The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-07-02
THE DELuGE.

Fearful Work Of the Torrent In low. and
Nebraska-Great Suffering at Cherokee
and Other Points In the Former state
Hundreds nj Houses Washed Away
Railways Lose Miles Of Track-Thou-
sands Of Acres Of Growing Crops Ruined
Six Lives Lost in Cyclone In PennsyI-
vauia-Destructive storms in Europe.
NEBRASKA UNDER WATER.
OMAHA. Neb., June 27.-A perfect
deluge OF rain has fallen throughout
Nebraska. Since midnight Thursday
the food has continued necessarily.
Railroad traffic is entirely suspended in
the state. There were no trains in or
out of Omaha for the west Friday
night. In many places in the state the
tracks are under water for miles, rem
dering traffic entirely impossible.
The Missouri is raging torrent It
is rising fast and is within q few
feet of the danger line. Crop damage
is incalculable throughout the state.
Considerable damage was done in
Omaha by the storm. East Omaha was
badly flooded and thickly populated
section Of the northern part Of the city
vas AAuAuoSCus IIOM Vial n OVANSN
north on Twenty-fourth street the
water is from to 8 feet deep in the
street and s.reet-car traffic is aban-
doned. The police and fire departments
sent force of men to the inundated
district to rescue the distressed people
and their effects. No lives were lost
but there were several narrow escapes
from drowning, and an old lady who
was confined to her bed WINS with diff
Guilty taken from her house which was
filled with water 5 feet deep.
NEBRASKA CITY, Neb., June 27.-The
heaviest rain here for twenty years fell
Friday afternoon. Central avenue was
| In few moments transferred into q
madly rushing river and nearly every
cellar on that street was flooded. The
damage to the Watson hotel alone will
reach 80, 900, and other losses are heavy.
Reports from the surrounding country
say small grain is badly damaged.
STORMS CONTINUE IN IOWA.
WATERLOO, Ia, june 27.-The floods
at Cherokee abated enough to en-
able many of the occupants of the
houses in the flooded districts to gain
entrance to them, but the waters are
now rising. The scenes of de-
struction are appalling. Fifty
houses were wholly swept away.
Some of them were dashed together
and mingled in common wreck. In
places substantial buildings were
swept away, while frail buildings
on the same lots escaped. In the
buildings which escaped the wreck the
furniture was found destroyed and
everything covered with black sedi-
ment of mud. The people who are suf-
ferers by the flood are the poorer class
and laborers, and many of them are
left in destitute circumstances.
Three hundred people are now being
fed by the relief committee and large
amount of clothing has also been fur
nished Friday afternoon telegram
was received from Cherokee stating
that outside aid will have to be fur
nished or many poor people will suffer.
The damage at Cherokee is estimated
at over 100000.
An engineer living in this city, who
has been at the scene of the trouble
since last Wednesday, returned Friday
morning. lie left Fort Dodge Wednes-
day morning at Z o'clock, reached Au.
relia at 10 o'clock, and it took from
that time to o'clock in the evening to
run miles. The worst of the storm
that time rain fell in torrents and the
train had to be stopped several times
until the storm slackencd. During
that time the river at Cherokee rose
nearly s feet.
From Storm Lake to Cherokee the
country had the appearance of one vast
lake, and not a bridge on any of the
country roads can be seen. Large
numbers of houses have foated dowr
the river at Cherokee and many an
imals have been seen floating past
Many of them were apparently alive
and struggling to reach the shore, but
the force of the current was too much
The main line of the Illinois Centra
is in pretty fair shape as far west as
Aurclia. At Cherokee Hill, however
there is q washout 200 feet long, ant
from Cherokee to Mcriden. distance
of miles, the track is washed SO bad
4 ~ lhuV VI othS SAAAAoN OC uu oSOA w. q
gravel train was caught in the sandpi
at Cherokee and two-thirds of the lraiI
is entirely covered with sand, and onl,
the smokestack of the steam shovel il
visible.
The Cherokee & Dakota branch
south of Cherokee, has been explored
for a distance of only miles, and i
has been found that much of the tract
has been carried fully 1000 feet iron
the right of way. Thus far n,
authentic reports have been re
ceiyed from the country dis
tricts for the reason that the farm
ers cannot get to town. The loss O
domestic animals is undoubtedly yer,
great, and one farmer who managed I.
get to Cherokee this morning reporte,
that 200 cattle had been drowned in hi
pasture and that he and his family onl.,
escaped from their house by wading il
the water up to their waists.
OF the houses that were washed int
the river at Cherokee only two can b
found. These are lodged in the brus
about 2 miles below town. A smile.
walk down the river failed to discove
any of the others. The wagon bridge
on country roads from Storm Lake t
Cherokee are all gone and Cherokee
accessible only by boat.
The Sioux river is subsiding, but it
still 40 feet deep and covers
quarter of mile of country. The a,
erage depth of the river when in i,
channel is about feet The work G
, clearing away the debris is now i
progress, and aid is being rendered tn
!, unfortunate inhabitants The town G
Moville is still flooded, and not one {
the 200 inhabitants is able to occup
his house, and all are camping out.
/ Five hundred people were rendcre
, homeless and destitute in Cherokee b
the flood, and the resources of the tow
have been taxed to meet IL
present requirements of these pc
! pie. Mayor d. II. Bloom h;
issued an appeal to the publ
for aid and has asked the govern,
| for tents in which to shelter those wi
have not found accommodations. Co
tributions may be sent to May,
, | Bloom who will acknowledge the