Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-03-22
EvEN1a o. ssa


tions be true We suppose, hovssss,
that the last night OF the session sdoa't |
count"
FLOODS AvE6TEp.
The Promise Of the Wintsr II Net Fulnlled. |
st. Paul Pionser-Presa.
The singulally favorable conditions
under which the ice is breaking up and
the SHOWS are melting throughout The
whole upper Mississippi and Niseoari
valleys, have probably been the subiect
OF grateful, il not OF deyout Thought by 4
nearly every resident Of these reQlons
this spring. A month ago all the condi.
tjOns existed which caused the extraordi
nary floods Of 1881. The same severe
cold had frozen the waters to an unusual
thickness, and the same heavy snowe had
accumulated in the river valleys, ready,l
to swell the streams in the spring. But
the severe winter Of 1881 was prolonged
almost into April and the heavy SHOWS
continued to accumulate, without de-
crease by thaws, until late in March. The
sudden arrival of the delayed spring
precipitated the whole enormous
body of water into the river within
q few days. and destructive floods
were inevitable. On the northern and
western rivers, which break up at the
source first. the unusual strength and
thickness of the ice increased the ten
dency to gorges and consequent over.
flow of.the banks. On the upper Mis-
sissippi, where the gradual approach of
warm weather from the south and the
delay in the melting of snow on the
headwaters usually postpones tho arri.
val Of the highest stage until midsum.
mer, the accumulation Of snow, especial.
" in the Minnesota valley, and the rapid
melting when spring finally came,
brought March and April food higher
than had been known for years. Al.
though all these conditions existed up
to the LIST of March of this year, the
thaw that set in at that date and has
continued with just enough alter
nations of cold to prevent q
premature opening of the rivers, has
prevented recurrence Of the unpleas-
ant consequences there was every reason
to expect. On the upper Mississippi,
the release OF the waters from their win.
ter chains is progressing steadily and
naturally from the south. The river Is
now open as far north as Davenport, and
there have been no floods, except small
ones caused by the breakup Of small
tributaries during the February thaw.
Above that point the ice is rotting and
disintegrating so that it will vanish q
few hours after the breakup reaches it,
leaving no material for gorges. At the
same time, moro than half the snow has
disappeared, partly by evaporation
partly by absorption in the thawing
soil, diminishing the volume of the
finally opened streams by Just 20
much. This is especially true OF the
Minnesota valley. which contributed the
largest share Of the Mississippi aoed Of
1881. Unless the r1ver breaks up With
extraordinarily heavy rains, there IL nc
reason to expect other than the usual
gentle and gradual increase of water in
the channel, beginning with the disap
pearance of the ice and continuing TIL
the climax of the June rise. The uppel
Missouri and the Yellowstone, which IL
ways breaks up. ct its source first, and
with which gorGes are normal incidents
have been still more fortunate. Since
late in February alternate freezing and
thawing weather has softened tie ice
and aissipated the snow 80 as to reduce
the final breakup to gentle movement
instead OF Q destructive cata.
clysm. The river has broken at several
places, but the disintegrated ice is soon
ground to powder, and stubborn Rorpes
are avoided. The Yellowstone broke al
Glendive and Buford last week, and tvt
or three gorges formed; but no unpleas
ant consequence followed. The warm
weather also loosened the ice in the Mis-
souri, at Pierre and below Bismarck
promising clear channel te carry of
the after flood when it comes, and pre-
Bismarck and Mandan. The freeze o
Sunday checked the breakup, and th,
ice between Fort Buford and Bismarcl
is still intact, but it must be considera
bly, softened, and there is no reason t,
expect repetition of the devastation o
1881. The vast importance Of the fol
tunate combination of circumstance
to all the residents of the valley may b
measured by the extent of the los
caused by the foods of 1881, which va
counted by millions of dollars. Th
only stream apout whose behavior ther
is still doubt is the Red river, whose di
rect north and south course and exten
over several degrees of latitude make
peculiarly susceptible to damming u,
by ice. The Red river, it will bs remem
bered, was the only valley to suffer sc
!, riously by floods year ago. The ice il
the lower part of Its course is probabl
still solid, but the late thaw has dissI
pated the snow on the upper water
} and there will probably be no extrs
ordinary volume to be discharged whe
the snow melts. Altogether the sprinl
flood prospect is very cheerful.
President Arthur.