The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-01-24
Hero of the Floods.

Franklin Calkins in the Youths Companion.[
Nowhere throughout the overlooked river
bottoms Of the West did the devastating floods
of 1881 come upon the people with such
calsmitous swiftness, or cover the country
to such depths, as in the valley of the far.
reaching and snow fed Missouri. Long and
bitterly remembered by hundreds, whose
homes we're swept away with scarce a mo-
ment's warning, will be the icy overflow of
that calmit as season.
From all Its numerous tributaries, from
the trickling rills Of the sno w-capped noun
tsins to the broad and sluggish river Platte,
the bands of ice, suddenly loosed, let forth
watery torrents TO swell the mightier river,
till it poured down to the Mississippi with q
destructive haste that had never been wit
messed before.
Many q tired farmer who went to his rest
after q hard days work, and dreamed for q
time, perchance, ofgrowing crops and abun-
dant harvests as the result of his labors.
arose to find his farm wstery waste, the
angry river already at his very door, and
his live stock wsding and swimming dis
tractediy about amid floating masses of ice,
brushwood and the debris of other inundat-
ed farms above. In vain he sought to save
bis horses, his cattle, or his household goods;
it was often all he could do to save even his
wife and little ones
Upon broad and well-cultivated farm on
the Nebraska side of the Missouri, there
lived family named Wilson, in frame
house that stood in q grove Of large bat
scattered trees near the bank of the stream.
Cultivated fields and well-fenced stock
pastures extended back across the intervsles,
The soil was dark and extremely fertile, the
land lying bu. little above high water mark,
on which account the spring freshets always
caused Mr.. Wilson con- iderable uneasiness
The Oldest settlers whereabouts, however.
had never known this tract to be entirely
covered; and this, with Mr.. WILSON'S own
experisnce, had. in years went by, consider
ably lessened his first misgivings.
Therefore, the great flood of 1881 found
Mr.. Wilson wholly unprepsred, and at the
time of its coming both he and his wife
were absent from home. They had felt q
little reluctant about leaving home, as the
river was swollen nearly to the high.
water mark, but urgent business compelled
them to ride to the nearest railroad town,
some thirty miles away. from which they
intended to return the day following.
Mrs, Wilson carried her youngest child
and there remained at nome Henry, lad
Of fifteen, and two little daughters aged
ten and six years, with the hired man, Ru-
dolph.
Rudolph had relatives living two or three
miles back from the river, and when the
chores were done at night he left the house
telling Henry that he was going over to SEE
''his folks" and would be back at 10 O'clock
The boy and sisters had been LEFT alone
Of an evening before. They were not afraid,
and went to bed by 9 o'clock, to sleep sound
ly, as such children will.
When the boy swoke the next morning
he found the sun pseping in at his window
and leaping out of bed, he called to Ru
d0lph, IS bis father was in the habit of do
ing But Rudolph did not answer.
"Rude must be up and doing the chores
thought Henry; aud then speaking aloud
he said, "What q tremendous roaring the
river makes this morning. 1t sounds as il
it was all around US.
"GoodnessI l b'lieve it is," he added, after
listening = moment; and then he ran to hi.
window TO look.
Stouter hearts than his might have quail.
Cd st the scene which met his eyes. Every.
where was water,--a turbid, black tumultu.
Gus Aood-dashing up against the trunks