The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-03-18
HOW The FLOOD {.
LEFT MANDAN
ICE JAM STRUCK N. p. GRADE
AND SWEPT IT CLEAR OF
TIES AND RAILS FOR
TWO MILES.

hlsIiiarck, ~. D., March 1s.--A
newspaper man made the trip &c
Mandan yesterday to observe the re-
suits Of the flood and ice jam of last
Monday, caused by the breaking up Of
the Missouri river aata4 -1
The damage began about one-fourth
OF q mile from the west end OF the
bridge, where the waters only, washed
over the track for a distance of 100
RODS without damaging it to any ex-
| tent
A little further on the ice lam
struck the grade with full force and
swept 1t clear Of ties and rails for a
distance OF two miles. eThe rails and
ties were carried off the road bed and
are lying alongsida of the embank-
| ment.
The Ice is piled up in immense
cakes that resemble small .icebergs
along the entire piece OF road bed
that has been stripped OF ties and
rails, from five to ten feet high. This
Ice has to be blasted by dynamite and
then broken up with siedge, hammers,
Ice picks and pick axes. This work
is very slow. There were ,650rrnen at
work along, these two miles and abo,if
mile was cleared "Wednesday and
new track laid. Several thousand
pounds of dynamite have been used In
the operations. y, Superintendent Burt
Is hoping to have trains running by
Friday night, but 1t is doubtful. If Il
can be done. 80. 81
There are two miles OF telephone1
and telegraph wires destroyed. The
wires are wound around cakes of ice
and logs and the poles are scattered
IN every direction and those not brok-
EN- off are bent in every direction.
On the north side Of the grade the
Ice is piled up, cake upon cake. as
Tar as the eye can reach in every d.
rectlon. Some places 1t looks to be
twenty-five feet in height. 1t will be
many weeks, before this ice disap- |
pears as it has been left stranded on |
the bottom, land, ,.,.- -.
In -Mandan proper there was. no 4
damage by water at any time. though |
at one time it was feared, that the |
gate In the dyke would give way, but |
good work on the part of the citizens.
prevented this. The water was two
feet above the street level behind the
dyke along the Heart river.
The Syndicate addition was flooded
and people were compelled to abandon
their homes, but they found tempor.
airy quarters with their friends. The
mill was compelled to shut down.
which deprived the city If its street
lights, and the destruction of the line
between the bridge and Mandan de-
orived the residences and stores of
electric lights. There was no water
IN the railroad yards or shops. nor IN
the main part of the town.
The Western Union 60 had "a corns /
OF hnemen at work setting up temper |
airy poles and stringing the wires, and |
mas made connections at each end
The telephone people laid two miles
OF insulated wire along the Ice jam
and opened up connections Wednes-
day morning. This Will do temporary.
Mandan has had no mail, since Sun
day and was glad to get copies of
Wednesdays Tribune to find out
what was doing in the world. AS
soon as train service is resumed IL
viii pay Bismarckers to make a trim
over the line to see the results az
the disturbance.
The river is still carrying uuanti-
ties Of floating ice and will probably
do so for some days, as the banks are |
walled with cakes OF icet,.-r-