Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1891-01-20
The Tongue River Report.

TO the secretary OF war on the Ques-
lion of Strengthening Tongue river at
Miles City Is as follows: 81 have the
honor TO report, from preliminary
examination that / made Of Tongue
river, with n view 20 determining the
practicability and approximate cost Of
straightening the channel Of said
river Immediately west Of Miles City
and north OF the \. .P.R.R. track, that
il 5 not, in my opinion, worthy OF i'm
prOvement.
"The river IL not navigated, ard
there is no present prospect Of il be-
ing navigated. 1t empties into the
Yellowstone near Miles City ana is
about 50 miles abpve Gleudive, Mont.
An existing project for the improve
ment Of the Yellowstone from Glen
dive 70 its mouth is suspended: The
Yellowstone, before its valley was
penetrated by the y p. r. r., was nsvi-
gaole to above the Tongue river; there
has been no steambeating On the Nel-
lOwstOue siItoe 1852.
"The difficulty at Miles City Is that
Tongue River, north Of the railroad
track, is cutting its banks in an already
deep bend on the side Of the municip-
ality, ard its continuance will serious
ly sndangsr private property, as II
already does q small tract controlled
by the ty; the river forms the eastern
boundary Of the Fort KeOgh Military
Reservation. and the citizens desire
that a CUTOFF be made on the reserva-
ton aide.
"The Government has q Aight OF
way over the small tract referred to and
maintains a ferry across the river At
that point for the use Of Fort Keogh.
A stOppage of the bank cutting would
render unnecessary . shifting OF the
ferry anchorages and road making up
q fifteen OF twenty foot bank from
time to time; the prevention of this
small work is the only public conven-
ience which would be subserved by
the stoppags Of the bank cutting and
river shifting" Major Powell, Of the
engineers, and Colonel Swaine, COM
mandant at Fort KeOgh, endorse this
report.
The foregoing Is the substance Of
the report made by Major Powell on
Miles City's pet scheme Of straighten-
ing the channel of Tongue river 10
this vicinity, to the end that much
valuable property may not be held In
imminent danger of total annihilation
on the occurring Of an ice gorge at
this pnint.
While we are not disposed to be dis
cOuraged at the failure tO secure a
favorable report from Msjor Powell,
] we must confess some disappointment
81 finding his curt and summary dis
missal Of the matter endorsed by Col.
| SEaine, who, though he has never wit
messed the extent Of damage to proper
ty and danger to life that can bewrougbt
by an ice gorge in Tongue river, has
enjoyed enough opportunity for OBJ
servation Of the conditions which
prevail now and those which evident
ly existed few years ago. to become
ut least casually imprc ssed with the
fact that Miles City has not only suf-
ferrd largely in the past, but that In
any spring breaE-up succeeding a
hard winter, the river is almost GER
tain To do US Utmost iucalculsble
damage, and to create a new channel
to the Yellowstone, cutting our town
off from the mainland, and rendering
absolutely valueless, property that is
now the sole wealth # IT'S owners.
Major Powell came here prejudiced
against the proposed improvement.
His conversation with the members Of
the city council before entering upon
the survey CD Of the premises indicated
this clearly, and after devOting per-
haps an hour to a hurried ride up
aud down the river, past the city front
he said plainly that he could see
nothing in the proposed work that
would In anyway benefit ths govern
mont. He was argued with on this
point by many Of our leading citizens
but was immovable, consequently his
report Is In no way q surprise. As be
could not be induced to see that the
People. who fundamentally compose
and constitute the government, are
entitled 10 some meagre protection
when their lives and property are en-
daDgered, IL becomes the duty Of the
people TO make some attempt to bring
this view Of thecsse to the powers that
be. This step has already been taken
by an enterprising citizen Of our town,
and on the consideration Of the petit
ton that he circulated and sent for
ward, we may still hope for success.
Hon. Thos. H. Carter has the matter