Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-05-26
DEATH DEALING FLOODS,
THE FLOYD RIVER TURNED TO
A ROARING TORRENT.
Sioux City Devastated by the
Rushing Waters-Many Por-
sons Drowned.

A disastrous food swept down the
Floyd valley on the 18th, doing more
damage at Sioux City, where that river
runs into the Missouri, than was ever
done by flood in Iowa, The first that
the citizens knew of the approaching
disaster, was telephone message from
mp the river stating that the river was
rising rapidly, Efforts were at once
made to prevent loss of life and prop
erty. The food, however, swept down
the valley with such speed as to render
such efforts almost futile. In the Floyd
valley in and near Sioux City were per-
haps seven hundred families, living
mostly in small houses They were
of the la6oring classes, working
in the factories machine shops
and railroad yards of the city.
The flood came down upon these resi-
dents with scarcely any warning and
many in their efforts to save them
selves and those relying upon them for
help, became excited and lost judg
ment. Those who took To the house.
tops were in many instances carried
away with the houses. Hundreds of
houses were swept away by the rush
ing waters. The stock yards, situated
at the confluence of the Floyd and
Missouri rivers, was almost instantly in
undated. The Missouri was already
high, and as the wall of water came
rushing down the Floyd valley it
found IA barrier, which pushed II back,
and general inundation was the re.
suit Two thousand head of cattle in
the stock yards were carried away and
drowned.
Over half mile of paving on one
street was destroyed. All the railroad
yards, machine shops, warehouses;,
lumber yards and stove works, foun-
DRIES, shoe factories, gas works, and
| retail business houses were submerged.
One of the leading hotels, the Fowler,
was surrounded and all depots were
| inaccessible The cable line was
stopped, and the elevated railroad was
the only means of approaching the
suburbs. All packing houses were
flooded and four bridges were carried
away. Not a railroad train could
reach the city. In the afternoon fire
in the flooded district added to the
horrors The city council at once held
session and voted $1,000 TO aid the
food sufferers and all citizens went TO
work to render such assistance as was
possible.
The list of victims at Sioux City as
far as known, is as follows Nellie West,
Mrs. Louis Home, A. Anderson, wife
and child; n. II. Anderson, wife and
child; A. =. McKcn, VIM. Stone, William
Rose, Mrs Louis Ilomers, two children:
Mrs. Frank luther and child; year
old son and seven year old daughter
of Il. Leonard; George Cox and child of
four years; Geo. G. Miller, Aaron John
son, Andrew Anderson, Robert Harvey,
Frank Henderson, wife and child; two
unknown boatmen, Mrs. II. Flick, Mrs.
Peter Rauscson and two children; Thos.
Fitzgerald; Oliver Hoblit; six unknown
men. Few bodies have been found and
a few of the above named may be found.
They are given up as lost, however, all
having been seen in the food early in
the day and not since.
The recedipg waters disclose a ter
rible scene. The paving is torn up and
iloated away, The streets are impass-
able for mire. Door yards are filed
with mud and driftings. What houses
are not wrecked and carried away will
be almost uninhabitable. Furniture is
| destroyed and many things in the
at over two million dollars. One lady
named Mrs. Medley, aged 81 years, was
found up to her chin in water at 1880
the next morning. She will recover.
| Foreman Prout of the Leeds Engine
! Works said: "Thc flood struck here
at $3.50. One of the boys saw it coming
and told me, warned the men and
they fed. by night the rescuing boats
were sent out and pulled the crowd in
on shore. Robert Harvey, an old boat.
man, went out in boat after some
who could not he reached. The boat
disappeared and was not seen again.
Oscar Anderson, who worked all day
| like hero and witnessed the drowning
of little child torn away from its
mother when the rescuing party had
| almost reached her, lost his reason and
is raving about"the beautiful baby that
was swept under the muddy waves"