Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-22
THE RIVER.
RiSe and Fall Of the Big Muddy.
The Omaha d st. Paul Road
in a Predicament.


bound all winter, opened at 2 p. No..
on the 9th inst. On the following
day 1t was FIVE feet and three Inches
above the low water mark of 1867.
Since then the changes have been as
follows, the figures being taken from
the official observations of the United
States signal office: 18th inst, rise
of l #. 3 In. 18th, rise of 2 In. 18Th,
rise of l In. 14th, rise of l IT,; 10th,
fall Of l #, 2 In; 10Th, rise of 4 In.
18th, rise of z in; 18Th, stationary;
10Th, rise 6 In, 20sh, fall Of 1 #. 2
In. The river Is now one foot and
seven inches higher than when 1t
opened.
The Sioux City Journal of Tuesday
says:
1.-THE river fell about five inches
yesterday. There was much floating
Ice, but 1t was too thin and rotton to
trouble the boats. Both of the CHI
cago, st. Paul, Minneapolis and
Omaha transfer boats we're at work
In the afternoon crossing cara. Tho
ferry boat wss we'll %patronized. Its
landing on this side is near the mouth
of the Perry"
1.-THE Chicago, Milwaukee and st
Paul train from Sioux Falls and Yank.
ton did not arrive at Its usual time
yesterday forenoon, and while those
watching for its appearance were
specializing on the cause of delay, q
hand car oame rapidly around the
curve and stopped nea the main Of
foe. The men on the car brought the
information that the railroad bridge
across the Big Sioux river, five miles
north Of the city, had been struck by
q gorge Of Ice which had given away,
and was In danger of going out. The
passenger train, as itneared the bridge
was stopped by q nan living close by.
The weakening of the bridge was dis
covered by him just after Q freight
train which left Sioux City about 10
o'clock In the forenoon, had crossed.
The preuicament was an unpleasant
one. The train on the other side of
the bridge with passengers, mail and
baggage for the city, couldn't get
across, and there was neither engine
nor cars to send out after them. The
Hagan & Booge bus and baggage line
was called upon, and about 2 o'clock
In the afternoon fifteen omnibuses,
hacks and baggage wagons formed a
procession for the bridge. Nearly 100
passengers anda large quantity Of bag
gage were transferred, arriving ct the
waiting train about $3.50 o'clock. There
were nearly fifty passengers to be
brought In, and they were conveyed
to the city by the same process.
A representative of The Journal
went out to the scene. The ice was
gorged In the river nearly half q mile
above the bridge. Five piles from
the two rows Immediately In the center
of the bridge, which Is about thirty
feet above the stream, had been taken
out by the pressure of the Ice, and
several more were weakened. Thu
water RUM very rapidly at that point
and the Ice gains a strong momentum
before reaching the piles. The gen
eral appearance of the situation
was quite alarming, although Su
perintendent jackson, who was on tn
bridge at the time of the reporter
> visit, did not seem to be much worrie
over 1t. He regarded the Ice as too thil
|. and weak to carry away the bridge I'M
less 1t moved ont altogether, and h
did not think tina. disaster probable
The Ice made several movements be
tween 8 and 4 o'clock, but the who'll
mass did not move, and at 8 o'clocl
the river had opened a narrow chan
mel for 200 feet above the bridge, Int
which the Ice was gradually fallln,
and fl Dating In small detachment
harmlessly down.
The Milwaukee will have an engin,
and cars at the bridge this forenoon t.
convey passengers and baggage arriv
ing on incoming trains to the city, ant
will send back the usual train In tn
afternoon the same way. Should tn
Ice sufficiently break up and 60 dow
stream to weaken the mass, work a
repairing the bridge will be begun
to. day. If 1t does not, there will b
no change In the situation. The Mil
wsukee company did everything in it
power to transfer passengers from ant
to the city yesterday afternoon, ant
foots up the billr, so the travellers suf
fered no loss except inconvenience II
arriving late"