The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-03-14
VgHEM FUEL Famine AND FLOOD
OLD FORT BENTON

| to seven feet in depth. Cattle, deer
antelope, and other unsheltered ami
mails were frozen to death or per
ished from starvation. Travel be
came impossible.
w. p. Wren, who was then il
charge of Murphy-Neal Co., in For
Benton, had occasion to go in Jan
uary to Sun River on business. Or
his return journey by ''jerky,' as the
| tWo-seated coach running between
Helena and Fort Benton, and some
| times on other stage routes, was
called, the driver lost his way, an6
for two days and night wandered
through the snow after leaving Rein.
ecke's place, before he reached Fort
Benton with his hungry and half
frozen. passengers, they having had
but one meal during that time. From
Reinecke's to Fort Benton was or
dinarily journey of less than ten
hours by coach.
1t was not alone travellers who
were sufferers because of the heavy
snowfall; the citizens of Fort Ben
ton found their fuel supply rapidly
decreasing. Wood rose to $12 and
1913 a cord, and soon could not be
purchased at any price.
The situation was the more alarm
ing because of the intense cold that
showed no signs of modifying. Those
who had laid in enough fuel to last
through an ordinary Montana winter
were the most fortunate, although it
was evident, unless there came a
change in the weather, they, too,
would have to utilize whatever would
burn and keep them warm, as others
were already doing.
Wherever possible, several famil-
les went in together and pooled their
fuel supply. Our own small roof
during this period sheltered three
families. The cold being almost I'M
endurabe, the men were compelled to
do most of the cooking for our house
hold, as they were more warmly
dressed than the women. But even
they could stay but few minutes
at a time in the kitchen that was
built of boards, lined with paper, and
impossible to comfortably heat in
such weather.
Finally our wood gave out, and
we began to tear down our fence.
Others had long before resorted to
all sorts of experients to keep warm.
When everything without doors had
been used, including fences, and
small buildings, furniture was then
broken up and burned. Murphy-Neal
Go. burned large quantity of rancid
bacon they fortunately had on hand. |
How the other large firms managed |
20 tide over this period is not mat
.er of record.
Fort Benton was then military |
post, with Colonel Moale, brother-in- |
aw of General Gibbon, in command. |
IN their extremity, the citizens of |
Fort Benton turned to him for relief, |
which he was only too glad to give |
f it lay within his power to do So |
He telegraphed to Washington, ex-
the situation, and from there |
permission to share the
large amount of wood at the post |
with the needy inhabitants-that is
20 say, with everyone living in Fort |
Benton, for all were fuel paupers.
Scarcely was there prospect of
he fuel famine being ended, when
he residents of this sorely tried town
we're called upon to face another
LANCER, that threatened its very. ex-
stence. A wind came out of the
outhwest, and within few hours
he thermometer indicated increased
warmth of over 60 degrees. The
river Press of Feb. 2, 1881, says:
Benton is swimming, water running
n the streets and bitches being cut
o drain it into the river" The
hinook had arrived and brought
With it real summer weather. The
now did not disappear gradually,
ut suddeny melting, poured down
he hillsides surrounding Fort Ben
on in torrents of muddy water, COW
ring the sidewalks, and making the
own look as if it were part of the
liver, which it soon threatened to be- ]
ONE.
What effect the thaw had upon the ,
Dads leading into town can readily
e imagined. They were afloat, and
would be some weeks before they
ould be in a condition for travel. !
ess wood was needed now the wea- j
Ter was milder, but the stock at the