St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-25
The TerrOrS of the JohnStoWn
Flood May Be Re-
peated.
Seventy-Five Houses in One
Town Raced by the AW-
full Torrent
Fearful Destruction Feared
When Complete Details
Come In.
Sections Of Minnesota and
Nebraska Are Said to Be
Involved.

of the JohnstOwn flood were in part re-
peated in this place to-day. Seventy
live houses have been carried out of
sight in a Niagara-like torrent. How
many lives have been lost is yet mat
ter of uncertainty. A terrific cloud
burst. thrice repeated, and wind almost
hurricane, are what consummated the
dread work. The storm. which began
last night, appears to have swept
Dver vast circle of Northwestern
Iowa, fully 100 miles in diane
ter, with Cherokee as the center.
Up to 10:30 p. m. tonight, owing to the
destruction of wires and railroads, only
The vaguest reports have reached
here from the devastated territory to
the west, north and south. The dam
age here, taking into account the rela-
lively small size of the town, is enor-
nous. Most of the destruction in Cher
okee was wrought by the extraordinary
rise in the Sioux river, resulting from
the tremendous downpour of water
from the sky. Som idea of the
immensely and Suddenness
of the flood can be inferred from the
fact that it carried off, apparently with
out an effort, the big truss bridge on
which the Illinois Central railroad
crossed the river, and with the bridge
went 400 feet of trestle on which the
company's tracks approached the river.
Tonight the Little Sioux is at the high
est stage ever known. The best infor-
nation indicates that the Illinois Cen
tral rails are under water continuously
for many miles on the Onawa branch
and that the havoc both to roadway and
bridges is something seldom paralleled
In railroad history. Advices have been
received stating that Vice President
Harahan and majority of the other
high officials of the Illinois Central
company are already Ell route for the
stricken territory. Many days will
probably elapse before traffic, either
passenger or freight, is in anything like
normal condition. Orders have been is
sued to receive no more freight until
further orders for any point beyond
Aurelia. Every effort was being made
tonight to bring
Order Out of the Chaos.
but the absence of accurate information
and the paralysis of transportation al
most nullifies progress. Gangs of work
men and several railroad telegraphers
had reached this point tonight, but
could get no further and could do but
little if anything here as yet. 1t may be
week or more before the full ex-
lent of the disaster is known.
Other railroads besides the Illi-
nois Central can scarcely have
escaped great damage, particularly
the Chicago & Northwestern, and the
Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul. AS
near as can be learned, the area of the
storm as given has been, if anything,
under estimated. According to latest
advices, the storm falls little short of a
.ri-state affection, affecting not only
huge stretch of country in Iowa, but
also large portions of Minnesota and
Nebraska.
COnfirmatory Reports.
WATERLOO, To-, June 24.-Reports
we're received by Illinois Central Off
cials in this city of terrible wind and
rain storm which prevailed last night
along that company's lines from Storm
Lake to LeMars, distance of fifty-six
miles. All the towns are considerably
damaged. Four persons were drowned
at Cherokee and four at Cor
rectionville. The railroad depot
at Calumet was blown down and
much damage to the town property is
reported. Sutherland, O'Brien county,
small station on the Chicago & North
western railroad five miles from Calu-
met, is reported to have been wiped
put, over forty buildings being blown
down. The wires are all down, and it
Is impossible to obtain accurate infor-
nation except through the reports trans
mitted to the railroad officials. Twelve
Inches of water is reported to
have fallen last night in the
Cherokee valley. The Illinois CentraPs
Train No. 2, the passenger which left
here last night at 1880, is still at Storm
Lake, and the trainmaster here saws
there is no prospect of moving it in the
next twenty-four hours. Reports con-
tinue to arrive here confirmatory of the
disastrous storm and flood along the
Illinois Central. The reports of the
drowning Of the four persons at Cnero-
kee and four at Correctionville are con-
firmed by dispatch from Mr.. Gllleas,
superintendent of the Iowa division,
who is at the scene of the disaster.
Aurelia and Cherokee both reported an
other storm breaking at 4:30 p. m.
LEMARs, To-. June a. A cloud burst
north OF this city early this morning.
The Floyd river at this point rose ten
feet in two minutes. Some stock was
washed away on the river bottoms and
much damage done to hay and pasture
lands and crops on river bottoms. Rail-
roads and bridges are washed out. No
trains are running.