Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-07

increased in volume by the melting SHOWS
which came in from every small stream,
over the banks of the river. The ice dams
were called 'gorges'' in the language Of the
day, and every effort was made to break
the gorges as they formed. Where this was
possible the damage was not so serious as
at other places. but at two points on the
river the gorges were so large that 1t was
impossible. The most tenacious one was be-
tween Sioux City and Yankton. 1t was the
water piled up by this gorge which swept
away the villages of Yankton, d. T., and
Green Island, Neb., located opposite Yank-
ton. Vermilion was rebuilt upon the hills in
the rear of the older town, but Green
Island is no longer known.
March Is, water was running over the
fixed Ice at Omaha, carrying with 1t float
ice from further up the stream. A small
gorge formed at the foot Of Douglas street
and for two days the people Of the city
watched the river as something of interest,
but to be feared. Sunday, March q, the
larger part of the population of the city
went to the river to see the gorge go out,
as the ice near the Union Pacific bridge had
melted for the first time. Four thousand
people stood upon the western bank OF the
river and saw the accumulation of ice pass
under the bridge in twenty minutes, and
Omaha's fears were relieved, for the gorge
had passed out without doing any damage
and the water was still two feet below the
danger line.
Novel and Thrilling sight.
1t was a novel and thrilling sight. when
that ice foe went down the river. The ice
that formed here was probably two feet
thick at that time. but the ice that had
lodged above it made some Of the cakes ten
feet thick and 200 square feet in area. As
these blocks passed under the bridge they
struck the piers and were ground to powder
by the contact. Sprays OF ice flew over the
tracks upon the bridge and in some cases
large blocks were thrown as high as the tor
Of the bridge, while the roar from the con-
tact was d%eRfening, and the bridge vibrated
with the strain. Many feared that the
structure would go down In the face Of the
rushing waters, beneath the force OF the
ice pack, but there was no damage to the
piers when the last OF the ice had hoated
below them.
There was no development in the iood
until the last day OF March, when Bis.
marck. ID. T.. reported a grand breakup
In the river at that point, and a broad helC
OF ice moved from that place to where a no,
was ~stagnated between Sioux City ant
Yankton. seventy-hve miles long and a.
deep as the river. Then It was that Greer
Island. Neb., and Yankton, d. T., wert
wiped from the map. while farms In tn,
Jim River valley. in the Big Sioux vale!
and in all OF the valleys Of the smaller
streams emptying into the Missouri OF
either side between the mouth OF the Floy'
and Bismarck were covered with water
thousands OF head OF stock OF all kinds sn'
even the wild animals OF the prairies wer,
caught in the raging waters and swept TO
ward the gulf.
Saturday the flood reached Omaha. an,
the water was within three inches OF tn
danger line. BY Monday morning waite
was flowing over the wall at the smelling
works. and the refining department wa
forced to suspend>operatiOns while the fore
employed there was set 20 work building
dams against the flood.
At Sioux City the apprehension OF DANCE
was greater than at Omaha Water wa