The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-05-19
DISASTER BY FLOOD.
Terrible Suffering in the Missis-
sippi Valley.
HUNDREDS RENDERED HOMELESS.

NHC fIDAu anu l1iSsDhfl ana
Sweeps Probably Twenty-Five Pco-
pie TO Dost ostruction-Fivc Hundred
Houses Ruined.
SIOUX CITY, Ia, May ia little less
han an hour after the workingmen liv-
hg along the banks of tho Floyd and
Missouri river in Sioux City had gone
20 their work torrent of water came
down the Floyd and in half an hour
had risen over large area in the city.
The wind was blowing II high gale and
made the work of rescue by boats dan
gerous as well as fatiguing 1t is known
that about dozen people, among them
four or five men, have been drowned,
and the number may reach twenty-five.
During the 10th and 18th the rainfall
here was extraordinarily heavy, con-
sequently the rivers were already high.
II is not yet definitely known where
the sudden and enormous flood which
has caused this damage comes from. At
Lemars, Ia, twenty miles northeast OF
Sioux City, the water is foot higher
than during the great flood which de-
stroyed Moville last June. Not rail-
road centering here is moving a train.
also be great LOSERS as nearly all their
pens went out early in the flood. Not
less than seventy-fve houses have been
carried into the streets or the river, and
ii is estimated that the foundations and
contents of 500 are ruined.
Nellie W Westsheld, Mrs. Louise Horner
and two children are known to be lost,
but so great is the confusion and excite
mnnt that il is almost impossible to OBJ
fai anythiuy 4 ia rnplrl iuU tlp llSA
of life.
OMAHA, May 19.-The washout of the
approach to the Union Pacific bridge is
not as disastrous as at first reported yet
it is very serious. Fully 800 feet of ap-
proach gave way. The change of chan
mel has thrown the full force of the cur
rent against the approach, and it is rap
idly washing away. A large force of
laborers is trying to bridge the gap with
manure, cinders etc, in order to erect
a temporary approach. The Burlington
tracks between here and PlattsInouth
are badly washed, and no trains are
running.
Fertile LANDS Under Water.
ST. LOUIS, May l9.-lnstead of i'm
proving the situation grows more seri-
ous with each hour. Tie water is still
rising, with no immediate prospect OF n
full. Rains the past forty-eight hours,
river from falling and add every hour
to it's height. The area under water in
the section Immediately surrounding st.
Louis on both sides Of the river at 400
square miles of fertile lands, the depth
being two to twenty feet. The main
suffering is in the American Bottom and
on Missouri Point. AS an instance of
the suffering in the former locality there
are nearly five hundred people gathered
on the bluffs, for whom st. CLAIR county,
His, has been asked to supply food and
shelter. Governor Francis has ordered
tents sent to them from jefferson City.
ESALIX. Ia, May l0.-This town is five
feet under water and has been for twenty
hours. No lives are reported lost, but
the damage TO property and stock is i'm
menSe. All business is at Il standslill.
MANHATTAN, Kan, May 49, = The
heaviest rain ever known fell in this
part of the state and all along the Re-
publican river, causing that stream and
lthe Blue to rise higher than they have
been this spring. A clouaburst occurred
near the head of the Blue and swept
away the house of William Sherman,
drowning one child and four horses.
Watson neighborhood about twelve
miles northwest of this city.
JUNCTION CITY, Kan, May 19.-A
waterspout struck the country near the
head of the Republican river and washed
away several houses and barns, killing
a large amount of live stock. Four
inches of water fell here in less than
two hours.
The Flood in Nebraska.
HARRINGTON, Neh., May IA cloud
burst in this section did great damage.
According to Observer Watson's rain
guage over three inches Of water fell in
less than thirty minutes. Many bridges
along the country roads were swept
away houses were floating and the fam
lilies We're compelled to come up town.
BEATMCE, Neb., May ia heavy
Eain has deluged this city and has driven
fully forty families from their homes.
The Blue river is higher than it has been
since 1858, and fully $4,000 worth Of
property has been swept away.
VIRGINIA, Ills, May 19.-The flooded
districts of the Sangamon bottom have
dangers anew by the giving way of the
Linn dyke. The farmers of that locality
have lost quite number of cattle by the
food. Two thousand acres of wheat and
corn are ruined.
The Lower Mississippi.
NEW ORLEANS, May ia break &C.
CURED in the leyee in the southern part
of the city and has caused great dam
age. Great volumes Of water is rushing
through the break, which is twenty-five
feet wide.
At Bonnet Ct::o TIE c1erasse is now
275 feet wide, The Mississippi Valley
tracks are under two feet of water. The
crevasse is twelve feet deep, and is dis
charging 10000 cubic feet a second All
hopes of closing the break have been
abandoned. There is on the scene a
force of several thousand men in charge
of officials of the Mississippi Valley and
Central Illinois road. An attempt is be-
ing made to secure both ends of the
break and prevent them from washing.
The water thus far has rot reached the
Illinois Central tracks, but it is expected
10 cover the broadway within the next
twenty.four hours.
GnEENvILLE, Miss, May 10.-The
water from the panther forest break is
gradually covering. the country. The