Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-05-26
SIOUX CITY SUBMERGED.

Burst-Hundreds of Houses Swept Away
and Many Lives Lost-The Torrents Full
of Dead Bodies of Animals and Floating
Debris-Rescuers at Work.
Sioux CITY, Ia, May ia great
food disaster has overtaSen Sioux City.
Yesterday 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 few minutes after Z
o'clock. Warming had been sent a
short time before to the inhabitants Of
the low lands, but only few had been
notified. The first intin,ation was
volume of water spreading over the
banks to a depth of three feet and
throwing mist of foam efore it.
In few minutes the water had risen
above the first floors and several people
tainted in terror on the higher ground.
The water rose four feet il, an hour and
half, and from Q o'clock. continued to
rise steadily, but not so ia pidly- Prob
ably one-third of the inha. )itants of the
city live on the low ground which is
overflowed. So rapid was the rise of
the tide that great numbers were una
Bile to escape and the work of rescue
engaged every energy of the people.
At IL o'clock eleven persons We're re-
ported drowned and there must be
many others.
At 10 o'clock the fire alarms sounded
to call out more workers. All the boats
from the boat houses on the Sioux river
have been brought in and are being
used to save life and property.
The Missouri river is very high, and
when the flood in the Floyd river struck
it the water damned up and rushed over
the adjacent low grounds. The stock
yards and packing houses were situ-
ated at the confluence of the two rivers,
and these were instantly inundated.
Two thousand head of live stock were
drowned there. Great numbers of dead
stock have also been found floating
down the Floyd river.
The whole railroad yards and switch
ing track district is under water and
there has been immense damage to the
rOundhouse and other railroad prop
erty. The round-hOuse of the Chicago,
st. Paul. Minneapolis & Omaha is dam
aged to the extent of $4,000. That
road, the Illinois Central. and the Sioux
City & Northern enter the city by the
Floyd valley and all are stopped. Not
a train has left Sioux City. At o'clock
the water had reached to Jennings
street on Fourth street. The Hotel
Fowler, and the Boston Investment
Co.'S building are surrounded with wa
ter. The Union depot was cut off at 9
o'clock
1t is estimated that 5000 people have
been driven from their homes. All
business is suspended. The chamber
of commerce organized committee for
relief work. Before noon the ladies
had the soup and lunch houses opened
for the flood sufferers 1t is impossible
to estimate the loss of property. but it
will be large.
At 10 o'clock last night. the relief
committee had the names of fifteen
persons known to have been drowned,
and authentic reports OF the drowning
of three or four times that number.
Only one body has been recovered 1t
is believed that the death list will not
number less than hundred. The
waters last night We're receding. and
the wind which blew a gale all day
quoted down. The Floyd valley.
through the manufacturing and rail-
road district of the city and vicinity,
dotted with homes, is scene of desc
lation.
The river commenced to rise about
o'clock and before noon was thirty feet
deep in the channel. The current was
very swift, for it empties into the Mis-
souri, river in the city. and soon fences,
lumber. sidewalks and houses were be-
ing swept away. There are proba oly
700 families in the valley, the majority
living in small houses, and as there was
no warning. the most they could do
was to save themselves and leave their
possessions. A rescuing corps was Or
ganized by citizens and the homeless
were promptly cared for.
Hundreds of houses were swept away
entirely. Over half a mile of paving on
the street was destroyed. All the .ail-
road yards. machine shops. ware
houses. lumber yards, stove works,
foundries. shoe factories. gas works.
and many retail business houses were
submerged One of the leading hotels
wassurrounded and all depots ara in
accessible.
The cable line stopped and the eie
waited railroad is the only means left of
reaching the eastern suburbs. The
Union stock yards were carried away
with 1000 head of cattle. All packing
houses are flooded. and four bridges
have been carried away. Not a rail
road train can reach the city.
In the afternoon fire in the flooded
district added to the horror. The total
loss in the city is estimated at from
81 200. 900 to 100000.
The first wlring was telegram re-
ceived from Hinton. twelve miles up
the valley. to the effect that fourteen
foot rise was coming. Intelligence was
sent to the police station. Chief Haw-
an engine, loaded boat and started up
the Illinois Central, track for Leeds.
The wave was struck when but u
short distance up, and the boat was
launched at once. From one house
three children were taken. but the
mother could not be rescued, and per-
ished. The party narrowly escaped,
being overturned by second wave six
feet in height. The angry waves
nearly made away with the boat
From another house seven people
were taken who had crawled into the
attic Eight minutes later the house
topp1ed over and was swept down the
stream.
Five people were taken from a tree
at Springdale. The debris piled up so
that it would bear the weight of man
and greatly hindered the work
When the warning came, Captain OF