The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-05-21
STORMS AND FLOODS.
Immense Loss of Life and Property.

A violent storm of wind and rain swept
over the Cumberland Valley, Pa, Sunday
night, doing considerable damage.
The continuous rains which have fallen
over large portion of the western country
the last two weeks have caused distressing
situation of affairs. The rivers have over
flowed their banks and submerged many miles
of rich farming country, while the wet weather
has seriously interfered with crop prospects.
Many towns are partially submerged.
In Armourdale and Argentine, suburbs OF
Kansas City, 600 houses are reported to be
under water. The packing houses have shut
down and removed their stock. The Mis-
souri, river is still rising, and number of
bridges near Kansas City are in danger.
Business along the river front in ST. Louis
is seriously interfered with by high water.
East St. Louis and Carondeet are overlooked,
and dispatches from towns along the river
state that much damage is being done. Nearly
every river town has suffered some from the
high water.
Tornadoes prevailed in sections OF Southern
Kansas on Friday of last week. In Augusta,
Butler county, fifteen houses were demolished
and two persons injured. At Towanda six
houses were blown down. The buildings had
lust been erected, the town having been en-
tirely blown to pieces in March last.
Southwestern 1eAdS Has Detu bhS
past twenty-four hours by heavy rains, in
some places the first for three years. The
rain fell over an area eight hundred miles
square, from Brownsville to Ell Paso and to
Corpus Christi. The rainful was two inches.
Dispatches on Tuesday said that the Mis-
sissippi river below St. Louis was 10 miles
wide, and the. floods in the streams tributary
thereto showed no sign ofabatement. Several
towns in Illinois were in danger. Farmers are
reported to be greatly discouraged at the poor
crop prospects from the long continued wet
weather.
The eastern approach to the great Union
Pacific Railroad bridge across the Missouri
river at Omaha is so badly smashed that all
traffic is stopped. All the railroads centering
at Council Bluffs use this bridge.
A cyclone swept over Turkey valley, in
Greer county, Texas, on Monday, demolish-
ing everything in its course. Five persons
are known to have been killed and many
more were fatally hurt. 1t is thought that
the fatalities will be much greater when fuller
reports are received.
| Elmwood, Nebraska, was swept by lorna
do Monday night and several persons hurt.
1t is not yet known whether any one was
| killed.
The rise in the Mississippi river continues
| slowly, but higher water is expected IN few
| days, as heavy rains have again fallen in Kan
sas The Missouri river, which had begun
to recede near Kansas City, is now expected
to rise again. Suffering exists among the
families driven from their homes by water.
The low-lying portions of Sioux City, Iowa,
were inundated Wednesday morning by a
great wave, due, perhaps, 10 a cloud burst,
which came down the Floyd river, which
flows through the centre of the city. A warn
ing of the approaching flood was given, but
few of the inhabitants aeard it, Within an
incredibly short space of time the water had
risen above the first floors, and the people
fled panic stricken to the higher ground. 1t
is reported that II persons were drowned,
and 5000 persons were said to have been
driven from their homes. Relief measures
were promptly organized. About 1000 head
of cattle in the stock yards were drowned,
and the operations of the railroads entering
Sioux City were crippled.
Reports from various points in the Mississip-
p and Missouri Valleys on Wednesday show
that the floods continue undated. 1t is
estimated that 400 square miles of farm land
in the vicinity of St. Louis are submerged.
In Iowa serious damage to railway property
and the stoppage of travel was reported from
various points; and great damage to crops
and stock was reported from points in the
Arkansas Valley and along the Red River IN
Texas.
MIXYEApoIIs, Mimi, May 19.-After rain
had fallen all day snow began falling this
evening, accompanied by stiff breeze from
the Northwest.
Advices from North Dokota, South Da-
kota, Wisconsin and Minnesota all report a
heavy snow Creeks and rivers are bank
full. Rush City, Mimi, reports blizzard
raging. The mills at Wilson, Wis, have
been forced to shut down. AT Pine City a
blizzard has prevailed all day.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, May ia cold
wave struck here yesterday. The thermome-
ter dropped about 400, the wind blowing
fiercely, and it is cold enough TO snow.
THE LATEST.
Despatches on Thursday night state thai
Sioux CITY, Iowa, was in such confusion by rea
I son of the disastrous floods in the Missoar
and Floyd rivers that it was impossible to de
termine definitely the number drowned by the
sudden overflow of the Floyd on Wednesday
, The names of 80 persons known to be lost are
given but some estimates place the number
drowned at a very much higher figure. Th'
flood swept the Union Stock Yards away, de
stroyed many houses in the city and damaged
l railroad property to the extent OF S2OO,OOO.
The rise in the Mississippi river continued
at St. Louis, increasing the vast damage al
4 ready inflicted and threatening further disas
trous consequences.
A large portion of Des Moines was unde
, water and hundreds Of houses were aban
! doned,
Work at the great packing houses at Kan
sas City was suspended on account of thu
food.
e The Egyptian Levee," FIVE miles below
Keokuk, Iowa, broke and and a vast area o
0 bottom lands were flooded by the waters o
0 the Des Moines river. The town of Alexan
dria was completely submerged, and all train
on the Keokuk and Western and st. Louis
(. Keokuk and Northwestern, south of Keokuk
n were abandoned.
The waters of the Little Sioux river over
d. flowed the town of Cherokee, Iowa, and sub
/. merged the city. A water famine is threat
ened.
A tornado passed over the Northwestern
7 part of Hamilton county, Ohio, on Wednes
day, cutting furrow of destruction near
three miles long.