The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-02-23
yesterday. A terrible,wind-s storm struck the

i
town Tuesday evening and tore the place 70
pieces, only few buildings being left in
tact The waves rolled against some
houses several feet high, and even the
new and massive brick schOOl-hOuse
was damaged. The streets were filed wit h
| floating houses and barns, and many skitfs
and dog boats foundeted or were capSiZed.
A noble WO,k Vas done resculny drowning
families. 1t was the worst scene ever wit
messed in these paris Houses, with their
goods, aboyr Tie hi CHEST water were shat
tered ana destroyed. The situation is ter
riblc to contemplate.
CAIRO, ILL.,, Feb. 2l.--At eleven the river
last night was fifty-one feet nine inches, and
rising very slowly, with clear and cool
weather. There Is no uneasinesS here, az
every precaution has been taken. Barges
are scattered all around the leyee to protect
it from the winds At Birds Point,
Mo-. the storm destroyed eighteen
houses and three at East Cairo
but no lives are reported lost. At MetropO-
lis. ILL.,, Front street Is covered with the
debris Of demolished buildings, and the loss
will reach 500, 900. At Paducah all COM
munication by rail and river is suspended,
and the river is still rising slowly Tha
gas works at the latter town are under
water and the place is in darkness.
EVANSVILLE, Ind, Feb. 2l.-The de-
struction of property in this section by the
gale of Tuesday and Tuesday night was
greater even than was expected. Hundreds
of houses, barns, corn-cribs etc, with their
contents, were swept from their foundations
and wrecked. A large number of horses,
cattle and hogs were drowned, and
an immense amount OF corn lost.
In all respects it was the most destruc-
tive storm ever known in this sec.
ton. So far, only one case Of drowning
is reported, that of domestic named Della
Smith, living with the family Of Lemuel
Stansberry, few miles above this city. She
became alarmed during the storm by the
rocking of the building and the fall of a
chimney, Jumped out OF the doorway, and
was drowned before she could be rescued.
Hardly "a house is standing In the Hooded
district between OwensbOro and Mount
Vernon, and of eighteen houses on
the Aiken farm, above this city,
only one withstood the storm. At
Scuffletol, KY, twelve houses were carried
away and several Others wrecked. A relief
boat just arrived here reports that within
fifteen miles of Evansville at least fifty
houses have been demolished. The town Of
Fairplay, consisting of fifteen houses, was
entirely swept away and many people were
taken from the trees and hills, some badly
frozen, and brought here. Two men were
found in single tree, where they had re-
NAMED six hours.
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal, Feb. Glowing
to heavy rainstorm telegraphc commune
cation has been interrupted with Southern
California since Sunday night. Los Angeles
dispatches received via Deming and Ogden
report that the dam at Los Angeles River
broke Sunday evening, producing the most
disastrous flood ever experienced there.
The lower portion of the city was COM
pletely inundated, hundreds OF families
being obliged to abandon their homes and
seek shelter in the hills. Forty buildings
were washed away. The loss is $3.50, 900.
From Los Angeles to MOjave, a distance of
one hundred miles, hardly "a mile of the
Southern Pacific track remains intact
East to San GOrgoniO for eighty miles the
devastation is equally great. The California
Southern, from Cotton to San Diego, 10
washed out, and travel in all directions is
1t will probably be two months
before communication is properly re-estab.
lished. Reports received from towns in the
southern portion of the San Joaquin Valley
announce the heaviest floods ever known in
that section.
LAMOURE ID. r., Feb. 2i.--One of the
worst billiards ever known burst upon
Dakota Monday afternoon, and lasted
throughout the night. -Four stages were
due here at five o'clock, but only one ar
rived. AS the weather was fine up to the
middle of the afternoon, the citizens be-
came alarmed for the safety of the pas
,engers and drivers, who must have
been caught in the sudden storm.
1t was impossible to do anything
for relief Monday night, but Tuesday
forenoon several search parties were organ
zed. The Glendale stage was found turned
bottom upward in a snowdrift half way be-
tween here and Yorktown this afternoon.
Mail bags and buffalo robes were lying near
by The searcherS went to a settlers resi- |
lence about two miles west and found A, |
w. Sutley, the driver, who WAS suffering |
from frozen face and hands. He said that |
The storm came OH so tiercely when he was
i've miles from LaMOure that he could not !
drive his horses in any direction. He was
alone, and concluded that the only way to
ave his life was to dig In a snowdrift and
remain there all night. He unhitched and
started his horses away, and they have not |
yet been seen. The plucky fellow then
made bed with the sleigh and robes, and |
there until daylight, sleeping part
Of the time. His suffering was intense, de-
spite his wraps, but he will probably fully
recover. lie was brought To the hotel here.