The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-06-27
An Awful Flood.

Seventy five Houses Swept Away at Cherokee, Iowa.
Three Cloudbursts in Succession - Enormous
Damage Throughout Northwestern Iowa-Bridges
Carried Away-Railroad Tracks Under Water for
Many Miles-Eight Lives Lost.
CHEROKEE Iowa. June A.-The terrors of the
Johnstown food were in part repeated in this place
today Seventy-ive houses have been carried ont
of sight in Niagara like torrent. How many lives
have been lost is yet matter of uncertainty.
terrific coudburst thrice repeated, and wind
almost Il hurricane, are what consummated the
dread work. The storm, which began last night
appears to have swept over vast circle of North
western Iowa, fully 200 miles in diameter with
Cherokee as the centre.
Up to 1880 p. m. tonight, owing TO the destruction
of wires and railroads. only the vagues reports have
reached here from the devastated territory TO the
West North and South. The damage here, taking
into account the relatively small size of the town. is
enormous.
Most of the destruction in Cherokee was wrought
by the extraordinary rise in the Sioux river result
ing from the tremendous downpour of water from
the sky. Some idea of the immensely and sudden
ness of the food be inferred from the fact that
it carried off, apparently without an effort the big
truss bridge on which the Illinois Central Railroad
crossed the river and with the bridge went 400 feet
of tresue OH which the Company's tracks approach
ed the river.
Tonight the Little Sioux is at the highest stage
ever known. The best information indicates that
the illinois Central rails are under water continu-
ously for many miles OH the onawa branch, and
that the havoc both to roadway and bridges Is some
thing seldom paralleled in railway history.
As near as can be learned the area Of the storms,
as given has been, If anything, underestmated.
According to latest advlces the storm falls little
short of great tri-State affection affecting not only
a huge stretch of country in Iowa, but large por-
tons also of Minnesota and Nebraska
SIOUX CITY, Iowa, June 2l.-The terrible rains of
last night and this morning have almost devastated
this portion of Iowa No roads are running trains
from this city east The Flood river valley is inun
dated for IS miles north of this city. Many houses
in Lemars are flooded ever the first floors while the
towns of Merrill, Hinton and James are completely
submerged. Thirty-fve miles of track on the Hi
nos Central Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and
Omaha and Sioux City and Northern are flooded
north of this CITY, with bad washouts at Lemars.
The Little Sioux river bottom at Cherokee is entirely
inundated and thousands of of crops under
water. The water at Cherokee carried away forty
houses and barns in the bottoms. but no fatalities
are reported. At the same place the approaches TO
the Illinois Central bridge the Sioux are gone.
On the Central Iowa nine hundred feet of track
carried out Sioux Falls branch and seven bridges
were washed out. The Chicago and Northwestern
tracks in the Sioux Valley washed out for over
halfa mile at Switzerland. The same road is also
washed out at Carroll. At Merrill, eight miles west
of this CITY, the Floyd river fifteen feet in three
hours today, and at 8 O'Clock tonight the food is
sweeping through the Floyd river valley toward
this city and devastating hundreds OF acres of crops
The manufacturing towns OF Leeds, Lynn and Lew
iston are in its course, and will be submerged by
| morning.
Tonight hundreds of families ON the Floyd river
fats in this city are moving out to higher grounds.
The railroad companies have abandoned their yards
and shops and engines, and all kinds of mate
rial have been removed to higher grounds. The
stock in Union and Central stockyards have been
removed. Wires east and north of here are all
down. Reports from South Dakota are that the
Vermilion river is out of its banks and flooding
| thousands of acres OF growing grain.
cyclone at Sutherland last night at O'Clock
destroyed fifteen dwellings, four warehouses, sew.
| eral barns and the C. and n. W. Railroad freight
depot
The people took to caves and no one was injured
| All county and railroad bridges were washed out.
LEMARs, Iowa, June 24-one of the most fearful
rain storms in the history Of Northwestern Iowa
visited this section last night. This morning Floyd
river is mile wide. There is great loss to stocl
/ in the country. Bridges are out on the railroads
| The Omaha pay-car here has the only engine all
able for work. AT Sutherland, it is reported thai
fifteen houses are swept away, the sidewalks gone
and cellars flooded. Rain is falling yet
WATERLOO. Iowa, June A.-Reports were received
this morning by Illinois Central officials 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 Sc miles. AL the
towns are considerably damaged. Four persons
were drowned at Cherokee and four at Corrections
VILE. The railroad depot at Calumet was blown
down, and much damage to town property is re-
ported. Sutherland, OBrien county, small station
on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad, is
reported to have been wiped out over 40 buildings
] being blown down. Twelve inches of water q