Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-25
HARD RAINS IN IOWA.
The Northwestern Part of the State
Greatly Suffers.
SEVENTY-rIVE HOUSES DESTROYED.
Cherokee Shut Off From the
Outside World.
GREAT DAMAGEBYTHE STORM
WIND AND RAIN IN IOWA.
Narrative Of n Witness of the Destruction M
Cherokee.

Narrative Of Witness of the Destruction at
Cherokee.
ALTA, Iowa, June 25.-Mr. C. K. Dixon, su-
perintendent of the Illinois Central railway.
who Possesses the best facilities for obtaining
the exact facts regarding the reported destruc-
ton Of property and loss of life in northwest
ern Iowa, said late last night: "a serious rain
storm set in at Cherokee and points north
south and west about Z clock in the evening of
I'D and continued all night the rain coming
down In sheete. AT am. the fire alarm was
sounded, calling every one out. and parties
formed TO rescue those living on the fiats near
the Little Sioux river. At s am. had not
heard of any loss of life AT $50 crossed our
bridge to the east side Of the river and shortly
afterward the bridge went out. carrying all
wires. 1t again commenced raining very hard,
and during the day at least seveuty-fve houses
In Cherokee went down the river. j am
yet unable to learn anything from the
town, as all the bridges are gone and il is i'm
possible to cross in a boat The road is re-
paired to the east bank of the Little Sioux river
opposite Cherokee. On account of the failure
of wires i am unable to learn the extent of the
damage that the company has suffered. There
Is some amount of damage to bridges, but we
hope to get repairs made very soon"
THE DELUGE COVERS COUNTIES.
CHICAGO, June 25.-Advices received at the
headquarters of the Chicago and Northwestern
railroad in this city this morning indicate that
the destruction by the cloud burst in north
western Iowa yesterday is more widespread
than the news dispatches thus far received
suggest From the damage 10 its lines ac tualy
reported to the road it appears that the
deluge covers at least portions of the
counties of Sioux. O'Brien, Clay, Plymouth
Cherokee, Buena Vista, Woodbury.. Ida, Sac
Monona, Crawford, Carroll, Harrison and
Shelby, covering territory three counties in
width along the western border of the state
and five counties in length, beginning within
one tier of counties from the northern bound
AIRY OF the state and extending southwark.
DIFFICULT TO GET NEWS.
The telegraph lines in this territory are
greatly demoralized, and it is next to impos-
sible to get accurate or detailed information
touching the general losses and casualties This
territory Is dotted with villages and covered
with cultivated farms. and the worst is feared
IN the way of damage and possible loss
OF life along the water courses which traverse
this great section of the state. Several Of the
general officers of the Northwestern railroad
left for the scene last night and are making
strenuous efforts to penetrate into the devas-
tated region.
Their reports to headquarters give only the
result of their obseryances in regard to the
damage to the property of the company, leav-
ing that of the adjacent communities to be in
OF the road, nor thern Iowa division, is demoral-
lied from Linn Grove to Alton, a distance of
forty miles; that the Neville branch from
Moville TO Schaller, distance of As miles.
Is in the same condition, and that the Onawa
branch. from Onawa to Ida Grove fifty miles
In length, lis also badly off. These lines, with
an aggregate length of 1856 miles, are entirely
blockaded by the carrying away of bridges and
the washing out of the road beds All traffic
this side and beyond the points named is being
carried by round about lines.
MANY BRIDGES CARRIED AWAY
On the main line from Linn Grove to Alton
the bridge over Waterman creek. with its
trestle go feet long has been carried away and
ten other bridges, five on each side of Water
man creek, have been rendered useless by
undermining partially carried away One
bridge. $50 feet long, near Paulina, is gone, to-
gether with two smaller ones. The track il
washed away in many places. At Water
man creek the track and ties have been
carried quarter of mile from the road bed
1t has been impossible to learn much in regard
to the condition of affairs the Moville
branch between Moville and Schaller. The wires
are down and the waters still high that ii Is
impossible as vet to make personal inspection
of the line. The officials here, however, fear
the worst.
tween Ida Grove and Onawa. No reports have
come in from that section. which indicates that
great damage has probably been done.
1t is reported from Galva that the bridge
over Maple river has been badly washed out.
At the present time it is impossible to esti-
mate the damage to railroad property in that
territory. but enough is known to show that il
will be very heavy. The section Of country
where the flood was most severe is traversed by
numerous branches, not only of the Chicago
and Northwestern, but also of the Illinois Cen
trail, the Milwaukee and st. Paul and the main
NJ Sha ,l, a,l
Omaha r0ds.
No report Of the damage Of these lines have
been received, except from the Illinois Central,
whose line from Cherokee to 0nawa. which
runs along the Sioux river. is blockaded. and
the general officers who left here last night
have not yet been able to get across the swollen
river to Cherokee, which is on the west
side of the river. The wires are all down and
nothing can be learned as to the state
of affairs on the west side Of the river The
bridge of the Illinois Central at Cherokee over
the Sioux river is washed away. The officials
fear the worst, not only as to the line from
Cherokee to Onawa, but also from Cherokee to
Sioux Falls.
The Chicago and Northwestern management
has repair crews and half dozen pile drivers
at each end of the breaks in its lines, ready to
begin repairs, but the waters are still so high
that the work cannot be proceeded with. 1t
will take several days to put the lines in con-
dition for the resumption Of traffic.
CHEROKEE CUT OFF FROM THE WORLD.
WATERLOO, Iowa. June 25.-Cherokee and
the country adjacent, which Tuesday nights
big storm devastated. is entirely cut of from
telegraphic communication. the wires wc-kinQ
only TO Aurelia, the first station east of Cnero-
kee, and by courier from the desolated CITY, All
the bridges across the Little Sioux at Cherokee
are gone, together with the railroad and teIe-
graph wires. The later reports Of the storm
indicate that it was worse than ut first reported
A courier has just arrived at Aurelia from Cher
okee giving the information that 100 houses At
Cherokee have been washed away.
But no further loss Of life is reported there
hey ond the four persons whose drowning was
reported yesterday. 1t is impossible 70 learn
their names OK how the unfortunates met their
death. Everything is in the widest Confusion.
The same Is true at Correctionville and no
word by telegraph can be received
from there until communication Is
re-established. II is now known. thoueh.
that six persons met their death in the country
around and about Correctionville. and the num-
Der IL reported increased to eight Houses.
barns and outhouses were reported floating in
the Little Sioux past Cherokee all day. No
one knows where they came from. but
are presumed 70 be from Southerland. No
loss OF life is reported from the up coun-
try. Eurelia reports from two 10 four
Ieet OF water in the streets there yesterday.
The cellars are flooded and thousa nds Of dollars
worth Of merchandise and household goods are
destroyed. At Storm Lake the merchants were
M Aks Ia a. s-s A. = -