The herald., 1897-04-14
RAMPANT
BIG MUDDY
Goes Out on a Hunt for Its
Ancient Bed
PEOPLE FLEEING FOR LIFE
LEAVING HOUSES AND LANDS TO
UTTER RUIN
PEOPLE FLEEING FOR LIFE
Omaha Threatened With Destruction
In Spite Of Desperate Efforts
to Dam the Flood
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
OMAHA, Neb.. April 13.-Piling and
boards and bags of sand, old hay and
stones are being fed to the hungry nav
Of the Big Muddy at Omaha in order TO
restrain the manifest intention of that
erratic stream to resume the channel
abandoned twenty years ago. At night
fall it looked as If the effort 'ght sue
ceed. But all hope is hedged about with
provisos, that the river may not rise any
higher, that north wind does not blow
and, most uncertain of all. that the
break in the hank above Florence lake
is not so bad as the overflow of water
indicates.
East Omaha and North Omaha are
flooded by the waters that are rushing
from the overfull Missouri river. The
residents flee for their lives, leaving their
possessions behind. The houses are
standing in the flood, submerged in wa
ter from one to five feet deep. Fields of
grain and fences disappear beneath the
surface of the water, and the trees no
longer show any trunks.
The flood is pouring in upon the low
lands of the East Omaha bottoms in
stream that is estimated to be 1000 feet
in width. 1t is sweeping southeast and
pours into Florence lake. The water in
the lake has broken over the levee that
was built to separate it from Cutoff
lake, and is now rushing with ever in
creasing volume into the latter 1t is
sweeping over plowed and planted fields;
r4 t. 5,.;x, from their homes
in North Omaha; it is tearing up fences
and threatening the houses tina. stand
! from three to four feet deep in the wa
ter. 1t is pouring into Cu.-off lake Just
north Of the long bridge which leads 70
| CourtIand Beach. In the last twelve
| hours Cutoff lake has risen almost two
feet. If this rate continues. it is antici-
pated that by morning the lake will
overflow it's southern bank. If this should
occur and should the rise be still main
tanned, the entire southern portion OF
East omaha would be threatened with
most disastrous flood, as there is no ele-
walton of the land to stem the outpour-
ing.
The beginning of the flood occurred
several days ago. For weeks past the
river has been rising gradually 1t was
thought there was no danger. The levees
would hold, it was thought. They did
hold until two days ago. Then the
mighty volume could be restrained no
longer Two days ago the river crept
over the top of the bank in the bend OF
the river just below Florence. 1t came
slowly at first, but it found easier pas
sage as time went by. Early yesterday
afternoon the force became resistless.
A great hole was dug in the shore. A
fisherman's hut that appeared to block
the way was torn out bodily and swal-
lowed up by the river. The water poured
|'onto the bottoms to the south. The
speed of the flood was rapid. AT
o'clock yesterday afternoon North Oma-
ha was surrounded on all sides with dry
land. At o'clock many of the people in
the houses on the lowlands were fieeing
from their homes This morning this
portion was covered with water from
one to five feet deep. At present the
worst of the flooded district is located
lust north of North Omaha. At Sher-
man avenue a broad stream has shot
directly to the south This stream just
skirts the east end of the little settlement
known as North Omaha. 1t began to
creep along the bottoms about o'clock
yesterday morning. 1t first drove out
of their homes and from their premises
three milkmen, Erickson. Larson and
Milhouse 1t swept a quarter of mile
further south and there took within its
bosom a dozen cottages. The Rileys.
the Petersons. the Johnsons, the Schaef-
fers, the Knapps, the Clarks, and sew
eral other families decamped about
o'clock. All these are residents of the
eastern part of North Omaha.
The stream then went on further south
q distance of half a mile and struck an
other little settlement The residents
here at 6 o'clock began to move. Among
those who had to vacate were George
Skinner, Frank Burwell. Charles Frages,
Erick Peterson, Charles Butcher, En-
quist and Murphy.
All these people were forced to aban-
don their houses in haste, some of them
with only their night clothes on.
Many narrow escapes from drowning
are recounted but so far as is known no
lives were lost. Efforts to recover per-
sonal effects from the engulfed houses
have been of little avail. Forces of work.
men were hurried out to protect the
houses in the flooded district and have
succeeded in restraining the spread Of
the water to the west, combining 1t to
the channel cut from the river to Flor
ence lake and from Florence lake to Cut
off lake. This has saved most of North
Omaha from destruction. Cutoff lake
at nightfall was filling up rapidly but
could then accommodate four or five
feet more of water. 1t is held back by
a strong double dixie across its lower
end and from there ON to the river the
old bed is crossed by paved streets.
street-car tracks, railroad car tracks,
etc. all of which present embankments
from eight to fourteen feet in height,
which must be washed out before the
Missouri can resume its abandoned bed.
There is much uncertainty owing to the
extensive property interests involved.