, 1881-04-24
The Water in the Missouri ISlV-
er at Omaha Still
Rising.
4 Large Portion Of Council Bluffs and
the Iowa Bottoms Sub
merged.
Grave Fears Entertained that the Sny
Leyee, Near Quincy, ILL.,, Will
Break.
Continued Destruction Of Property by
the Rock River Flood.
The Water in The Minnesota River al the Highest
Stage Ever Known.


Stage Ever Known.
AGRApIIIC RECITAL.
Speetat Dispatch to The CHICAGO Tribune
ST. PAUL, alinn.. April :3.-The Pioneer
Press publishes the story OF 4. Is. Dossett,
who has Just returned from Southern Da-
kota, and who was Mt Verlllilion at the time
the city was devastated by the Hood. LIE
saws: "On the o4tll Of March Twas stopping
at the Chandler House, in Verlnilloa, with
six other travelling men. We had been ex-
pccting high water, but did not look for the
inunlation that took place. On the night OF
the 24tll as were sitting in the hotel, ono Ut
the party went to the rear OF the building,
and. to his great surprise, stepped OF the
porch into six inches Of water. lie
At ONCE GAVE THE +AI.AKM,
and this was the first intiniation we had that
the flood was upon US. 1t WAS then about
$3.50 O'Clock at night and parties who had
been walking along the bank ran to the
school-llouse and rang the bells TO give the
people warning of the impending danger.
The water rose very rapidly, and all the
boats that were available were used to res
cue people living III one-story houses
i'll the lower part of the town. Parties
living in two-story buildings remained In
them two or three days until the tlatboats
were got ready, when they were also re-
moved. Part of the town is built on the
bluff. Probably one-third Of the houses are
located there. These are chiefly residences.
tile business houses being in the lower part
of the town. 4 good many merchants
ANTICIPATING THE FLOOD
had removed the goods from the first floors
of their stores to the bluffs. During the next
thrce days the water rose very rapidly, and
the people were removed to places OF safety
on the bluff. On the fourth day the water was
twelve feet deep in the main street Of the
town. It was indeed a Western Venice. We
could run our boat into the main entrance
of the hotel, and land on the fourth or fifth
stair of the flight leading to the second story.
The rooms above were provided with sheet
iron stoves, and OH these we did such cook
ing as was possible. The swollen river
rushed BY the town with reslstIess force.
The streams were filled with immense cakes
Of ice. and these were thrown against small
houses in the lower part. and demolished
them as completely rs though they had been
BUILT OF STRAW.
About 800 feet of the railroad track was
washed out. 4 lot of 1000 cords Of wood
just above the hotel was carried away. The
ice-housc, platform Of the depot, and the
water-tank were all swept down the stream.
The St. Charles Hotel, one of the largest
buildings i'll the lower part Of the town, was
moved off its foundations, and large null-
ber of small houses were either demolished
or. taken. There was no loss of life in
the town, but above and below Vermilion
there were many cases of drowning. Many
novel sights were witnessed. On one i'm
lnensc cake of ice a boy was seen. The cake
gorged below the town and the boy WAS
rescued, aud is now kept as
a LIVING RELIC
of the terrible floods. The river has cut 4
whereas Verlnilion before the flood was OH
the channel it is now two miles from it.
There were nU regular gorges at Fer1nli0n
when We left. don't suppose one could
tell the amount Of loss The farmers through
out that, valley haze lost everything,
any clothing. There is all abundant field for
tile exercise Of charity. The people OIL both
the Nebraska atd Dakota sides Of the river
are destitute and will have to be assisted.
niticent sight. The great masses Of ice were
piled in many places as high as thirty feet,
making a spectacle that
DAFFLEs DESCRIPTION.
Words would fail to adequately describe
the scene from Elk Point. The distance
from Ell Point west to tle river is seven
two miles to the bluffs from the west bank.
All this vast stretch, ten miles i'll width. was
overttowed. and resembied Il great inland
sea. When we arrived at Elk Point VIC
found that it was mere island. The water
in the smaller streams was backing UP, aud
there was good deal of excitement among
the citizens. Mayor Shef and Messrs. Beggs
and Freeman had tlatboats constructed, and
started ont crews i'll different sections Of the
nycrtloWed district to rescue the people, The
farmers of tllis Valley OF Misfortune, with
their families, took refuge generally on the
roofs Of their houses. and hoisted sheet or
something OF the kind as
SIGNALS OF DISTRESS.
The crews on the fatboats would see these
victims of the floods. Conductor Wiber fire.
quently ran his train out three or four miles,
that being as far as it could 60 On account Of
the overfloWed condition of the track, taking
the crews and boats that distance, and then
they would proceed to the rescue, Of the
people OIL top Of the flooded houses.
With one exception [ heard no authenticated
reports OF loss of life i'll the ove.tlowed dis
tricts. But I think when the water subsidies
it will be found good
MANY PEOPLE PERIsIIED.
The exception I allude to was tlle case of a
tramp who passed through the town and
went out towards the river. lie was seen to
go through hole III the ice, and his body
was allowed to lie out there, rs it was
thought that as, long as there were living
people to rescue, it was not necessary to 70
out after !: corpse. One striking Incident
recall. Two little children, with scarcely
any clothing on their DOOR little bodies, were
taken off q root OF partl1-submerged
boat to the car which had been run out of
Elk Point. The little things were nearly