The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-20
THE RIVERS ARE RISING.
High Water Reported in Various
Sections the Other Side Of
the Range.
West Of Kalispell the Great North
ern Is Not Operating
Trains.
R,a ON the Ceur d'Aleue Branch
-Wickcs Tunnel Cave-Kates
ON Live Stock.

The railroads in the northwest are nav
ing trouble in operating their lines, owing
to high waters. Last year il was the Soc
ond week In June when the great washouts
In Montana occurred, on tho Montana Gen
trail between Helena and Great Falls. and
n she same time the Northern Pacific was
seriously delayed in tho western part OF the
state. During the past winter . great deal
more snow has fallen in the hills than WAS
the case in the winter of 1891 81. and II
warm rains should come, such az fell lass
year, the probability is that the streams
will he higher this year than they were last.
The Montana Central grade between Helena
and Butte, was raised after the washous
last year several feet, and 1t is believed IL
ia now all right. even If the floods this year
should be greater than they were last. Inc
only vashout reported in Montana SO far
this year ave been on the Belt mountain
branch of the Montana Central. All over
tho state. however, reports are to the enecs
that the streams are rising; at Mlssoula
some little damage has been done; between
Helena and Garrison tho low lands are
flooded; in Deer Lodge the streets have
been flooded for the past few days by the
OVERLOOKING of Cottonwood creek. and in
the eastern part of the state all the streams
are high.
The Northern Pacific through trains were
all on time yesterday, and reports LASS
night indicated that so far no serious dam
age htd been lone by the high water in the
vicinity of Spokane. Reports from Spokane
are to the effect that the Spokane river il
already FIVE feet higher than it was June l
last year and is rising steadily at the rate
of three inches each day. according TO those
who have watched its progress since the
snow first began to melt. Thursday the
water was twelve feet above low water
marx. and Ii was estimated that it will rise
six feet more before the limit is reached.
The shows In tho upper C@ur d'Alenas
have not vet commenced to melt, and 1t is
partly upon that fact that the prediction is
based that the river this year will be higher
than it has ever been within the memoiy OF
q White resident.
The volume Of water that rushss over the
falls at Spokane is subject to q great deal
Of variation. When the lowest point 10
fest per second. II 10 estimated roughly
bv persons accustomed to such work that
Aha hov Thursday was very near to 10000
cuhio feet DER second. The average high
vnter ia reached when 25,00O cubic feet are
going over the main cataract every second.
Il is also expected that the flow VIII bs be-.
tween IS, 600 and $4,000 feet per second
vhan ths extreme height has been reached
This objects that the torrent brings down
with 1t are innumsrable.
Dead cattle, roofs of houses, RATS of cot.
tonvood, and whole forests OF driftwood
tell the story Of devastation in the upper
country, caused by the unprecedented kusn-
ina of the waters. =.
At Missoula the water has been high all
the week, but SO far no serious damage has
been done. On tho Occur d'Alene branch
of the Northern Pacific, however, there are
extensive washouts. The Cenr d'Alene
river has risen over four feet since yeste'-
day. and two Northern Pacific bridges. one
at the Mission and one above. wont out
Yesterday morning. Seven hundred feet OF
track are reported washed out. The
Coeur d'Alene river, it is said
is higher than ever before known
and has not yet reached its max
imum, as the torrents coming down from
the mountains are increasing: me ~. Joe
river ia beyond it's banks and iS doing much
damage to the ranches in the st. Joe val
lev. Lake Cuur d. Alene. of which the spo
kane river is tho only outlet. ID steadily
rising and the river at this point, 1t 10 OK
pected. will be higher in . few days thar
ever before known.
The Great Northern ia meeting with henpl
of trouble on the mountains west OF Havrt
owing to wsshouts. Trains over the di
vision west of Kalispell have been delayed
three or four days on account of a serlouI
washout near jennings. The rapid rise o
Wolf creek at that place washed out abou
q mile and a half of track. and to add an
other bad feature to it. a repair crew tina
was sent out from Troy got ditched Ant
barely escaped with their lives. Thu wors
portion of the road is in that part Of tn
mountains and whom the KootenRl rive
rises serious trouble is apprehended.
A dispatch to The INDEPENDENT last nigh
from Great Fails says the Missouri an
tributary streams have been rising rapid
during the past few days, owing to tn
melting snow in the mountains. The Mis-
souri, is four and a half feet above the 10y
water mark, and old river men look for a
additional rise of from one to two feet IN
less there Is considerable rain, when it vii
probably reach last ycar's rise, which wa
eight and a half feet above low water mari
The weather has been cooler the past tw
DAYS. which has prevented rs rapid a ris
as was feured early in the week. This sea
sons drive Of the Butte d Montana Lum
Der company has been very successful 4
far. Millions of feet Of logs have bee
coming down tne river 1or q week an
lodging in the oompsny's boom at tae foo
of Ninth street. The end of drive "a on
three miles above town. Bolt creek IL on
rampage and has made serious inroads in
the road bed of the Neihart branch OF ii
Great Northern, both on this and the eth
side Of Monarch. 80 far as can be learned I
bridges nave been carried away, thOul
some of them are said to DO in leopard
The regular train did not go ont yestsrda
The train service OH the Pacific extensi,
is badly interfered with. owing to the hi
water in the Fisher and kootenai river
Considerable of the road bed has boz
washed away along the Fisher river, abo
twenty miles east of Libby and eight mil
east of Bonner's Ferry. The kootsnai b
carried away $50 feet of track at Bonne
Ferry, where the the river 10 up to I
depot. Superintendent Shields is exhaue
ing every effort to repair the damage al
keep trains running.