The river press., 1884-03-05
DkIFTWoOD
Gathered Along the Booming Missouri
by the Scrlbes Of. the
River Press.
From Wednesdays Daily.

front of town about 10 o'clock yesterday
morning. This good news soon spread
around, and in a few minutes the side
walk on Front street was crowded with
a smiling throng, who were assured that
all danger was past now that the gorge
was going out. The crowd was soon
disappointed, however, as the floating
masses of ice began to move slower and
slower, and at about half-past ten came
to deadlock again By that time the
upper end of the gorge had moved down
from the end of Roosevelt's island to the
upper ferry boat landing.
The ice field was closely watched all
day long by the interested spectators,
and an onward movement was detected
several times but not enough to make a
decided difference in the position Of the
lam. At seven o'clock last evening,
however, the great body of ice started
down stream more rapidly, and at ten
O'Clock but little of it was left. Before
this issue Of the RIVER PRESS is laid be-
fore its readers the center Of the stream
will be clear of ice, and the great cakes
along the sides will be the only remind
ers, so far as the river is concerned, OF
the gorge that threatened disaster to the
town.
The fact that Fort Benton passed
Though the ordeal of the past few days
without an overflow increases the con-
fidence of our citizens in the town. 1t
was the severest test this valley has been
put to since the white men first came
here, more than half century ago, and
it establishes the fact beyond doubt that
the city. although in valley, is as safe
from the fury Of the floods as if built on
the highest adjacent plateau. There are
few, if any, valleys along the Big Muddy
so favorably situated.
sfIt is an i'll wind that blows nobody |
any good and the maxim will apply |
equally well to floods. The loss sustain
ed bv [. G. Baker & Co. made quite a
"pic-nic' for the Indians who hang
around town, as they secured as much |
flour (most Of it we'll watered) as they |
could carry away. They had a royal
feast on the Teton last night, and can |
keep it up several days.
A trunk was found yesterday bobbing |
around in the water Of Murphy, Mac
Law & Co.'s warehouse. The careful ow-
ner had labeled it in bold ald legible
characters, please keep this trunk in
dry place J"
C.E. Conrad and others made trip
Tuesday forenoon to the lower end OF
the ice gorge to ascertain the feasibility
of blasting out the head of the gorge.
They found the jam to be on the Shon-
kin bar. Here it seems the rush Of ice
from up the river had been pushed right
on top of the sheet ice, forming solid
mass from the bed of the river about ten
feet in height The pressing water,
finding no vent in the channel Of the
river, had run over the bank on the
Fort Benton side Of the river, and was
cutting channel for itself through Nor
gans ranch If the ice had held in the
river long enough the channel might
have been completely changed, thus
shutting out that dread Of steamboat
men-the Shonkin bar.
1T was considered feasible to start the
ice lam in the old channel by blasting
out the lower point. When the party
returned to town arrangements were at
once made to send out party of men to
carry out this project Of starting the
gorge.
A party consisting Of E. Ingersoll,
H. J. Wackerlin, Mike Lynch, and
others, started for the lower end Of the
gorge yesterday, well fixed with picks,
shovels, and 100 pounds of giant powder,
to break open the ice jam. Ed. Lewis
returned from there at dark last night,
and several shots had been fired off be-
fore he left. One of these sent blocks OF
ice 100 feet in the air, and brought forth
quite rush Of water. The charges are
being put where they will do the most
good, right in the face Of the jam, which
stands about ten feet high. This is about
half mile below the mouth OF the
Shonkin, and on the same side OF the
Missouri. s,
The party went well supplied with
grub and blankets to stay over night.
Lewis says they will break the gorge
sure this morning, and probably did SO
last night, after he left, as the blasting
could be heard as he came into town.
Henry Wright and another man came
near being caught by Sunday nights
overflow on bottom about twelve miles
up the river, where Henry has cabin
built in which they expected to stop Tor
the night. About six o'clock In the
evening loud crash was heard up the
river. and in few minutes breast OF
water and ice about ten feet high came
rushing down the river and quickly
covered that bottom, the water coming
IN to the roof of the cabin. The two
men had taken the precautlon to Keep
the saddles on their horses, as the river
had looked dangerous all the afternoon,
and il did not take them long to get to
the hillside above the reach of the angry
flood. They then rode rapidly down
the stream to W. B. Smiths place to