Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-04-04
Hugh l.. Scott Solved
Problem of Transportation
Through Flooded Country

fatalities and often in some emigrant
losing some of his stock or household
goods which he could i'll spare.
Well planned caravans took extra
care at the fOrds, making sure that
everything was right before venturing
through the waters. A double caution
was necessary because the fording was
an excellent opportunity for an Indian
attack.
With the end of the major Indian
wars and the establishment of stage
lines along the rivers, a number of
ferries were established where lines of
travel crossed the river. A cable
placed across the river guided the boat,
the streams current furnishing the
motive power. The formation of an
ice-gorge in the spring often resulted
in the breaking or sweeping away of
the cable and sometimes the boat also
was lost. Even with the ferry, crossing
of a river during the spring months
was likely to be dangerous.
With the river steamers however, the
period Of high water after the stream
had been cleared Of ice was favorable
to navigation and the boats could then
ascend to the highest points. There
were successive heads Of navigation at
lower and lower points as the season
progressed after the June high water
The high water months were therefore
the rush season for the upper stretches
Of navigation.
AS towns began to appear in eastern
Montana, a new source of danger from
the floods was o manifest. Most
Of the first towns were built close tc
the river which was still the main
method Of freight transportation. Un-
til experience brought wisdom, none OF
these places were graded up to safer
levels or protected against encroach-
mentS of the river. At the time that
parts of the stream are in particular
danger from floods, as the ice always
broke up first upstream and much Of
1t floated down into the areas still ice
bound.
The first of these floods after the
beginning of the settlement of the Vel
lOWStOne valley was in the spring Of
1881, just as the Northern Pacific rail
way was beginning to enter Montana
The previous winter had been one o.
very heavy snowfall and the river was
frozen deep, while the snow was g
couple Of feet deep on the level.
AT Miles City, then the principa
town Of the eastern part of the terri
tory, the forming Of q gorge in the
Tongue river, which empties into the
Yellowstone q short distance west
caused the water coming down from
the upper ranges of the river to spread
into the streets which had not beer
graded above the original level.
Traditions of the old-timers of those
days made the situation seem doubly
alarming. The SCARED condition Of
the bark in the cottonwood trees ir
the natural park between the river anc
the town was said to have been caused
by the rubbing of cakes of ice against
the trees in former floods. About 20t
people, mostly women and children, LEFT
their homes and pitched tents on the
side OF the neighboring Carbon hill be-
cause OF their fears of the flood.
Although the water was several feet
deep, no serious damage was done anC
after the apprehension of graver dan
ger wa past, those who stayed in towr
gave themselves over to revelry in the
new conditions. Flat bottOmed boat
were rugged up and RATS of various
dimensions were built and, in a holiday
spirit, the builders set out to rescue The
beleagured and to convey supplies from
the stores. The boats were decorated
with signs representing the best eff
forts OF the local jokesmiths. One
big flat-bOat which made ~frequen'
pilgrimages up and down Main stree
usually came to anchor before som
saloon or other resort to unload it,
passengers on amusement bent.
AS the upper Yellowstone usually