The Columbus journal., 1881-03-30

Damage to Bridges, Roads, Houses,
ETC., Etc.
Some lncidents Of the Hour.

1
There has been no such food oi
water and ice since 1867, when the
waters covered the bottom south OF
this city. All was excitement, and
in few minutes most of the people
in town were upon the streets,
house-tops, ETC., looking at the re-
morseless waters covered with ice
pushing everything before them. Al
a little after noon the water and ice
filled and overflowed the bed of the
river, and in very few minutes the
flats, reaching from the Bench
south of lIth street, to the regular
bed Of the river, were covered with
water and ice, in some places NOV
ing swiftly-Others slowly, accord
ing to the lay of the land. Some of
those who remember the overfio W
of 81, say it was higher than this,
others say not. There being more
houses in the bottom now, the dam
age will, of course. be very much
greater.
There was abundance of ice up
wards of two feet in thickness, and
Charles Matthews saw one piece
which by actual measurement was
three feet and two inches thick. AS
we write. the river bank can be
seen strewn thick with great cakes
of ice.
OF course we shall not be able to
CLEAN all particulars Of damages into
this brief account, but we give the
main items coming within our
knowledge.
Early in the food the middle spans
of the Loup river wagon bridge were
seen to loosen and quietly float down
stream. Holding together for few
rods, they finally began to waver
and were borne under. This COM
pletely cuts off our wagon bridge
communication with the south Loup
and south Platte country. Eight
spans of the Platte bridge had been
swept off when that stream "broke
up," and the calamity of Saturday
finished the work. How much the
county has lost cannot now be esti-
mated, but it will take considerable
money, expense and time to place
travel across these rivers where it
was two weeks ago. 1t is a calami-
ty, too, that we shall not fully ap-
preciate at present.
Houses i'm the Bottom" with
good, solid foundations, especially
where the same were protected by
trees, were not much disturbed, al
though all were more or less filled
with water. Some three or four
were carried of, and some of them
stove in, being struck by large cakes
of ice. George Spooner's dwelling
was taken several squares, and set
down again in good shape. Mrs.
Hamer's building was considerably
riddled.
David Anderson had about 800
worth of hogs caught and lost. He
was not at home. Starting at AL
bion, he thought he could get home
before the breakup should reach
Columbus, il being twelve hours
going from Genoa to Lost Creek
but after il passed that point, il
seemed to gain great impetus, and
went like race horse. The water
was high enough to fill the cefiar of
his dwelling to within six inches of
the floor.
The U. p. track, from the culvert
just west of the depot to the "big'
bridge across the Loup, is more or
less torn the culvert swept
away, the track washed out in places,
poles along the north side |
all down, a number of the piles of
the slough bridge (west end) knock
ed of, and general "hobb" to pay. |
During the flood, Michael Savidge,
The very faithful wstchmsn at the |
bridge, was on top of the SUPER
watching from that van
tage the course of events. Mike |
to describe his sensations
when q cake of ice, (sbout one acre
In extent according to the way he
looked at IT'D struck the bridge below
and made it quiver; but he can't do
The subject justice, and concluding
that be would be just as safe little
lower down, he suited his actions to
his thoughts.
The U. P. Loup bridge between
Duncan and Lost Greek stations is
very considerably damaged-all the
gone aud perhaps
half the piling, with considerable
of track out of shape.
John Haney, not having had the
east warning of the food, had two
and ten head of cattle swept
,ff, recovering only fifty of them.
He says that only twenty-eight of
he number were as young as year.
ings, aud that they we're worth
considerable more than twenty dol
ars q head. Mr.. HI. thinks he could
nave saved his herd if he had had
en- minutes warning.
The school. house near. Mrs. Bar
'ows's residence was moved about