The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1889-06-21
rue BIG nUDDY,s TEAR.
1escotlecalons AZ Issl, when tlss Misssurii
Weat Over Its banks.
[Omaha Bse,l

Weat Over Its banks.
lomaha Bse.J
The terrible food at Johnstown,
which Is receiving the attention of the
entire civilized world to-day, tends to
recall to mind the great food which
visited Omaha in April, 1881, when the
Missouri river overlooked its banksand
the muddy waters trespassed upon the
Union Pacific shops, tho smelling
works and all property in the flats near
the banks. Many of the old settlers Of
this city will remember the havoc
caused by the rushing waters in their
maddening course carrying destruc-
ton in their course everywhere. The
railroad track was washed away, the
shops had to be abandoned in hot haste,
and the workmen were compelled to
flee for safety.
The danger line was passed by the
wild waters on the Goth of April, 1881.
By s o'clock on that day the water was
up SO high in the Union Pacific shop
that it was impossible to continue
work, and the machinery was all
stopped. At = o'clock the floors were
flooded and q stream six feet deep
whirled its way through the smelling
works, 10 that no part of the works
were accessible. All of the outbuild-
ings of the shops and smelling works
were deeply submerged, and the fami-
lies in the few remaining houses that
had not already been vacated, precipi-
lately took to fight. Engines were
keptbusy pulling loaded and empty cars
out of the way to a place of safety on
higher grounds, while the various lum-
Der companies doing business near the
river were strenuously endeavoring to
save their property.
At Council Bluffs, too, the waters
were running all over the bottom lands
and the tracks were flooded, and the
people living there were forced to
abandon their homes and flee to the
uplands, where the maddening rush of
waters could not reach them.
At noon, on April 21st, the signal
officers measurement showed that the
water in the Missouri river at this point
was twenty-onc feet and seven inches
above low water mark and was still ris.
ing rapidly. BY nine o'clock, next
morning, another foot was addedtO the
depth of waters, and the rise kept in
creasing. Stacks of lumber were fall.
ing down and floating away, and men
had to stand idly by and see tleil
property swept off in the angry cur
rent without being able to save it.
The effect in the steady increase in
the great volume of water was plainly
seen, and the cables, booms and dams
constructed for the purpose of saving
property gave way under the pressure
Besides the great damage to property
the business interests of Omaha Were
very materially affected by the block
ade of travel. In many places there
were big washouts on the road, while
in others the tracks were several feet
under water and it was impossible fol
trains to move in either direction
Bridges, too, were washed away at va
rious points and from the outside
world. Boats were i'll great demand
so q day being the price charged TO
the use of a skiff, and even ut tina
price boats of any description wer
hard to get. But people had to com
and go, and the expense of skiff hir
was not considered when it came t
having to brave the dangers of til
many whirlpools and ~treacherous cul
rents in the rushing river.
On April 23, the waters had risen t
a height of nearly twenty-four fee
above low water mark.