Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-03-21
lhe hJvEh'UrENS.
But Not so Tamely as Yes
terday's indications
Promised.
A Rush Of Ice From Above,
q Gorge Below and q
Rise of Twelve
Feet.
Settlers Fleeing from the Bottom
Lands to tho Bluns....A
General Move Along
the Levse.
THE BREAK.


mass Of ice fastened in the river between
the Yankton and Green Island shores
suddenly moved out, and in few MIN.
utes the broken fragments were tossing
about in the released waters and grind
ing and providing and turning them.
selves over in the food which had caused
them to break their moorings. The
opening was unexpected and there were
few spectators on the bank to witness
the event which every spring excites so
much interest. The news quickly spread
over tue city, and there was 3 general
hurrying to the levee. The ice was lazi.
ly running out, there was no unusual
surplus OF water. and the general verdict
was that it wasn't much of o break. So
night settled over the scene, though
the Missouri was not left unmatched by
those who know its moods. Men were
detailed by persons owning property
along the levee to stand guard and re-.
port results If anything unusual occurred.
About midnight these sentinels discov-
cred bad symptoms.
THE ICE HAD aORGED
below and the river was coming up at the
rate of foot in fifteen minutes. Inter-
ested parties were notified. I'M. Horap,
foreman Of the railroad shops, rallied his
men and run out the locomotives and
coaches from the round house and shops.
A locomotive was sent up and down the
track with its whistle wide open and
those who heard it knew that something
unusual had occurred. Most of the
dwellers upon the low lands were sleep.
ing with an eye and an ear open and it
did not take them long to comprehend
the cause of the commotion. The rive,
continued to rise until it had reached q
HR1aHT OF TWELVE FEET
above yesterday afternoons mark. This
was sufficient to run it over the bank IN
the low places and send il
back upon the bottom lands of the first
bench. The railroad people speedily
removed their rolling stock from tht
levee side track and placed it on th.
main track and then stood by to avail
results.
just below the railroad shops is a loy
place and through this the water sprea,
itself to the brick yards a few rods bacl
from the river and the group of resi-
dences about those works. There was
hurried packing up of light articles il
those houses and a retrea
from some of them to the adjacent higt
land. The night was dark and it wasn'
very good time for moving, but th,
recollection of
THE E1pERIENcIs OF 1881
induced quick movements and ther,
we're none in the threatened district VIII,
needed more than one warning. At thi
point the water ran over the railroas
track about two inches deep and passed
into the basin beyond. Mr.. Horan sen
hand car down the track and the ex
ploring party which propelled it ran int,
water about two miles east of Yankton
They proceeded until the water becam
too deep to admit of further progress
and then returned and reported results
Through this opening the water wa
running
BACK UPON TIE BOTTOM
in the direction Of the jim river wago
road. 1t rose SO rapidly around Henr
Arend's house that he made nocturns
retreat with his family and stock. Owe
the turnpike between the Henson blui
aud the bridge the water found its wa
through an opening about eighty rod
wide.
About three O'Clock this morning tn
food
BEGAN TO RECEDR
and BY eight o'clock had fallen two fee
It then remained at stand until ha
past ten, when it began to rise at the rat
OF about two inches per hour.
The morning light revealed q spect,
Gle for which the people of Yankton We,
wholly unprepared. The river was fu
of broken ice from bank to bank and o
the Green Island side
was running over an
deluRing the site Of the little villaa
which was swept away by the food
1881. Not q movement was visible in Il
field of jagged ice fragments and th
was sufficient to convince every exper
enced spectator that o gorge had forme
below which was holding back the fir
spring food of the Missouri.
THE FERRY BOAT