already deep and strong.
with the aid Of your glass you can quickly count
horses by the hundred. Literally all farm stock was
drowned and lodged in the drift where II now
testers and threatens TO spread diseases that would
he worse than the Hood While covered with water
the carcas,es cannot be buried and fast rs their
sides appear the hot sun putrcies them. nder
strong southcrly wind the atmosphere OF this clty
eyrn now il nauseous and all down the valley II Is
nlnruc-ladrn. Not less than $4,000 cattle ana
horses have become carron between here and SIOUX
CIty Around the little hamlet of Mcckllng alone
lie q 900 dead cattlr-at least 3,uOO,OOO pounds of
mrtrd flesh Horrible" is the only term that at al
drcts this unsanitary situation. In many parts of
hc late farming district the ground Is brstling with
he trunks of trees and branches aud other debris
hnld fast i'm the sand AT end. at full length
r. remove these will be like reducing The forest to the
farm Nor will the farmer know that his soil IL clear