The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-05-10

During the last month or more. some
OF the North Western States and Terri
tories have sustained many heavy losses.
caused by the great floods that have
occurred. During the winter the noun
tain sides and plains were covered with
q great mass of snow, and as the spring
opened the sudden thaws caused the
streams to swell to overflowing. The
heavy ice together with the Immense
seas of water has done much damage to
that section of the country. A short
distance below Yankton, the capitol of
Dakota,t the Missouri river flows through
pass between two ridges. Here great
ice gorge formed itself, miles in length,
appearing as firm as the hills IL connect
ed, aud caused all that section of the
Territory north of it to become flooded
Thousands of acres were inundated and
all through large sections the farmers
lost all they possessed in this newly
settled country. The floods became so
great that portion of them sought an
outlet across the country to the Big
Sioux river, thirty miles east. All mail
communications with Yankton and
many other towns were suspended on
account of all the railroads being under
water. The farmers cattle were drown
ed, their graneries and the contents
destroyed, farming implements, every
thing except the land itself, was either
washed away or destroyed. Hundreds
of settlers lost all they had and are now
in great distress. Many of the destitute
farmers and villagers were fed by Gov
ernment rations issued In pursuance of
an order from the President. This relief
was necessarily very temporary and 1t
will take O large sum of money and
much time before those ruined homes
can be rebuilt, after the water has re-
ceded. Besides those settlers have moth
ing to support themselves with until
their crops can be harvested. Aid has
been solicited and our large cities are
responding literally by sending money
and provisions. 1t is feared that all the
submerged grain is total loss. Euorm-
GUS floods have been reported all over
that part of the country. Iowa, Mime
sofa and portions of Nebraska, Illinois
and other States, have met with the
same misfortune. Much damage has
been done all along the banks of the
Missouri. Many large cities together
with hundreds of smaller places have
been flooded. Omaha and Kansas city
were inundated. At Omaha the water
rose twenty feet above low water mark
and put out the fires of the smelling
works there. Atchison, Kansas, was
also hooded. Many WashOut5 nave Oc-
Cured and bridges washed away. Miles
of railroad were under water and much
of the travelling has been suspended.
The railroads used each Others tracks
indscriminately so as to keep up COM
munication. Along the Rock river in
Illinois much damage has been done.
Many iron manufactures met with seri-
Gus losses by the floods putting out the
fires. The streams in Minnesota have
all overflown their banks and carried
destruction in their way. Special dis
patches from the interior of Wisconsin
report alarming floods. At Fond du
Lac the water flooded the city, and lum-
ber yards became floating wood yards.
Many washouts and serious accidents
have been reported. Never before in
the history of that section of the country
have such great floods occurred and SO
much damage been done. The waters
are now a3ating slowly.
A. +. M,