The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-05-05
THE FLOODS Al, SIOUX rails.

THE FLOODS II, SIOUX: FAIiIl,,s:
The 1o,cn Flooded Great Loss Of Prop.
erty-1hree Bridges go i. Fifteen Mn
ntes-Distress Of tie people. .:
Our neighboring city of Sioux Falls
has come III for large share Of the loss
and distress caused by the floods. We
have had no papers from there for
weeks, although the town is only 65
miles distant, but from the Sioux City
Journal, which by some mysterious dis.
pensation Of Providence, wandered into
Worthington III these days when postal
officials and railroads are paying no at
tention to mails, we CLEAN the following
facts concerning the havoc made Inv the
raging Sioux:
Sioux FALLS, April 26.-After the
ice broke up last Wednesday morning
the Sioux fell some, but on FRIDAY
night commenced rising, and by Satur.
day evening attained fifteen and A half
feet above low water, us high as ever
was known. a torrent third of q
mile wide ran through the town, flood
ing the easements of all the buildings
on the west side of Phillips avenue from
the postotlice north, compelling almost
everybody from Van Epps block north
to remove their goods, and making i
lake Of the region for over four blocks
south Of the island and two blocks vest
OF the river. On the east side it reach
ed to the bluffs, east Of the St. Paul de-
pot. and thirty-three buildings of var
ious kinds were washed away.
The loss is estimated by the Panta
graph ut $l40,COO, as follows:
Milwaukee company, loss of bridge
ana damage to track and yard, $27,-
st. Paul company. damage to track
grade, yard, ETC., O,CC0.
Damage to the Queen Bee building.
boiler house, flumc, canal and loss of
cooper shop. lumber, ETC., $4,000.
Oshkosh Lumber company, So. 600.
Edwin Sharpe Il Co., lumber. So. 600.
A. \. Grout, lumber, 5000
i. +. Roderick, " $4,000.
Weber, Shaw & Watson, total loss
of the lower mill, 5000.
The comfy, two bridges, $4,000.
J.. Rice, hotel. So, 500.
Mchinion & Ross, planning mill, ST.
200.
Z. Paulus, hotel, $1,000.
Joel +. Weber, interest in lower
mill, $4,000.
Badger Lumber Co., $4,000.
Phillips saloon. $1,000.
Cascade mill. damage, 81 800.
Gilbert Il Gilman. grain warehouse.
1900.
Circuit & Peterson, ice houses, 81, 100.
Parmelee e Davis, ice house, 81 200,
Ileujum & Olson, blacksmith shop, |
$500.
April 27.-Mr. Kent says that the
damage at Sioux Falls and whereabouts |
by the overflow Of the Sioux river is !
simply immense. and he thinks the act |
nal loss to the tow, cannot be less than |
S2OO,G0O. n detailed list Of the princi- |
pal sufferers was given in y special pub |
ished yesterday. am! need not be re-
peated here; sut}icing it to say that ac-
cor(ling 10 Mr.. kc'It the tl,n,ag by he |
flood WAS nnderestimatrd if anything.
and certainly not exaggerated.
It was q thllng sight when the |
bridges went out, three Of them going |
in fifteen minutes. The upper wagon
bridge, new iron structure. Has swept |
away as though it were cobweb, and |
whirling down the river it struck the !
lower wagon bridge, also iron, and |
threw.it right Up in the air like a chip, |
and then lie tWu together charged upon |
the Pembina railroad bridge and tore it |
from its supports. and the three went |
OFT down tic liver.
The valley to: miles is strcwn with |
the wrecks %: lun4beryarls, buildings |
and other iiratablt prnperty. The big !
bottom just west OF Sioux Falls resenl-
bleu u vast Lake. and the water cover
ing it probably averaged ten feet deep. |
All the low lands in that section We're |
under water and the people had to a.
landon everything and flee for their |
lives. Many farmers who considered |
themselves well off Il week ago lost AL |
but their land and their lives in the |
rushing flood which swept away houses.
BARNS. fences. stack. grain. inplcin; ITS. !
and in fact every hing movable
Standing on Il bluff houses could be i
seen with just the comb Of the roof out
Of the water. while others were floating |
about amid the debris Of nunlherleSs
farms. The people have fled from these
low lands 10 the high grounds and into
the town. and Mr.. Kent says there is
actual distre on account OF the scare |
ity Of supplies. II Sioux Falls the sup I
ply Of staple articles OF life is wholly |
exhausted The merchants are out Of
sugar. coffee. syrup, oils. candles, and |
there WAS hardly amy flour and no veg
etables. Stores airs doing nothing IN |
the way OF trade. lca;,s" they have
little that people want t" buy. Mr. |
Kent thought there was not Il FIRMLY in
town that had over twenty five p1;, DIS |
Of flour. and many had r"ne at all.
However. there was said to he -four
in the Cascade mill. hut it could not nr
got at until the water went down, IS
the mill stands, or did stand. in the
middle Of 4 raging torrent. Some poor
families have literally nothing to eat
and have to depend on the charity OF
the more fortunate. A bad feature Of
the situation is that from the dcplora-
BILE condition Of the tracks it is not
thought that railroad ccnnrcctioE with
the outside world can he restored under
six weeks or two months. Between
Sioux Falls and Sioux City there is but
one bridge left. and that the one at
Westfield, and for stretches of miles
and miles he road-bod is entirely wash
ed ont. Mr.. Kent thinks that full half
of the road-hetl between this city and
Canton is so badly damaged that it will
have to be practically rebuilt. The
Worthington line is said to be in no
better shape. all the bridges and culverts
having been taken out.
NrAps.--We have Il supply of Mobiles
County Maps framed to hang up. Every
Office should have one. No family