The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-07-01
DEVASTATED BY FLOODS.
Northwestern Iowa Suffers from q
Terrible Cloudburst.
Many villages wrecked and Grave Fears OF
Heavy Loss of I.!fe In the Flooded
Terrltory-Bridges Swept Away
and Telsgraphic Communi-
cation Destroyed.

CHICAGO, June 20. AT the headquar-
ters of the Chicago 4 Northwestern
road reports were received yesterday
morning which show that the damage
to tracks and bridges in northwestern
Iowa is almost beyond estimate. At
Waterman creek the bridge, 1876 feet
long, has been swept away; another
bridge, 1877 feet long, on the Wenana
section is gone, and at Waterman sta
ton side track quarter OF mile In
length was torn up bodily and carried
half mile. The Cushion and Kingley
bridges went down Wednesday night
and IL is believed that all the smaller
bridges between Battle Creek and the
Missouri river have been torn from their
fastenings and swept away.
Trains are not running either OR the
Sioux Falls or Sioux City branches
The water was still so high yesterday
that nothing could be done. It win
take nearly week to repair the dam
age.
The Illinois Central is equally as
severely damaged as the Northwestern,
but owing to broken telegraph lines no
messages had been received at the head
quarters Of the company. TWAS known,
however, that the Howe bridge and
trestle lust this side of Cherokee juno
ton, 400 feet long, has been swept
away. At Chicolsee two branches leave
the main line, one going northwest to
Sioux Falls and the other southwest to
Omaha. Much OF the track on both OF
these, as we'll as the main line to Sioux
City, has been carried away.
SIOUX CRY, H., June 20. THE follow
ing additional particulars OF the Hood
at Cherokee have been received. The
wagon bridge over the Sioux south OF
the town went out about 10 o'clock
Tuesday night. This was followed by
all the houses on the fat in that part oi
town, numbering over 100. The mum.
, ber of people driven from their homes
} was between 1900 and 1,50O. The rivei
continued to rise until o'clock, at that
/: time being ten feethigher than was evei
: known. Most of the distressed people
1 found shelter in the G. A. r. and Ode
I Fellows halls and arrangements were
8 made whereby they may be cared fol
: until some action is taken. The tow
!. presents a very sorrowful appearance
r The destruction Of property alone II
r Cherokee is about 5000, 900
d The storm converted the Sioux vale.
: into a great lake. The Sioux valley
d one of the most fertile sections in thi
J. part of the country and is thickly sci
s tied, numerous towns being scattere
Il throughout the length Of the valley
d The damage will run into hundreds 9
% of thousands Of dollars As ide from tn
IS loss sustained through the sweepin
o away OF houses, barns and cattle tber
10 will be heavy loss TO farmers Grea
a. fields OF wheat and corn are totally d
stroyed. Although the flood cam
IS rather suddenly the people In the vale
I. were not taken by surprise, as ride
a were Immediately dispatched to carr
n the warning. Had the food occurrt
d. in the night there would dou btless ha'
IL been great loss Of life.
Id The overflowing Of the banks OF u
n. Little Sioux and Floyd rivers was u
S, primary cause OF the food This VI
C. supplemented by a cloud-burst at L
ir Mars, la. The combination was an
10 resistible one and it was not long b
r. fore people in the valley were fleeing
u places of safety, in many instanc
he driving their cattle before them,
ct The tidal wave did not reach Siol
Is. City until yesterday morning. 1t .
10 not even then come with rush, b
y gradually overhowed the banks
ed Floyd river and extended over to Lee
he a manufacturing suburb. Several |
lis factories were submerged, and the lit
VS. town Is now under about two feet
k water. On the 0nonawa branch OF
,es Illinois Central, which follows Lit
at Sioux valley, the track is washed
its in many places and several miles
as track are under water. Next to
DIS Illinois Central the Omaha seems
1T have been first to suffer Its tracks
Ia washed out at LeMars and as far MOI
as Sheldon. The Chicago & Northwe
lat ern reports heavy floods all along
in Eagle Grove line.