Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-01-19
a HERO OE THE FLOODS.

nowhere pnrOugnOuI inc OVcrHOWeu
,river'bottoms of the West did she de-
vastat'ng oods of 1881 come upon peo-
ples with such calamitous swiftness, or
coverlthe country to such depths, as in
theyalley of the far-reaching and snow
fedMissouri. Long and b .tterly remem-
bered by hundreds, whose homes were
swept away with scarce q moments
warning, will be the icy overflow of that
calami. GUS season.. q
From all its numerous tributaries,
from the trickling 'rills OF the snow
capped mountains to the broad and
slugglish river Platte. the bands of ice,
suddenly loosed, letforth watery torrents
TO swell the mightier river, till itpoured
down to the Mississippi within destruc-
tive haste that has never been witnessed
before. sea 8 ~. .sss,iysfr,,..-. ,s-a +
Many tired farmer who went to his
rest alter hard days work, and
dreamed for time. perchance, of
grow ng crops and abundant harvests as
the result oil his labors, arose to find his
farm watery waste, the angry river
already at his very door, and his live
stock wading and swimming distracted
ly.about amid noating masses of ice,
brushwood and the debris of other
inundated farms above. In vain he
sought to save his horses, his cattle, or
his household goods; it was often all
he could do to save Q, en- his wife and
little ones.
Upon q broad and well-cultivated farm
on the Nebraska side of the Missouri
there liveia 1amil named Wilson, in q
frame house that stood in grove of
large but scattered trees near the bank
of the stream.
Cultivated fields and well-fenced stock
pastures extended back across the inter-
'ales. The soil was dark and extreme
ly fertile. the land lying but little above
high-water mark, on which account the
spring freshets always caused Mr.. Will
son considerable uneasiness. The old
est settlers thereabouts, howe' er, had
never known this tract to be entirely
covered and this. with Mr. Wilson's s
own experience. had rs the years went
by, considerably lessened his first mis-
gyngs.
Therefore the great flood of 1891
found Mr.. Wilson wholly unprepared,
and at the time of its coming both he
and his wife were absent from home.
They had felt little reluctant about
leaving home, as the river was swollen
nearly TO the high-water mark, but
urgent business com "elled them to ride
to the nearest railroad town. some thirty
miles away, from which they intended
toreturn on the day following.
Mrs. Wilson carried her youngest
child. and there remained at home Hen
~. "a lad. of fifteen, and two little
daughters aged ten and six years, with
the hired man, Rudolph,
SRudolph had relatives living two or
three m les back from the river, and
when the chores were done at N ght he
left the house. telling Henry that he
was going er to see 'shis iolks," and
would be back al ten O. clock.
Fhe boy and his sisters had been left
alone of an ening before. They We're
not afraid, and went to bed by nine
O'clock, to sleep soundly, as such child
rem will
When the boy awoke the next morn
ing he found the sun peeping in at his
window, and leaping out of bed he
called to Rudolph, rs his father was in
the habit of doing. But Rudolph did
not answer
'eRude must be up and doing the
chores" thought Henry. and then
speaking aloud, he said; "What a
tremendous roaring the river makes
this morning. II sounds as if it was all
around us.
s"Goodness! I b'lieve it is,'' he add
ed, after listening moment; and then
he ran to his window to look. ~
Stouter hearts than his might have
qpailed at the scene which met his eyes.
Everywhere was water-a turbid, black,
tumnltuous flood dashing up against
the trunks OF the great trees, flooding
the stook-yard fences completely out OF
sight Logs. boards and great cold
looking cakes of white. ice. even the
bodies of dead cattle, were swept
furiously on. The heads only the
heads and horns some of their own
cattle could be seen here and there, as
thepoor creatures swan feebly to and
fro dtsv n lfiif %
Looking down in frightened awe from
the open window, the lad saw that the
delving. guttering current had already
attacked the foundation of the house,
which stood considerably higher than
the cattle yards, and that The door,
steps below were under water.
CAS- the danger OF the situation dawned
upon him. the lads terror grew.
Again ana again ne snouteu 10 hudOlph
but there was no response save the
rush and roar OF the river
Then he ran TO the room of little Jen.
ME and IYah, who had already been
awakened by his shouts. With fright
ened sobs the children clung to thoii
brother, scarcely daring to look out up.
on tie fearful scene about them.
Where is Rudolphp Where is Ru.
dolphP' they sobbed.
Henry soothed them as best he could,
and leaving them at the head OF the
stairway he won't below TO see how
high he water had risen.
TO as increased alarm he found tha
tie Kitchen l'oor was already covered
and that tho muddy water was pouring
n.fbrough the cracks about the door
II was rising fast-had risen even sine,
lie first looked out upon it.
Then for few moments the bOV'