Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-03-03
the RxyEx.

the RIVER.
Fort Buford telegram. Feb. 2sth: The
Yellowstone river broke up last night
and the Missouri rose six feet in less than
two hours, and 10 now over ten feet.
There is five foot rise in the Yellow.
stone. The river broke here yesterday
and started the ice IN the Missouri, which
was checked by fall Of temperature last
night to II deg. below zero.
Fort Stephenson telegram, Feb. 2s-
Reports reach here that the flow OF water
and ice into the Missouri at Buford
threatens general break-uplat that point
and below. So far. the ice in the Mis-.
souri,, which 10 OF unusual thickness and
still sound. has not yielded to the pres.
sure. but the force IL so great that it may
not resist much longer unless there is
some abatement in the volume Of the
dow. Fears are entertained here for low
points on the river in case OF break. up.
The thaw in the Yellowstone country
must have been unprecedentedly rapid
from the flood that has been set in mo.
tion. The ice at this point is still solid,
and unless it rots rapidly, promises to re-
sist the reported Hoods from above.
Should the waters Of tho Yellowstone
and its tributaries pour ont over the ice
without general breakup there would
be no danger at points below, or from
spring rains later in the season.
Bismarck Tribune: The Chinook
winds of the past two days have melted
the snow with great rapidity and have
honey y.combed the ice in the river, which
is expected to go out about a month
later. The conditions are favorable for
an extremely high stage of water this
spring, as within the memory Of the old.
est settler there has not before been such
an extensive snowfall at the headwsters
OF the Missouri and its tributaries. In
the Yellowstone and Little Missouri
valleys the snow is unusually deep, and
IN the Milk river valley, Post Trader
Shaw reports the snow three feet deep,
at least two feet deeper than before
known. The waters will come with Q
rush from the valleys and mountains.
and remarkably high stage of water
may be looked for. If no gorges are
formed the danger will, however, be com.
paratively slight. and none are expected
in this immediate vicinity. The dyke at
the Bismarck bridge has confined the
river to 30 narrow channel that it is
thought the current will be so swift as to
prevent any gorglng at Sibley island,
where they have heretofore been of most
frequent occurrence.
Omaha Bee: The probability is that
there will be big hood'in the Missouri
river this spring. The Yellowstone and
Tongue rivers are breaking up, and the
Missouri at Glendive, Montana. il re-.
ported higher than eince 1881. Whenever
the Missouri breaks up at the wrong end,
as 1t now promises to do, trouble may be
looked for below.
Reports from .above are to the effect
that the river opened at Fort Buford
(the mouth of the Yellowstone) on the
28th of February, the cause of the break
being the foods from the Yellowstone.
It is also stated that extreme cold
weather followed the opening, which
would tend to check the food of ice and
water and give 1t time to waste its force
upon the upper lowlands. The ice i.
said to be thick and solid and there ar,
heavy SHOWS on the prairies for 6v.
hundred miles below Buford. There ar,
many reasons for expecting food IL
this portion OF the country. Continued
cold weather at the upper end is the only
thing which will prevent On unusua
demonstration. If We could be favored
with warm weather at this end, while i
is cold above it would tend to obvlat,
disastrous results. It usually takes abou
three weeks for the floods from the Ysl
lowstone to reach Yankton.
Here at Yankton the river is rising
and the ice is covered with water. Team
are not crossing to-day, but foot pas
sengers make their way over. The ice
is thick and aolid, excepting along tn
banks, and shows no symptoms of
break. Tomorrow skiff will be used
to transport mails and passengers ovel
the vet spots.