Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-05-26
SIOUX CITY'S LOSS.
The Damage by the Flood Placed
at S1,25o,Ooo.
The Loss of Life Not Definitely known
About 5000 Persons Are Homeless
and Many Are in a Dcsti-
tute Condition.
MUCH SUFFERING.

SIOUX CITY, Ia, May 2l.-Added to
Sioux City's other calamities was a
wind and rainstorm which reached all
over northwest Iowa Friday and lasted
all the forenoon The air was very
cold and it was impossible 10 keep the
homeless people from much suffer
ing, for hundreds of them are still
housed in buildings which cannot be
heated, as the furnaces are under wa
ter. Wen organized local committees
are actively at work raising funds for
relief and collecting clothing for the
destitute. A committee from The Omaha
board of trade came up Friday morning
and proffered assistance.
The loss on property is variously es-
timated 1t has been placed as high as
S., 000 600, but Mr.. Heller, of the Jour
nal, who had obtained conservative
opinions, says it will not amount to
more than Sl,25O, OOO divided as fol-
lows:
Railroads by damaged rails, rolling
stock and engines ...... ......+........ 10000
Streets by the tearing up Of payements 10000
Other losses, including those of the
street railways the gas works and
Total ........ .................... 81, 10000
Sioux CITY, Ia, May % With a few
days warm sunshine Sioux City will
begin To feel herself again Almost
nothing in the way of rebuilding homes
can be attempted until the flooded dis
trict becomes passably dry. At pres
ent mud reigns. Until Sunday it has
rained necessarily since the food. Fri
day and Saturday were two days of
billiards., hail, sleet and wind, retard-
ing even the superficial salvage work
A general roundup of ethe situation
places the dead at about Twenty-Five
Some more bodies are undoubtedly in
the ruins.
A careful estimate places the number
of those rendered temporarily homeless
by the food at S, 200 The majority of
these have found shelter with friends
The relief committee has probably 900
applications on file. The committee
will accept outside aid which has been
generously offered from many quar-
tiers. Mayor Pierce and other leading
citizens have favored the declination of
outside aid, but at public meeting on
Friday night were induced to reverse
their course.
1t viii take many weeks to restore
order out of chaos in the flooded bot
toms. The direct losses to property,
while over 81 900, 900 all told, are but a
fraction of the total indirect losses by
interrupted commerce There is no
kind of business but will feel the blow,
and yet the people are hopeful, even
buoyant.
Viewed from any point, the flooded
districts are indescribably desolate.
Houses are lying on their sides and the
debris of things movable is strewn over
a surface of several square miles.
Fences sidewalks and house supports
form general litter. Along the banks
Of the Floyd tons of earth have been
torn away. showing the terrible force
of the waters that swept the valley
with fatal suddenness
Sudden and overwhelming as was the
Sioux City flood. its property losses are
small when compared with the general
food losses throughout the state and
country. This rain-soaked corn country
is in danger of at least "A partial failure
Of crops owing to the lateness of the
planting season The total damages to
farmer, To the railroads and TO the
general business interests of the coun-
try will reach an enormous total.