The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-03-26
EFFECTS Of STORM :.
AND fl000 Fill
A. .. l'EAlBElsTON CONCEDEs THE
LOSS OF 3sO HEAD Oi', CATTLE
BY BROWNING
high WATER RECORDS
All Streams Overlooked Banks-The
Roads lmpaSsal'le sN' Days--1el-
epl,ones still IDown

el,ll0nes still Down
The effects Of the food of Big and
Little Powder rivers and practically
every stream in the country are still
being felt and relief ia not yet in
sight. The warm weather melted
ice and snow and draining into the
streams the water ran bank full and
nverflowed onto adjoining lands,
everywhere establishing high water
~ecords.
The ice breaking up in huge
cakes gorged ut intervals in the
channels, throwing widespread the
great volume of water. The bltz-
zar1 which came later added to the
distressing conditions.
A. O. Pemberton arrived last
Wednesday after an overland trip
from Belle FOnrche and comedies the
loss OF 800 head of cattle. most OF
them dry cows, soon to he fresh. He
attaches no blame TO the feeders.
Ernest Harris and Harley McI4ain
stating they did everything possible
to avert the loss The stock had been
taken to higher ground for safety
but got hack to their old feeding
grounds on the bottom land and then
whenthe blizzard came on it was ut
terly impossible 10 drive them out
They were directly facing theterritic
wind and SNOW storm and from past
experiences vidently belieyed.it to be
the only danger. They absolutely
refused 20 nudge from the bottom
lands and then the water began to
rise. The feeders stood true to their
trust untH the water was high and
imperilled their own lives in es-
gaping they We're forced several times
to swim the;r horses. With recess
sion of the water, carcasses of dead
cattle were found at places indicat-
ing many of them tried to gain their
feeding grounds. plunsing and
drowning in deeper water. Many
others met their fate by absolute
starvation after standing for hours
and days in iced water knee deep
despite efforts OF a score OF men to
rescue them. For the most part it
is believed carcasses We're washed on
,iown the river.
Out OF the 200 head of four-year
old steers on the east bank. attend
ed by Dick Rayhern, only one died
SO far as known. They had been we'll
ted on cottonseed cake and were
strong enough to stand from Sunday
nigh until Friday noon in the rivers
water, The ice gorging upstrea III
held the water back and caused "
shaped space with the steers in the
center. Pemherton and his men cut
q way through the ice field To the
steers and effected rescue The an
imals walked out single file mile
and half 10th ranch, only one fall
ing ny the wayside.
The only other stockman on the
siveT to lose cattle by the food, so
tar as known. is William Wilson. Ii
Is said nine head OF stock were
drowned during the high water
stage.
Henry Cooley, arriving in town
Tuesday, stated all ice gorges below
Broadns had gone out, with what
damage to points down the river is
unknown
While Pemberton and his crew of
men together with Sheriff Sutter
we're engaged in rescue work toward
sunset flash as from heliogra nh
struck them in the face from a tim
bered area under water and it's repe-
tition brot fear that some human was
distress signalling. It later developed
that the sun on a miniature iceberg
Beyond had just the proper focus to
reflect its rays to their exact loca
,ion. The men We're prepared to
plnnge into the icy water, destined
IN rescue. had the flashes continued
their direction. They were some.
what unnerved by the incident.
Farther down the river three men
Fred burst. Dever and hired man
past 50 years Of age. got marooned
py the food waters and were ~
hours without food. After the wa
.ter lowered suficieut for them to