Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-23
CHANGE RIVER COURSE
tn
Sioux City Msnaced BY the Work
Of q Few South Dakots
Farmers.
Channel Cut Through the Strip
Of Land Known as Rem.
myers Neck.
Federal Authorities May Not Be
Able to Keep River in
Present Course.

Present Course.
Jackson, Neb., June 2s.-During
Thursday night a party of men from
the Dakota side of the Missouri came
across to this side and again dug ditch
thru Reninger's neck at its narrowest
place, the object being to change the
current of the river and cut off the tract
of land north of the Reninger farm.
Some twenty or thirty armed men are
guarding the passage to prevent its be-
ing refilled by parties living in the vi
cnity. A similar channel was dug
across the neck by the same parties on
two former occasions. but each time 1t
was refilled by farmers living adjacent
before swift current commenced togo
thru. This time it is evident they viii
try to prevent a refilling of the ditch
and If the progress of the water is not
soon impeded the object of the Da kota ms
will be attained. a couple of farmers
who desired to go over to the cutoff
territory yesterday morning We're pre-
vented from doing so by the guard and
Iplace of their operations. Sheriff Sides.
of Dakota City, has been sent for and
t9if the trespasseres and law breakers do
not abandon their work before he arr
Irives on the scene arrests will be made
and sensational occurrences may devel-
op.
Sioux City, June 23.-Unless the gov
liernment authorities Interfere, there is
raoSnr ~ ayporf a the sNfis1
I.ri river will be raging as never before il;
front Of Sioux City by the first of next
week. Not only this, but the chances
are that much valuable property will be,
tumbling into the turbulent and turbid
stream and perhaps land near Riverside.
Iipark will be threatened.
Several times have stories been pub
llished concerning the imminence of such
a condition cassd by the river cutting
thru Reninger's neck, about fifteen miles
above this city and allowing the stream.
Ito fall over six feet in going less than
100 feet. At present the water goes out
around big peninsula, a distance of
nine miles. But the meek is composed
4 of gumbo and has not washed, but now
lit Is being assisted.
Tuesday night thirty-two South Da-
kota farmers came in seven skiffs thru
1.-THE darkness across the river and
worked la.boriously all night, digging
|canal across the narrow neck. When.
I.they We're seen by a fisherman about 4
\ o'clock Wednesday morning they had a
ditch excaNated twelve feet wide at the
iltop and four feet wide at the bottom
and extending entirely across the mar
isrowest strip, which has been cut to
eighty ight feet by the erosiNe force
iIof the current A foot OF water was
trimming thru the new channel and the
ldirt which had been taken out in con-
/ structing the ditch was thrown into this
land carried off into the main stream.
4 The fisherman hurried to the nearest
farm house on the peninsula. and all of
the eight families living thereon We're
notified and all hurried to the neck and
4 began work on a dam. 1t is under
stood that the inha bitants of the PENN
sula have received a proposition from
the South Dakotans who dug the trench
which will be accepted and that the
river will be assisted thru very; shortly.
News of the determination to shorten
4 the river was brought to this city yes
1 terday morning by Frank Snyder, who
is one Of the eight farmers VINO lives on
the point" He said:
ri tell YOU we We're considerably
scared when told that a ditch had been
i dug across the neck, and had little
hopes Of stopping the big. river from
widening the trench and soon transfer
ring its channel to the new and shorter
4 cut-off. Had those farmers dug below
the gunbo. to the softer soil, there
would have been no human agencies
,a}l Hob h n ,o 90
4 They, however, worked only in gumbo,
which has kept the river from wearing
Thru there years before, and altho they
got quite a stream thru the ditch, it ate
Very slowly into the sides. We piled
logs across and hauled more gumbo,
4 which, when wet, mixes like mortar.
land soon we had the inlet shut up.
yesterday we received a proposition
i from the South Dakota men which we
4 are considering. They claim that the
4 that it would be stopped il the stream
4 We're sent thru the neck. We have not
been averse to having the river go thru,
d providing we had some means for get
ting off and back again to our homes.
4 The South Dakotans offer to buy us
Humber with which to make a ferry
UOdl II Wy e Will
i allow themto complete their task We
u may accept this proposition, and in
that case digging will be resumed soon
4 and the old Missouri given chances to
seek new level
1t would appear from the Tribune's
jackson special that the South Dako-
4 tans intend to force matters before fed
q eral authorities can interfere
4 There has been much speculation as
to what would result should this cut.
4 off occur during the high water. Some
have even prophesied that Woodland
i Park would be washed away and the
boat houses ieopardized. This. the
United States engineer has laughed at
The rush of water occasioned. however
by drop of level of over six feet in
about thirty yards would create ter
4 rible force. The river channel would
be diverted and muchSand would surely
be sacrificed to the greed Of the rapa-
cious stream.
1t has been asserted that the ap.
a proaches to the big bridges over the
river here might be damaged.
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