Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-05-20
RUIN AND DESOLAIlON
Sad Scenes Disclosed by the
 Exceeding Waters.
THE DEAD NUMBER sEvENTY-FNE.

wOrk--Immense Damage to RaiIroads--
 Reports From Many Afflicted Points.
 SIOUX CTY, Ia., May 2O.-The scene disclosed by the recession of the flood is one that beggars description. Throughout the flooded district iJ is one story of destruction and damage. It is still impossible to accurately ascertain the number of lives lost, but 1t is be- Heved that at least 75 persons were drowned. The money loss will be far over a million dollars.
 The flood at its height extended from Court street to the Floyd bluffs and from the suburb of Lynn to the Miss ouri river. This comprises 8 district four miles long and a mile and a half wide. For distance of mile and a half above the mouth the Floyd bot tom is densely populated. A large DOT tion of the inhabitants are poor people who are employees of packing houses, railroads, etc.
 At the height of the flood the current struck straight through the residence street. Among those nearest the river scores of dwellings were swept from their foundations and carried long dis tances and either smashed or turned bottom side up.
 It is no uncommon sight to see a dwelling turned over on it's side or roof. Many two-story buildings were swept away. The buildings which are twisted or carried short distances are innumer- able. It must be remembered that over all this area for six or eight streets from the river the water was far above sec- Ond-story windows with a swift current and the wind blowing hurricane. Everywhere fences, outhouses, side walks, wooden pavements, railroad ties and timbers are scattered about among the contorted and overturned dwell | ings. Many of the streets are paved with cedar blocks and the water lifted hundreds of thousands of them and car rled them away. In some places there are immense masses of debris piled on top of houses.
 Several thousand people closely fol- lowed the receding flood to search for their homes and missing ones. Only 6 few on the outer edge of the flood will be able to occupy their homes at pres ent. The streets areimpassable. Door, yards are filled with mud and driftings. What houses are not wrecked and car ried away will be almost unhabitable.
 The rescuing parties are hard at work to-day. One woman, named Keely, aged 67 years, was found up to her chin in water. She had put 8 trunk on @ table and sat on it for 24 hours. She | will recover.
 Boats are plying over the flooded ter ritory, searching the houses remaining for sick and dead people and bringing to shore the valuables of their poor occu- pants. The high wind that swept the valley yesterday made it next to impos- sible for rescue or the most experienced boatmen to hold out more than two trips. Several persons have been found in overturned houses where they spent 8 night of terror. Oscar Anderson, who worked all day yesterday and who wit messed the drowning of Q little child torn away from it's mother when the res cuing party had almost reached her, lost his reason, and is raving to-day about | the beautiful baby that was swept under the muddy waves.
 The damage to railroad companies | will be greater than early estimates. Every road that enters the city suffered. Tracks of all road yards are more or less washed out. The St. Paul, Milwaukee & Omaha gets off with less than others, but it's track up the Floyd river is washed away in many places for distances of thirty miles. Its round | house was greatly damaged the night before the flood. The Sioux City 6 Northern is almost wiped out, so far as the Sioux City end of the track is con- cerned. For long distance it's bridges ] and culverts are out and the track car l ried away. It's round-house is 8 total wreck. The turntable was taken up overturned and the interior of the circle l filled with mud and debris. The round- house of the Omaha road was likewise covered with Q perfect network of tracks and in many places these are taken out | and twisted up and the embankment melted away.
 ST. LOUIS, May 20.-The weather re- ports show that @ rise of three feet is coming down the Mississippi :and Mis- souri rivers. This will cause the river here to-rise at least foot This means that the entire country from here to New Orleans will be flooded, as the le- wees are not able to stand so great body of water.
 OTTUMwA, 1a., May 20.-The severe storm which has swept over here caused the river to reach the highest point since the flood of 1851, filling the cellars to a depth of five feet, and breaking the dyke. A good portion of the south side and all that portion between the river and railroad tracks is under water The south approach of the bridge was slowly carried away this morning. The rail roads have suffered severely and traffic l is practically suspended. Eddyville, Wooledge and other points report 8 big rise. The electric light and water sup ply plants are inundated, rendering the machinery imperative.
 ALTON, H., May 20.-Thousands of acres of wheat in the bottoms of Union and Alexander counties are flooded by the overflow of the rivers. Farmers are fleeing to the hills with their stock and household goods. Merchants at the river landings are removing mer- chandise from their stores in skiffs. There is much suffering, and the loss of property will be great. The river has been rising at the rate of half an inch per hour. It has been raining heavily and almost necessarily for the past 36 hours, and the downpoor continues.
 NEW ORLEANS, May 20.-The air has been full of rumors of breaks in levees above and below the city, but most of them have proved congregations. Har- lem levee, twenty miles below, gave way, but it is thought it will be closed. The T AT rN-ZI-