Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-05-26
WOEFUL WATERS.
Fearful Destruction By a Sudden
Flood at Sioux City.
At Least Twenty-Five People Reported
Drowned BY Sudden Rise in Floyd
River-Great Loss of Stock and
Other Property.

o
SIOUX CITY, Ia, May ia great flood
disaster has overtaken Sioux City. Yes
terday morning great wave came down
the Floyd river which flows through the
center of the city and which was already
swollen bank full.
The wave7came a few minutes after
o'clock. Warming had been given but
a short time before to the snha bitants
of the low lands, but only few of them
: had been notified. The first intimation
was volume of water spreading over
the bank to the depth of three feet and
throwing a mist Of foam before it. In
few minutes the water had risen above
the first floors and several thousand
people fed in terror to the higher
ground. At least twenty-five people
drowned.
The water rose four feet in an hour
and half, and from o'clock continued
to rise steadily, but not so rapidly.
Probably one-third8 of the inhabitants
OF the city live on the low ground which
is overhowed. So rapid was the rise of
the tide that great numbers were IN
able to escape and the work of rescue
engaged every energy of the people.
The only names of the dead SO far
Mrs. Louise Horner and two children;
Frank Henderson, wife and child; two
,boatmen, unknown; A. P. McClearat;
an unknown Scandinavian; Mrs. Peter
Rasmussen and two children; two IN
known men ned~ Fourth street, near
Fairmont bridge, unknown oman at
Sioux City & Northern yards.
At 10 o'clock the fire alarm was
sounded to call out more workers. All
the boats from the boat houses the
Sioux river were brought in and used
to save life and property.
The Missouri river is high and when
the flood in the Floyd river struck it
the water damned up and rushed over
the adjacent low grounds. The stock
yards and packing houses are situated
at the confluence OF the two rivers and
they We're Instantly inundated. About
1900 headGsf live stock were drowned.
Many hundreds OF dead stock have also
beeL floating down the Floyd river.
The round houses of the Chicago. St.
Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha are dam
aged to the extent OF $4,000. That
road, the Illinois Central and Sioux City
& Northern enter the city by the Floyd
valley and all are stopped. Not train
left Sioux City yesterday.
1t is estimated that 5000 people have
been driven from their homes. All bus
mess is suspended.
The water is slowly receding. A citi-
zens' meeting at the courthouse organ
lied to provide several thousand people
with shelter. The damage to property
will reach $1,000, 900. The loss of the
Sioux City & Northern railroad will ex-
coed S20O,0S Miles of cedar block paw
ing have been washed out
The first warning OF the approach of
the flood given the s:ocl1yards company
was 4 telephone message warning them
to prepare for high water and stating
that the Seventh street bridge had
gone out. The whole availa bic force of
the yards, and also bystanders who
could be induced to assist, were at once
put to work in al endcavor to get all
took out Of the yards.
\ long train of empties were sent
down TO the chutes. but before the cars
could be loaded and pulled, the rush of
water came ani put out the fires in the
engines, and 9hey We're compelled to
stay. The Nttendants and yardmen
who had not time to escape were perched
on the roofs of cars waiting to be
rescued or for the subsistence of the
food.
he rush OF water was 50 great that a
number of commission men and their
employees could not escape. They took
refuge in the third story of the Ex-
change building g while the ow alter had
risen to within an inch of the first
floor.
The scene at the yards is almost indie
scribable. The rush of water came
down across the bottoms as the over
flow OF the river at first flowed out on
the east banks. At 1880 solid blocks of
hog pens were seen Swaying with the
motion of the wind and waves and in 4.
hort time they began moving down
stream. The new division started first
and almost the whole block started off
down street. and the report of theeRend-
ing and breaking OF timbers sounded
almost like the sharp crack of cannon.
At II o'clock there was not sign of a
hog yard left The large corn cribs con-
tanning several thousa0d bushels of
corn were also carried away. Scale
houses and all buildings We're taken
with the food. The cattle yards at the
time mentioned above were mostly in
tact, put the south portion was floating
with the evident possibility that it
would soon follow the hog pensD and
sheds.
minneapolis Convention Hall.
MINSEAroLIs, Mimi. May 19.-It has
bean Sefoital,- decided that Gov Mo-