Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-04-08
FLOODS IN s. DAKoTi''
JIM FALLS At YANkron
OTHER RISE PRoMlsen an
Sphinx County IL All Flood n
Not a Train Has Been All.
Enter 1t for Over a wesl
ers Drowned in that sect;o,
Dakota Flood S;t.o.,

The Jim River lowered fonr 49,.
lankton Tuesday night. but is evma'.a al
rise higher than ever, as the waa,ho ea !"
reau there was officially notifoa W.
Huron that the river was ranidlv r;a; iron I
Oaks, N. d., with heavy ica c ,,...s IT /
columbia. Railroads have sustainsd
very heavy loss SO far at Yankton, as nes,,s
nve miles OF all three tracks are wra.sag
A great loss of crops will occur to All f. .o
ers throughout the Jim River valley =. =
Is now late in the season for early crons
There had not been train into Sn,,,
County for ten days up to Tuesday ~,
the Hoods exceed any thing in the his.nrv !.
that county. The water in Jim P,:.
eight feet higher than the highest raco.a.s
water mark. The river at Frankfort eros'
ing IS two miles wide and running finn -
Ice. Not one wagon bridge remains IN Is.
county and travel of all kinds il a,,ss.
entirely suspended. Entire quar- 81 e.
mons are submerged, and many farms,
lose stacked grain, representing all Of l,t
years crops, unthrashed last fall becsnss
OF immense snowfalls coming earlier ,hss
usual. Besides the deaths of John Rail !,
Tulare, and Robert McClosky of Athol !.
drowning, farmer named Henry S,r
vite and two SONS were drowned MONDAY
south OF Frankfort. 4 farmer named Lund
strum, lost dozen head Of cattle and seven
horses by drowning. 1t will tax the coun,v
to repair the lost bridges. John BaIl;s
body has not been recovered.
The water is constantly lowering .,
Aberdeen, and conditions are grad9aly
getting back to normal Reports of heayy
losses to bridges, farm products. etc ars
coming in from the country districts. Int !,
IS believed the worst is over there also An
streams maintain the extraordinary stags
OF water of more than week past, show.
ing that the floods in the country ars
gradually finding their way to the usual
water courses. The railroads can vet do
but little, as the water is too high. The
Milwaukee ran train on its north line n
Edgeley Sunday, and one over the Hast.
lngs and Dakota div sion as far east AZ
GrotOn. Bridges on that division are ont
at MoDtevideo and Milan, and prevent
through traffic.
A sudden rise of the Jim River TUESDAY
afternoon sent the water within three miles
of Vermillion. Meckling is surrounded u
well as Gayville. It is supposed that an
ice gorge broke above, letting the flood Of
water loose. The bottom west of Vermill
ion is submerged.
There are acres OF water in every iirec
ton at Huron. The flood conditions here
are the worst ever experienced. The trains
north and west on the Chicago and North.
western have all been abandoned. the
tracks being under water or the roadbeds
washed out, but those east and south wen
running regularly up to Sunday There
was great apprehension for the safety Of
the Great Northern bridge at this point, a
the banks were being badly washed GU,
and being pile bridge had already been
severely strained.
The Jim rose seven inches at Mitchell 4
Saturday. The Milwaukee and Omaha !
quit transferring across the river on az.
count Of the current being too swift The
water has spread over a large section and
many wagon bridges have been carried
away.
There are number of small creeks in
the vicinity of Chamberlain that are caus.
ing considerable trouble and in one in.
stance loss Of life. A young man named
Charles Reber, while on an errand, was
drowned while crossing Smith Creek. His
body was recovered. The creek was badly
swollen by melting snow. American
Creek, which enters the Missouri at Cham
berlain, was so high that the Manchester,
quite as large as a Missouri River ferry,
used the mouth for a harbor, something
never before possible.
A telegram Saturday from TyndalI
stated that it had rained there necessarily
for six days, ond that the situation was
as bad as in 1881.
John A. Bushnell of Sioux City, Mil
waukee brakeman, was drowned Saturday
afternoon in the Sioux River. between
Hudson and CalliOpe. Bushnell was work
ing on pile driver and was on the ladder,
when his hands slipped and he fell into the
river. Considerable driftwood was float.
ing and the unfortunate man was carried
down by the swift current. A boat was
procured and fellow wOrkmen used every
endeavor to rescue him, but he soon sans
out Of sight. 1t is not likely his body VIII
ever be recovered. He was married.