Omaha daily bee., 1891-06-27
ALMOST WIPED OUT.
Definite Information from Neville, la
Confirns the Worst RumOrs.

NhoS'''f a''''
Confirms the Worst Rumors
Boone, Ia, June 26.-At the Chicago II
Northwestern headquarters in this city was
received today the first direct news from the
scene Of the floods on the Maple river branch
of the road. The dispatch is from the oper-
ator at Moville and says that the town Is al
most wiped out the water is running in at
the depot windows and is up to the ceilings
OF all the buildings.
All the houses in fiat portions Of the town
have been swept away and the railroad turn
table Is washed from its place. Three miles
, O. track are gone between Moville and Kings
'Sls also most of the small bridges ana the
pJffss,Sc over the Sioux river.
This destruction is now being supple
mented by another storm raging at present
in the same vicinity and extending south to
the main line of tho Northwestern. 1t Is
raining very hard and the storm IS travelling
east.
Cherokee is still isolated from railroad and
telegraphic communication with the rest OF
the world. An Illinois Central conductor
who returned today from the scene OF desc
lation reports damage and loss OF property,
live stock, growing crops and personal losses
q <0f the unfortunate people who lived IN the
Nrack of the storm AS almost incredible.
The country from Storm Lake to Cherokee
Wednesday was one vast sea of water Mer-
Grants in every town between the two points
suffered great loss from floods, to say moth
ing of untold damage TO crops and live stock:
OF seveuty-fve to one hundred houses washed
away on the bottom at Cherokee most of
them were homes of laboring men. These
people lost everything, barely escaping with
their lives. Hundreds of animals were seen
IN the river floating past Cherokee Wedncs-
= day Horses tied to fragments OF their
= wrecked barns were also seen, some dead
and others drowning. Hundreds OF cattle,
hogs and chickens followed each other at
short intervals.
One farmer living south Of Cherokee said
that over two hundred head of cattle were
missing from his pasture and he supposed all
were lost. A man named Waugh, an importer
of draft horses at Cherokee, lost eight fine
animals. The Little Sioux valley from
Cherokee to Onawa is oLe of the largest
stock raising sections in Iowa and when the
water subsidies and IA careful survey OF the
desolated district can be made the loss will
be found to be appalling.
The Illinois Central Is also heavy loser.
Superintendent Gilleas says that 2OOOOC
would not repair the damage already in sight
and Investigations hayenot been pursued fur
ther than Ave miles on the south branch OF
- the Cherokee X Dakota division, the north Is
q stIIf- inaccessible. The company has force
of 200 men at work at the bridge at Cherokee
and 1t is expected temporary structure Will
be ready for use by Sunday.
special train, made up OF pile driver
and eighteen cars of material, left here al
noon today for Cherokee At the gravel pit
east of town the company has work train OF
twenty-five cars ana a steam shovel buried
beneath the water.
OF the houses that were washed into the
river at Cherokee only two can be found
These are lodged in the brush about two
miles below town. A tive-mile walk dowr
the river failed to discover any others Moth
ing more can be learned from CorrectionvillC
relative 10 the deaths by drowning there
Wagon bridges on country roads from Storm
Lake 10 Cherokee are all gone