The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-03-27
GENERAL NEWS.
Cities and Towns Inundated Through
Nebraska
The whole country Flooded. and I'm
mense Damage Done
su,l Continuing Their Fiiiibnstering
I'm the Senate.
s-s,xuafion OF Western Union Teie
grapn Co. OfieiaIs-
Farther Regarding the Northern Pa
ellie stock Troubles.

Farther Regarding the Northern Pa
ellie Stock Troubles.
Washout ON the Union Pacific fn Me-
braska.
Omaha, March 26.-The Loup river,
which empties into the Platte near
Columbus. took a sudden rise to-day,
owing to an ice gorge, and swept out
the bridge of the Omaha & Niobrara &
Black Hills railroad near Columbus
and flooded the country in the immedi-
ate vicinity, flowing over the Union
Pacific track and washing it out, to-
gether with about mile aud half Of
telegraph lines, cutting off communica-
tion west of that point. Several per-
sons living ON the bottoms between
the junction of the two rivers bare
ly escaped with their lives. The family
of the bridge tender were rescued by an
engine which was run out from Colum-
bus and picked them up. 1t is reported
that two children were drowned, and
also two men together with their
teams.
This heavy body of water, of course,
is again increasing the volume of the
Platte river, and it is now rising rapid
ly. Several farm houses on the low
lands near Benton station, east of Co
lumbus, are entirely submerged, the
occupants having sought refuge else
where, but it is feared that there has
been some loss of life. Greeat damage
is being done. The flood at North
Bend has been slowly subsiding since
last night, but this new flood will cause
another overflow at that point. The
streams all through Nebraska are over
flowing their banks and destroying
property. Bridges everywhere are be-
ing swept away, and even the most
substantial structures are becoming
unsafe. The railroad bridge at st.
Paul, on the st. Paul branch of the
Union Pacific, over the Loup river, has
gone. All the wagon bridges in How
ard county have been swept out by the
Loup river. The Burlington s. Mis-
souri, bridge over the Platte river at
Oreopolis has been abandoned, owing
to its insecurity, and other bridges on
that road are reported as unsafe. The
Union Pacific has again abandoned the
eastern division, and is now running all
trains without delay over the Burling-
ton & Missouri, crossing the Missouri
river on the B. 6 NJ. bridge at Platts-
mouth, thus avoiding the bridge at
Oreopolis.
The whole Platte valley from Colnm-
bus to Fremont is under water. No
such flood has ever occurred in the val
ley since the Union Pacific was built
through it. The flood which came from
the Loup river this afternoon has
reached Schuyler &~Fremont. The
first flood at Columbus subsidized late
this afternoon sufficiently to show what
damage had been done to the Union
Pacific. Three spans of the pile bridge
which is an approach to the iron bridge
over the Loup river were washed out,
and the track is washed from one to
three feet deep for long distance east
Of the bridge. and for about three e-quar.
ters of a mile west of the bridge. An.
other gorge in the Loup river, larger
than the first one, broke at Genoa this
evening and will again swell the Platte
Tonight more than ever.
These are but beginning of the
flood disasters in Nebraska and the
outlook is very gloomy. Hundreds Of
thousands of dollars will be DESTROYED.
Considerable live stock will be lost and
perhaps some human lives. The re.
ports tonight are rather meagre, as
great excitement prevails at the inun-
dated points and telegraphic commu.
nication is more or less cut off or in.
terrupted.
The Missouri river at this point is
bank full and still rising. The ice is
gorging opposite the city. about eight
blocks above the Union Pacific bridge.
No damage is likely to result to the
bridge, but the gorge will be likely to
cause flood all over the levee, on
which are located the Union Pacific
shops, smelling works, lumber yards,
etc., all Of which will, Il the gorge
does not break soon, be more or less
damaged.
A dispatch from Benton station late
this evening says dead cattle. hogs, etc.
also bridges, houses, wagons and lum.
Der were seen floating down stream.
Several houses were completely covered
on the bottom lands south of town, and
it was believed that one family had
perished. The total rise was about
thirteen feet.
AT Schuyler between nine and ten
feet Of water ran into town very lively
and the people became very much ex.
cited and loaded live stock and them.
selves on cars preparatory to moving
out. An engine and caboose was sent
to Rogers side-track to rescue two fam.
lilies. Just at this time the wires went
down and no further information has
been received from Schuyler.
North Bend is again flooded, and a,
Fremont the water is running into
town, the dam that was built to turr