Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-12
ENGINEER is IN DOUBT
PrOblsu o. 10, GORGE Near vsrmiliOn Has
not Been Solved.
WATER LOWER, But s1al COVERS LAND
with Government Funds row AvaiIa-
BILE There a. No Certainty that
Dynamite VIII Relieve
the situation.

VBRMILION, s. D., March 11.-(spe-
ciaL) -Although the United States govern
ment has appropriated $500 for use In
getting rid Of the large ice gorge In the
Missouri river south and southwest OF this
city. 1t is doubtful II any good will come
OF 1t. Engineer DeWitte and a force OF
men have been looking over the situation
the last few days. with view to ascertain
ing the extent OF the gorge and where they
can work to the best advantage In blowing
up the gorge It has been a hard PROPOSE
ton to find the exact spot from which TO
begin operations. and even now the en-
gineer IL not certain that he can accom-
plsh results.
The principal dihiculty encountered has
been to get to the river. All along the
banks, and In some places for several
miles back from the river. water is stand
ing three feet IN the low places. This is
covered with a thin sheet OF ice, making It
difficult to get through. The ice has had
20 be broken IN order to get a boat through,
and this has taken time. Today Engineer
DeWitte believes he has located that por-
ton of the gorge which Is responsible for
holding back several miles OF ice and
water and with six men will 60 to point
six miles southwest OF vermfion, south OF
the Jens Fisher farm. to begin the work
before them.
Complaints have been registered thick and
] fast because Of the delay in getting to
work since the appropriation was made
The government engineer Is doing all he
can to relieve the situation. There are GER
tain details that have to be looked after.
and until everything is in readiness all the
powder in the world will not hurry matters.
How the GOrEes Lie.
Few people understand conditions as they
really are There is no work to be done
at the front Of the gorge that formed three
weeks ago today. A channel, twenty rods
wide, is now forming through its center,
and for four miles west on the south side
Of the ice the channel is open all along.
Then comes smooth ice for some distance,
but back OF this is another gorge Of some
dimensions. The water has worked its
| way under this, but has not been wearing
| on the upper dam. The gorge at the Jens
| Fisher place extends from bank to bank,
and what water has been flowing goes
under. though the river is at an unusually
low water mark.
with the channel twenty rods wide for
| three miles below this second gorge, Engi-
neer Dzwitte believes that II he can dis
lodge enough ice It will be carried out all
right. An opening for three-quarters OF q
mile will probably have to be made before
the surface Ice west toward st. Helena
island will begin to move.
In the meantimeA the engineer and his
men may be delayed on account of high
water The three-foot rise that is coming
down will again put water over the bot
toms and hinder the men from getting tC
the gorge six miles southwest. 1t is posi-
~
rise to push out the gorge. Engineer De
Witte Is of this opinion. Conditions hav,
not improved materially the last week ant
the unfortunates on the lowlands can onlI
hope for the best.
Many families have moved back to thet
homes on the bottom. but this is not con
sidered wise move. Southwest OF tn
city there is just as much danger today a
there was two weeks ago. Until the lc
opens all along. danger of higher waite
than ever prevails.
Flood Grows Worse.
More water is coming out over the low
lands today in Meckling and Norway town
ships, In Clay county, and on the west II
Yankton county. A three-foot rise is re
, sponsible for the overflow. Ice at Hagen
Bend, southwest Of Gayville. is being car
ried over the lowlands. The water is play
ing havoc with the Milwaukee tracks ives
to Meckling. Train service to the west
abandoned and Gayville reports water di
rectly south of town.
Meckling Is threatened, with water risin
at the present rate The grove south O
: that town, which is considered high waite
+ mark, is entirely surrounded. Practical
all of the lowland south of the track
0 west to Gayville Is covered
8 The high water seemingly makes no i'm
Z preston on the gorge south and southwes
: of Vermilion The main channel has opene
, the first gorge, but other gorges to tn
. west are holding fast.
z Engineer Dewitt expected TO do some
2 thing with 500 pounds OF blasting powde
h today, but cannot reach the gorge toda
= from any point.
h Vermilion river is running hank full an
h is likely to overflow its banks in a shoI
n time ~ the rise continues. Families VIII
went back to their farms after the fri
i scare were driven on yesterday. South
+ west of Gayville the overflow was so SUD
y den that many could not get out. Fac
!, rise from now on makes conditions thu
a ! much xgoVaa