Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-08-19
AS A Wolf TEARS FLESH
The Missouri River Tearing
Away Hundreds of
Homes
Threatens to Leave ST. Joseph
Stranded Far to the
East
The Hungry Stream Making a
Radical Change in it's
Channel

KANSAS CITY. Mo-, Aug. ls-The river
despite the present stage of low water
and other favorable conditions, is still
cutting away at a furious rate on the
banks above Elwood. Like a famished
wolf which tears a carcass into pieces,
taking out huge chunks at each mouth
full. the river is constantly tearing away
huge blocks of soil and trees, cornfelds,
and houses. if they were not removed,
are constantly being swept away by the
all-devouring current. A reporter who
visited the Doniphan county side of the
river yesterday, a mile or more above
Elwood, had scarcely gained the bank
when there was a swirl and roar, and a
huge chunk of land ten or twelve feet
square, carrying with it a small hickory
tree. fell with crash into the boiling
stream. The reporter jumped back lust
in time TO save his life. One farmer said
that as he was driving along the river
bank the roadway gave way almost
beneath his horses feet. and the horses
are still shy of approaching the banks AS
If instinctively aware of their dan
ger. The road is moved every few
utNN lAll llltl lANAuAt mum NAt
river bank and the corniiclds are
rapidly being encroached upon in
this manner as well "a By the ravagcs oi
the greedy current. The waters are now
cutting at the riprapping above ElwOOd
which was placed there by the govern
ment 10 protect this bend Of the river
! The cutting has been going on ever since
the rprap work was put along the French
bottoms on the Missouri side. The huge
bar in the river opposite the end OF
| Francis shows where portion at least Ol
the soil stolen from the Kansas side has
been deposited. Since the last big rain
two weeks ago the cutting has been going
on more rapidly than ever. a farmer
/ living near the river bank has been forced
TO move his house twice since last spring
Some days the river is said 10 cut into the
/ land the depth of 90 feet and everything
| is swept away. {. ;. Williams, pilot Oi
| the steam tug and sand boat Iazell, say:
] he is afraid To run his boat near the !rivel
/ bank on account of the heavy swell ol
swash which comes from the almost con
| stantly falling earth. Pieces of ground a.
large as a one story house, he says, be.
come dlsintegrated and fall into the riyel
with such force as to raise a swell
which would swamp a small river steam
er or at least seriously disable her II she
was in close proximity. The residents OF
| Elwood and Wathena are becoming more
and more alarmed and declare that con-
gress cannot appropriate money to stop
the ravages of the river any too soon. The
narrow neck of land which still keeps the
| river in its course can never stand another
stage of high water and is becoming mar
rover and narrower every day. The
river claims everything from bluff to bluff
and il she ever seeks the bluffs on the
Kansas side st. Joseph will be left strand
ed high and dry with her sewers dis
charging into sluggish slough and from
one to two miles of swamp land, mOrass
and sandbars between the Electric city
and any navigable water.