Daily Yellowstone journal., 1884-02-27
TONGUE RIVER OPEN
The Yellowstone and Tongue
Rivers Now Open and
Smoothly Flowing.
The Flood Of Yesterday Did But
Little Damage.
Incidents and Items.

Yesterday was frauphI with excite.
nent for our citizens, the ncnacing
attitude 81 Tongue river Keeping every
one on the alert AMI eager To discuss
the most sensational reports. Hap
pily for all concerned, however, the
river acted with good horse scnse and
beyond the two slight ovcriiows If the
forenoon nothing occurred 10 cause
any uneasiness. The breakup was
unprecedented in III. short history Of
this locality. In regard Ia it, sudden
ness. When IL is taken into consider
alton. that since the first If February,
until saturday morning the thcrmoni-
eter has been constantly below zero,
tits almost incredible that the soften
ing influence Of thiry-six hours Of
chinnook, could produce such a
volume Of water a. passed the city IN
the twenty four hours ending last
night. The discharge of the creeks
and streams tributary Ia Tongue river
WAS enormous, and notwithstanding
that the mother Ice In the river was
THIRTy-IN,HEs THICK
and as sound as In midwinter, IL was
forced Ia vacate its moorings almost
Immediately In the advent Of the flow
from Pumpkin creek aud join In the
mad rush for the Yellowstone. As
late as half past five sunday even
ing the river here gave no signs ola
break up. There WAS no bullying Of
the ice, no loosening at the shores,
and but little water ON II. No more
than resulted from the days drainage
Of the streets, yet In one hour, II was
nearly bank full, a seething torrent
chokcd with monster cakes of ice that
rushed along at fearful pace, leaping
high i'm air, M IL 10 escape from the
dreadful crush. only To fall back again
and disappear for the time being In
the congloinrrate mass. 80 sudden
war this change that IL had been In
progress for more than an hour before
u dozen people knew Of the Titanic
struggle that was going on. Soon fires
kindled on the hanks attracted the
citizens who fiocked In droves to the
river Ia witness the spectacle which
by the red glare OF the fires was indie
scribahly grand. As the river rose high
enough to nearly cover the piling Of
the centre pier of the dismuntled mill.
tary bridge,
BATTLE ROYAL
was warcd between the sturdy bunch
of piers and the ohcoming lee. Cake
after cake of colossal size and weigh
Ing many hundred tons would come
down the stream head on 10 the de
voted piles, only I" he tossed high in
mir and then broken fragments thrown
on either side. ',ut.the fight was ton
unequal Ia be al loug duration. and
the swapping If timbers soon told the
story uf their submission a. the giant
force that was piitcd against them.
Still the river continued 10 rise. and
IN. mad rush of Ice and water. seemed
10 gather speed and volume ~ IL went.
BY eleven o'clock the stream was
bank full, aud shortly AFTER IL com
mencod gorping causing an "verfibw
ON the south side of ll. track. The
railroad einbankn,.nl la- WIS expect
ed prevented the spread vi the waters
into the business portion of the town
until about six O'clock IN the morn
ing, when the inundption became
general, hut 10 only u slight depth.
Shortly after eight o'clock
TnEGoRiE BELow BROKE,
and giving rc'iefto The pcni np waters,
the flood quickly subsidized only 10 lac
renewed again about tw" hours later
by another gorge forming. This
second overflow for time looked
threatening, the water scoring about
one foot higher than TIA, memorable
flood of isSl, although the actual depth
of water in Main street was not nearly
NJ much ~ ON that occasion owing To
the street having been filled In about
two feet since then. To the great sat.
isflction Of everybody, the Ice again
commenced to move Ia the river, and
the draining of of the city followed.
The mail carrier of the Tongue river
route arriving at four o'clock brought
the welcome intelligence that the last
Of the lee was within two or three
miles Of the city, and NJ five O'Clock
the river WIS running clear although
still bank full. But having discharged
itself of nil the ice, the danger was