Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 April 1899 — LOSE OF LIFE IN FLOODS. [ARTICLE]

LOSE OF LIFE IN FLOODS.

Montana Rivers Turned Into Raging Torrents and Many Killed. Twelve persons are known to have been victims of the overflow caused by the ice in the Yellowstone river below Glendive, Mont, Friday night. The Yellowstone above broke up last week, and great ice floes have been passing down. When they reached Glendive Friday afternoon, the ice there had not broken up, and they were piled up against the bridge. The water rose thirty feet in one hour, and the ice piled up against the bridge mountain, before the first and second spans gave way, and were carried down the stream on the surface of the ice. The two spans were 600 feet long, 18 feet wide and 40 feet to the crown, and not until the bend in the river was reached, two miles below the city, did they break up and sink. The recent Chinook has made raging torrents out, of most of the rivers in Montana, in many cases breaking all records. The Yellowstone has caused the greatest loss to life and property. Ice jams have backed the water up and great damage has been done. At Miles City the ice jammed at the mouth of Tongue river, forcing the water back until the entire south side of the city was under water. Seventy-five houses had to be abandoned, the people having to be rescued in boats, so quick had been the rise of water. Later in the afternoon the water broke over the track into Main street, which ran a torrent. Hundreds of head of live stock have been swept away.