Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-04-08
STILL, THEY RISE
FLOOD SITUATION I! /. THE NORTH
WEST GRO So.

Many Northwsatcrn Tcwns Are
Flooded - Danger to Railroad
Bridge. Disastrous Break IN the
Levee Near Memphis.
1 Ortonville, Mimi, April 8. - This Is
the fourth day that Ortonyille has
been completely cut off from communi-
cation with the outside world In every
direction. A train can't 60 twenty
miles from this city in any direction.
Lac qui Tarle LIKE, the Minnesota riv-
er, Big Stone lake and Lake Traverse
form one vast sea of hundred miles
in length. At this point the lake and
river Is merged into one and rising
rapidly at the rate Of half an inch an
hour, the result of narthwest wind
which IL driving the Ice, which Is yet q
solid mass, out of Big Stone lake into
the overlooked bottoms of the Mime
sofa river, where it is likely to do
great damage. Bridges are gone IN
many places and boats are in demand
in the vicinity Of the depot and rail-
road yards. Rain has been falling
roads impossible and keeping farmers
If their fields.
ll4lS o. sl -.- q
Anoka, Mimi. April s. ~ More rnin
fell to-day. The Mississippi river rose
about a foot since yesterday and old
river men give their opinion that 1t
will rise over five feet more and will do
a great deal of damage. The banks Of
the river are being steadily washed
away here. Rum river is nearly as
high as 1t was two years ago. Houses
chi the flats are nearly surrounded by
water.
st. Paul, April 5.-The river contin-
ued to rise slowly hut steadily all day
yesterday. The most important change
In the situation was the breaking Of
the upper levee at James street and the
inundation of the upper fats, the re-
m0val Of number of families from
newly Inundated districts on the West
side fats and the passage of an
enormous drive Of logs down river.
There was considerable hurrying at
the upper end Of the fats, near the
Omaha railroad bridge, where the
levee broke. Many of the people living
there had confidence in the levee and
refused to move out. When the levee
broke and the water began to pour in
on the flats there was a great demand
for boats and people moved out in
hurry. Many did not have time to
save their household effects. There
were no injuries reported.
I'm North Dakota.
Fargo N. D., April 5-That character
known as the "old timer" who always
had worse blizzard or higher water
story to tell about that occurred in
early days. is again etfectually
squelched The water Of 70 and ~
has always been held up as the limits
beyond which no decent flood would
dare go, but the Red river has con-
Guided to break all records and is now
two feet higher than at any time since
seriousness Of the occasion the water
is still rising at the rate r two inches
per hour. There seems absolutely no
hope Of it's going down for another
twenty four hours at least. The Wild
rice ard other streams between here
and Wahpeton are all out on the
rampage. There has been great trouble
with the bridges all day. The water is
row several inches high on the string
er Of the Northern Pacific bridge,sand
! 1t looks as If the structure would go
out. A half dozen dead engines con-
tinue to hold it down. The water
continues to force people from their
hc.neS.
Bismarck, N. D., April 5.-Ice in the
Missouri above the Northern Pacific
bridge is. broken, but below the bridge
1t is solid. The river Is rising at the
rate of an inch an hour. 1t will have
to rise three feet yet before it will be.
out of its banks.
Grand Forks, N. D., April 5.-The
river has risen seven feet in twenty
four hours and is still rising. The
danger line is long ways off yet, and
several days will be necessary at the
present rate to do any damage. 1t Is
raining.
In South Dakota.
st. Paul, April Especial kilograms
from points in South Dakota, Iowa and
Nebraska bring word of increasing
! floods in all the rivers. Rain has
fallen almost incessantly for the last
seventy-two hours over an area Of more
than 100 miles in radius from Omaha,
the fall being fully four inches for that
time. This has greatly increased the
volume Of water in the already swollen
streams. and now what are usually
brooks have been transformed into tor.
rents. Thousands Of acres of farm
lards are under from four to six feet
of water ,and many families have
moved in boats. Along the James
river in South Dakota O great many
farmers had gone back to their homes
when the water receded. early last
week and are now caught in this sec.
ond flood A Missouri river steamboat
has been sent from YaEkton to rescue
the sufferers along the James river.
Sioux City reports that the Missouri,
has passed the danger line there and ID
overlooking the lower part Of the city,
Cherokee reports the second flood Oh
the Little Sioux worse than the first
Yankt0n Is cut OF from railroad com
inunication and most Of the telegraph
and telephone lines are down. Pierre
reports the river clear Of ice there. A
special from Yankton snys the Jim riv
err is on q rampage, covering the bot
tom lands from hl,,ff RI hI,,ff and