The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-09
STORMS And FLOODS.
Valleys of Big Western Rivers
Become Raging Seas.
FARMS RUINED. STOCK DROWNED
Trains in Missouri and Kansas Ahan-
dOned Owing to Wrecked Roads,
The Waters Steadily Rising-CycIone
Destroys Houses in Oklahoma and a
Heavy Snowstorm Kills Nebraska
Cattle-Mississippi Levees Still Firm.

KANSAS CRY, May s.-Asa result of tn
steady downpour Of rain in the last
twenty-four hours, which is the climax of
the rainy season this spring, accounts of
floods are coming in from all parts of
Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas.
Some towns have been flooded. and the
damage reported is swelling. Considera-
bic farmers stock has been drowned and
washed away. growing crops badly dam
aged, and thousands of fields will have to
be replanted.
Saline county, Missouri, is one great
lake. Houses have washed away and
stock lost. Along the Platte river the
whole country is inundated and barns and
houses have been destroyed. Livingston,
Grundy and Mercer counties are flooded
and the district from Chillicothe to the
Iowa line is a sea OF water. Crops along
the Grand river valley have been washed
out and much stock has been lost.
Railroads are more or less damaged and
traffic delayed and in some cases aDand-
oned The Wabash bridge here is strained
out of line so that no trains can pass over.
Half the streams in Oklahoma territory
are out of their banks, many bridges have
been washed away and nearly all the over
land mails have been abandoned. The
Santa Fe road suffered several washouts,
and trains are badly delayed. A small
cyclone accompanied the rain north of
Guthrie, and the houses of John Davis,
Henry Smith and John Crockett were car
RED some distance by the cyclone and
badly damaged. Barns and other build
lngs were also destroyed. No loss of Ii fe
is reported.
All trains, with the exception of the
Rock Island and Union Pacific from the
West, are delayed by unsafe bridges, land
slides and washouts. The rain continues
unabated tonight and the Missouri river,
though very high for this season, is rising
rapidly, and there is much apprehension
of increased damage by floods.
The Missouri river tonight registered
twenty-one feet above low water mark,
and is rising at the rate Of an inch an hour.
Twenty-three feet is the danger line, at
which it overilows its banks. In the
event of that occurring the bottoms, where
are located the packing-hous Union
depot and wholesale business houses of
the city, will be flooded.
BUFFALO, Wyo., May S.-The snow
which ceased on Friday morning recon-
menced tonight and still falls. Roads
have been impossible for freight teams
for two montsls. Two thousand
pounds of merchandise are stuck in
the mud between here and Gill
cite. Not pound OF sugar or coffee is for
sale in Buffalo, and in Fort Mckinney the
commissary is nearly exhausted Unless
bo l,a
roads dry up people will be liv-
ing on potatoes, -four and beef only.
The stage from Powder river to Crazy
Woman vas two days late, and the driver
at the latter place started south in search
of it and found the stage about ten miles
south of there and off the road.
RUsuvILLE, Neb., May S.-Snow has
fallen here during the past thirty-eight
hours to the depth of sixteen inches. This
will Re severe on the cattle in the sand
hills and will retard farm work
New ORLEANS. May S.-The river at this
point renamed almost stationary for sew
eral days. reaching 16.6 feet as the maxi
mum. The levees, while subjected to a
great strain, are holding out well. Spe-
cals from river points show that the water
is rising gradually, but the levees continue
in good condition. The chief engineer,
after thorough inspection of the
levees north of Greenville, reports their
condition specially good. with the water
far below their tops. Similar reports from
the southern district We're made by assist
ant engineers. The indications are that q
further rise of six or eight inches will be
recorded here. which Will make the rise
one foot higher than ever before. The
people feel confident that the levees will
stand the strain If properly guarded.
PEORIA, H., Nav S.-The river is still a
raging torrent and has risen seven inches
in twcnty-iour hours up to this morning.
Since then the water has been SO rough
that no measurement has been made. 1t
is believed that il will not rise much more
but strong. wind is dashlng the water
furiously against the banks, and many
bridges are liable to be washed out. Large
forces are at work guarding a. ainst this.
The cattle pens in the lower sugar WORKS,
in which are thousands of head of cattle
are foot under water, and unless the
water quickly subsidies the cattle must be
removed. The dam at Henry, forty
miles above here. threatens to go
out, and should it do so
the devastation along the river
viii be appalling. The Lamarsh district
destruction continues. Many houses have
fcated off or have been dashed TO pieces
by the driftwood, and by the time the
water goes out nothing Will be left except
debris. The residents have lost every
thing and are in q destitute condition.
s veral warehouses here are surrounded
by water, and il is feared they may be car
rIcd aWaV NJ any minute.
KE0KUK. IL. May S.-The situation be-
tween here and Quincy il improved, the
water falling considerably today III the
Mississippi and going down rapidly in the
Des Moines rivers. The 81. Louis, keo
kuk & Northern officials say that passen-
ger traffic will be resumed tomorrow.
Freichts are running today. There Is no
change tor the worse IL Alexandria. The
win! is blowing gale tonight and may
cause further damage.
BrRLINGToT, Ia. May S.-The Missis-
sippi river j. now twelve feet above low
water mark. being sixty-iour feet at this
point. and it has spread oat over many
miles OF lowlands on the Illinois side. All
Of the ST Louis, keokuk & Northern
trains are still running by way of the
Carthage & Qaincy branch on account OF
the flood al Alexandra, No. II is
thought the Hood vii. begin 10 subside to-
night. The Burlington officials have
about succeeded in Strengthening out the
traffic which the floods demoralized.
Senator stanford May Resign.
san Francisco. May S.-The EJQmiacr
this morning prints story, apparently