River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-07-02
HE DEIuGE.

OMAHA. Neb., June GA perfect
ieluge of rain has fallen throughout
Nebraska. Since midnight Thursday
the flood 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 a raging torrent 1t
is rising fast and is within a 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 a thickly populated
section of the northern part of the city
was inundated. From Clark street
north on Twenty fourth street the
water is from to 6 feet deep in the
street and street-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 was with diff
Guilty taken from her house which was
filled with water 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 a
madly rushing river and nearly every
cellar on that street was flooded. The
Al i n.
reach s.. 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 a common wreck. In
places substantial buildings We're
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 a 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
I ,suh Lt.f.1 nxv of n fol nm
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 $4,000
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 tC
/ run miles. The worst of the storm
was between and 1890. and during
] that time rain fell in torrents and the
train had to be stopped several times
| until the storm slackened. During
| that time the river at Cherokee rose
nearly feet.
From Storm Lake to Cherokee the
country had the appearance of one vast
| lake, and not bridge on any of the
! country roads can be seen. Large
numbers of houses have floated dowT
/ the river at Cherokee and many an
| imals have been seen floating past
/ Many of them were apparently aliv,
4 and struggling 10 reach the shore, bu
/ the force of the current was too much
/ The main line of the Illinois Contra
is in pretty fair shape as far west a:
! Aurelia. At Cherokee Hill, however
/ there is washout 200 feet long, anC
| from Cherokee to Meriden, distance
| of miles, the track is washed so bad
\ ly that trains cannot be run over it.
| gravel train was caught in the sandpi
/ at Cherokee and two-thirds of the Jrair
/ is entirely covered with sand, and only
I the smol1estacl of the steam shovel il
/ visible.
The Cherokee ~ Dakota branch
south of Cherokee, has been explored
for distance of only miles, and i
has been found that much of the tract
has been carried fully 1000 feet from
the right of way. Thus far ne
authentic reports have been re
ceived from the country dis
tricts for the reason that the farm
ers cannot get to town. The loss OF
domestic animals is undoubtedly very
4 great, and one farmer who managed Il
get to Cherokee this morning reported
that 200 cattle had been drowned in hi
pasture and that he and his family only
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 brusl
about miles below town. A 5-miles
walk down the river failed to discover
any of the others. The wagon bridges
on country roads from Storm Lake t.
Cherokee are all gone and Cherokee il
accessible only by boat.
The Sioux river is subsiding, but it i
still 40 feet deep and covers
quarter of mile of country. The av
erage depth of the river when in it
channel is about feet. The work o
clearing away the debris is now il
progress, and aid is being rendered tn,
Neville is still flooded, and not one o
the 200 inhabitants is able to occupl
his house, and all are camping out.
Five hundred people were renderet
homeless and destitute in Cherokee b!
the flood, and the resources of the towl
have been taxed to meet tn
present requirements of these PEG
pie. Mayor d. ii. Bloom ha
issued an appeal to the publi
for aid and has asked the governo
for tents in which to shelter those win
have not found accommodations. Con
tributions may be sent to Mayo
Bloom, who will acknowledge thei
receipt and place them in the hands o
responsible executive COMMITTEES
which has been appointed TO distribute
aid.
ISOLATED BY HIGH WATER.
Sioux CITY, Ia, June 27.-It is i'm
possible yet to get satisfactory infor
nation from the inundated valleys cas-
of here. It is known that the wors
floods were in the valley of the Littl
Sioux river and its tributaries, which
coyerthe counties of Clay, OBrien, Buen
Vista, Cherokee, Plymouth, Woodbury.
Ida and Monona. Telegraph communi
cation is still cut off. Between her
and the Little Sioux river are half
dozen streams which run parallel wit
il. and these are still raging torrents
with all the bridges washed out. Tn
/ officers Of tho variouS railroad com