Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-19
RUIN in THE FLOOD
Sioux City Inundated by the
Rising Water
MANY PERSONS DROWNED
Relief Parties Organized 70 Aid the Suf-
ssren-Dezth and Dssnu<fion Are
Wide-spread-FIood Notes.


food disaster has oversaksn Sioux City.
Thls morning . great wave came Down
the Floyd river, which flows through
the center of the city, and which was
already swollen bank full The wave
came q few minutes after o'clock.
Warning had been sent short time be-
fore TO the Inhabitants Of the lowiands.
but only few Of them had been no.
tilted. The first intimatlon was vol
ume of water spreading over the banks
to depth Of three feet. aud throwing
. mist of foam before il. In . few
minutes the water had risen above the
first floors and several thousand peo-
pls fed in terror TO the higher
ground. The water rose four feet
in an hour and . half. and from
9o'clock continued 10 rise steadily. but
not so rapidly. Probably one-third of
the Inhabitants Of the city live on the
low ground which is overnowed. So
vapid was the rise Of the tide that great
aumbers were unable To escape, and
he work of rescue engaged every
energy of the people. At IL O'Clock
eleven people were reported drowned,
and there must be many others. At
10 O'Clock the dre alarm was sounded
10 call out more workers. All the
beats from all the boat houses on the
SIOUX river have been brought in and
are being used to save life and
property
Thousands sf Cattle Drswnsd.
The stock yards and packing houses
were situated at the confluence Of two
rivers and shey we're instantly mum
sassd. About 1000 bead os live s,cck
were drowned Great auin5srs OF dead
atocx have also been hoatin9 down the
Floyd river. TIE whole railroad yards
AMI sw:tching track district Is under
water and there has been immense dan
ger 20 the round houses and other rail-
:saI property. The round house Of
the Chicago, st. Paul, Minneapolis &
Omaha is damaged to the extent Of
$40, 1000. That road, the Illinois Gen.
trail and the Sioux City 4 Northera
snssr sn,,a the Ga city by at the .,dIoyd Lloyd
y ~ bI0in tIn8 kcAs 0tOoA
AZ 1 o'clock this afternoon the water
had reached TO Jennings street. On
Fourth street the Hotel Fowler and the
Boston Investment company's nuilding
are surrounded with water. The
Union depot was cut OF ~ 8 O'Clock.
y: 10 estimated that 5000 people have
been driven from their homes. All
business is suspended. The chamber
of commerce organized the morning
for relief work. Before noon the ladies
had several soup and lunch hcuses
opened for the flood sufferers. 1t is
impossible to estimate the loss of prop
erfy, but II will be large
The following are the names of the
drowned 40 far "a ascertalned: Nellie
West. child: Mrs. Louise Hofuer and two
children. Others are los.. but 90 great
IL TIE confusion and excitement, u is
almost impossible to ascertain any
thing definite at present.
One Hundred Drowned.
At 10 O'Clock tonight the relief CON-
mittsc has the names of flftcen per-
sons known TO have been drowned and
authentic reports of the drowning OF
three or four times that number. Only
ore body has been recovered. 1t IS
number less than hundted. The
Floyd valley, mile wide IL.
places add five miles through the man.
usacsuring and railroad district of tho
eity and tnickly dotted with homes. is
tonight n scene Of devastation. The
current was very swift for 1t empires
INTO the MIssour! river in thie city, aud
soon lumber, fences. sidewalks and
houses were being swept away. There
are probably 700 families in the
valley, the majority living in
small houses, and az there
was no warning. The most they could
do was to save themselves and leave
their possessions. rescding corps
was organized by citizens and the home
lsss were promptly cared for. The
union stock yards were carried
away with 1000 head OF cattle.
All packing houses are flooded
tonight and four bridges are
earried away. Not railroad train can
reach the city. In the afternoon fire
in the flooded district added TO the hor-
ror.
The total Ioss in this city is estimated
at from 81 600 900 10 &, ,000. 900.
the FIRST warning.
The first note of warning Vas . tele-
gram received from Hinton, twelve
miles up the valley, to the effect that
fourteen feet rise Was coming. When
the warning came Captain of Police
Wickes and posse made haste for the
flats and warned ~ many -
could bs reached before the flood
came. Many would not listen
70 the words OF warning, saying they
had seen high water before and stayed
and were drowned Others we're saved
with much Of their belongings. A boat
Was sent out and three children we're
taken from one house. but the mother
could not be rescued and perished.
The city council at meeting appro-
priateu 5000 for the immediate relief,
and several thousand have been raised
by subscription. The ladies have been
dong noble work, providing shoes and
clothing for the children At late
hour this evening number OF bodies
had been rescued and the work is stiIl
going on
MADISON DROWNED oeJr.