Passaic City record., 1892-05-28
THE FLOOD CALAMITY.
Greatest DesolatiOn Ever Seen
in the South and West.
Hundreds of Lives Lost and Mil.
lions Of Property Destroyed.

is one of desolation. Farms ruined, houses
swept away, live stock drowned. railroads
idle, human lives in danger-such is the his
tory of the big food. Beginning at st.
Cloud, north of Minneapolis, following the
Mississippi down to Keokuk, Iowa, where the
great Egyptian levee has yielded,
flooding thousands Of acres of the
richest farm lands on the continent; thence
in succession passing the cities OF Quincy
and Alton, in Illinois, where the work OF
the wind and water has been disastrous, the
first great stage of the desoiate journey ends
at st. Louis, Mo, It is impossible to make
in that city and vicinity, except to say
that millions will express it. and that
the loss embraces untold acres of growing
crops destroyed, the wreck Of several VII
lages, injury to factories, the stoppage of
trains, and the decentralization OF business.
ous manufacturing district. Already the
losses and damages turn over 81, ,000, ,000, and
hundreds of men are in forced idleness.
Merely to name towns and villages in
Missouri and Illinois that have suffered
from the inundation, would make a list of
appalling length. The truth Is that the de-
struction is SO widespread and overwhelm-
ing in its character, as to be difficult not
only of description, but of realization.
On the Missouri, too and its tributaries,
the waters are abroad to greater extent
than ever before known. Throughout the
Dakotas farms are under water, bridges
have been carried away and railroad tracks
undermined The horror at Sioux City,
Iowa, is still engaging attention, and the
full story of the deluge has not yet
been told. Even yet hundreds of peo-
pie are closely following the receding
foods, searching for their ruined homes
ard missing relatives. Weeks and perhaps
hox
caused by the flood, and it will probably
never be known exactly how many perished
in the torrent. The loss by water even when
the buildings were not carried away, was
very large. Everything Is soaked or ruined,
or smashed by the waves or by the timbers
hurled along by the current.
Down through Nebraska the Missouri and
its tributaries are on the rampage. The
Platte is especially turbulent, and all along
its course through the State until it empties
into Big Muddy at Plattsmouth it has left
.desolation on either side.
At Kansas City the Missouri River is
higher than at any time since 1874 The
populace, and many houses have been carried
from their foundations.
A dispatch from st. Louis Mo-, says:
Ten thousand people along the banks Of
the Mississippi have been rendered homeless
by the ravages Of the flood between this
ranges from ten to twenty miles in width.
The river runs are sweeping away homes,
drowning stock and submerging bottom
lands, Five hundred thousand acres Of
growing crops have been destroyed. As the
water begins to go down an estimate Is
being made Of the actual damage done, and
it is believed that half a million will
not cover it. There are now in Har-
lem. Argentine, Armourdale and West Kan
sas over 1000 houses which have been
deserted. It is impossible to make more
than rough estimate, but it is believed that
the damage, actual and resultant, will
amount to fully IS, 600, 600 in this immediate
vicinity. In the flooded district probably
1900 square miles are submerged to an ex-
tent which renders it impossible for the far
mers to raise crops. At least Is, 600 persons
have been thrown out Of employment.
The following Louisiana parishes are at
fected by crevasse water: East Carroll, Mad
Caldwell. Catahoula st. Charles, st. John,
Plaouemines, Assumption. La Fourche,
Caddo and Bossier. The large crevasses now
running are two on the Lafourche bayou
and two on the Mississippi proper.
A telegram from Shreveport. La. says:
The whole country above here, with few ex.
ceptions. is one sheet of water, and the flood
sufferers have taken refuge in houses, barns
and gin-houses, from which they are await
ing succor. Dispatches have been received
rennorting big rise at Garland
City, and advising the COMMITTEES. at
Benton to spare no pains to hold
the levees. At $50 o'clock in the morning
q few miles below this city, gave away at
point where no danger was anticipated. The
guards were seated in store near by and
the store and contents were carried away.
Fifty armed citizens cut the levee at OF
tumwa to save their property. The cutting
was calculated to injure the property OF the
Water Company, and the company appealed
to the City Marshall, but he was powerless.
The Water Company's superintendent at
taynrted to stop the men, but he withdrew
when a revolver was levelled at his head. A
dixie was soon opened in three places, allow
ing the water to escape.
The Secretary of War has authorized the
Chief of Engineers to use Government boats
unon all Western rivers to save human lie
where residents of the flooded districts are IN
danger.
Governor Boies, of Iowa, after investiga-
ting the flooded districts resolved to issue a
proclamation inviting the people of Iowa
and the country generally to contribute for
the relief of the destitute people The proc
lamation will state that $780, 600 is needed
for this purpose.
that 1900 men, women and children were
wa5er bound there and asked that boat be
sent to their rescue.
The destitution among the food sufferers,
white as we'll as colored, between Little
Rock, Ark, and the mouth of the Arkansas
River, is appalling. Pine Bluff and its vi
cinity is covered with thousands of refugees.
The cotton crop all along the river is totally
destroyed, and it is hard to tell on what the
farmers will live this summer. The Gov
ernment boat C. B. Reece supplied 15G
half-famished people on seventeen different
taxv