The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-06-01
DISASTER At SIOUX CITY.
A Wave From the River Rushes
Through the Town.
Many Drowned and 5000 People
Made Homeless.

At least eleven people drowned, thousands
left homeless and hundreds Of thousands OF
dollars damage to property were the results
of a Sudden aud unexpected rise in the Floyd
River at Sioux City, Iowa.
A great wave came down the river which
flows through the centre of the city. ltwas
already swollen bank full.
Warming had been given but short time
before the wave came to the lnhaolGantS OF
the low lands. The first intimation most OF
them had. however. was volume OF water
spreading over the banks to depth OF three
feet and throwing mist OF foam from IL.
In few minutes the water had risen ABOVE
the first floor. and inside OF an hour and
half had risen four feet. 1t then continued
to rise steadily, but not so rapidly.
Probably ten thousand inhabitants OF the
CITY live in the low ground which was over
flowed. 50 rapid was the rise OF the tide
that great numbers were unable to escape,
and the work Of rescue engaged the energy
OF the people.
At twelve o'clock eleven persons were re;
norted drowned. The only names obtained
were Nellie West, a child, and Mrs. Louise
Horper and her two children.
The fire alarm was sounded to call out
more workers. AL the boats from the boat
houses on tho Sioux River were brought In
and were used to save life and property.
The Missouri River is very high, and whet
the food in the Floyd River struck it the
water damned up and rushed over the ada
cent low grounds. The stock yards ana
hacking houses were situated at the contu
ercs of the two rivers and they were quickly
inundated About two thousand head OF
live stock were drowned.
The whole railroad yards and switching
track district was under water, aud there
has been immense damage to the round
houses and railroad property. The round
houses of the Chicago, st: Paul, MINNEAPOLIS
and Omaha were damaged to the extent OF
10000. That road, the Illinois Central and
Sioux City and Northern enter the city by
tos Floyd Valley. and all were compelled to
stop. Not a train left Sioux City that day.
The water reached to Jennings street on
Fourth street at one o'clock. The Hotel
FowIs and the Boston Investment Companys
building were surrounded with water. Tae
Union Depot was cut of at nine O'Clock.
Il was estimated that eight thousand
people were driven from their homes. All
business was suspended. The Chamber OF
Commerce organized for relief work. Be,
fore noon the ladies had several soup and
lunch houses opened for the Hood sunerers
At Spencer, Iowa, a fearful wind ane
rain storm from tho northwest ragged. Such
a fall of water in a similar length Of time
has never been known there. The Slou1
River rose two feet. Three to four hundred
feet of the Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul
track was washed out at creek Two miiea
east Of that city, the track being carried
entirely of. The entire country along the
river was uoder water.
The water in the Des Moines River at Ot-
tumwa reached the highest point since ths
great floods Of 1851. Tho electric light plant
of off n
darkness that night. Trains were badly de-
layed.
and it was feared that the loss Of life would
he heavy. Trains on all railroads were
hours late or abandoned, and the Illinois
Central and Minneapolis and st. Louis lost
heavily by slides and the washing away OF
bridges and embankments.
Conservative estimates placed the area
under water in the section lmmedlately sur
rounding St. Louis, Mo-, on both sides OF
the river at 400 square miles Of fertile lands,
the depth being from two to twenty feet.
Fully 1900 families in that area left their
homes with little prospect OF an early re-
turn. The main ffsring was in the Amor
ican Bottom and on Missouri Point.
As an iustancesof tn, suffering in the for
mer locality there were nearly 500 people
gathered on the bluffs, for whom st. Clair
County, lHlnolS, was asheu w supply Aooo
and shelter.
Missouri Point, the land lying like tri-
angle between the Missouri and Mississippi,
a triangle of land twsaty-seven miles on the
river side by twelve at the base, was covered
with water and every living soul driven to
higher land.
The washout of the approach to the Union
Pacific bridge, at Omaha, Neb., was serious.
Fully 800 feet of the approach gave way.
Il fNy1n
Iowa. In passing over the bluff it razsd
number of houses and barns, and unroofed a
number of others. A young man named Gay
was picked up, carried twenty yards and
seriously injured.
A cloudburst near the head of the Blue
River in Kansas swept away the house OF
William Sherman, drowning one child and
four horses. Loss Of life was also reported
from the Watson neighborhood, about
4-al,-a naila, orthHast Of Manhattan.