New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-22
GREAT WESTERN FLOODS.
DELUGE IN THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER ABOVE THE DANGER
LINE AND PEOPLE PREPARING FOR BIG
ovERFLOw-PRAIRIEs IN THE NORTH
WEST BECOME LAKES.
st. Louis, May 21.-The rain, which has fallen
/ almost steadily throughout Missouri since las;
/ Sunday, continues to-day and the greatest
| anxiety is felt for the safety of people living
! along the bOttom-lands of the Missouri. Gas
! conade and Usage rivers. A. Eldon Mo. tor
nado and rainstorm Tuesday night caused great
! damage. The Congregational and Methodist
| Episcopal churches were reduced 10 kndlng
wood and the Christian Church had the spire
| blown off. The dwelling-h houses OF j. II. Swan,
Samuel Brickey and the Rev. David McComb
We're destroyed. All TIE telephone and telegraph
wires are down, ana communication from the
outside is entirely cut off The track Of the
Lebanon Branch of the Missouri Pacific is
washed out so that there Will be no trains or
mail for three four days.
The following were injured at Eldon: Mrs.
Rhoda Cross, leg broken ana injured internally.
not expected to live; Mrs J. II. Swan. not ex-
pected to live; Miss Louise Swan. seriously in
jured; Miss Hattie Swan, badly bruised. is de-
mented from fright; Mr.. Davis who was In the
Swan dwelling. injured badly.
1t is estimated that the damage to property In
Eldon alone is $4,000 At Chilhowee the same
tornado blew down half dozen dwellings. but
fortunately nobody was seriously injured
At Versailles yesterday the rain fell In tor
rents. accompanied by n high wind. James
Anthony was drowned while attempting TO ford
a small creek on horseback. Mrs. J. ID. Ear
hardt. living few miles east OF Versailles. died
from fright of the storm
In the western and southern portions OF the
State highway bridges washed away by the
dozen. Nearly every stream is flowing over, and
as the rain is still falling the situation is grow
ing alarming.
Along the Mississippi River. from Burlington
to Cairo. preparations arr being made for the
annual rise. At St Louis the river has reached
the 25-foot mark. having risen five feet In the
last twenty-four hours. The 3O-f0ot danger line
is expected to be reached by tomorrow night
II It continues AT this rate for several days the
big food If 1893 will be ouidone.
A climax reached In the local storm at
6 o'clock tonight. The clouds that had dropped
occasional showers all day centred over the
city and deuge Of rain and hail fell The
haistones were unusually large. and consider
able damage resulted The river continues to
rise rapidly. Al 5 o'clock the water touched
the 3O-foot mark-a rise Of five feet since morn
ng--and 1t is advancing.
The Government Weather Service sent out
warnings to property-owners along the river
front ana Tonight NUMEROUS oI Hi'H d' h' WI D.
moving lumber and other endangered merchan-
disc to places Of safety. Every vessel In the
harbor has stem up. IT now seems assure ',,,
that the disastrous floods OF former years VIII
Alton telegraphs at o'clock tonight: "A
veritable deluge Of rain s sweeping over thls
city and the country south to-nghl. Every
stream is pouring great floods into the already
swollen Mississippi. and disastrous "oou S''''"
certain" ..
Dispatches from various points In Kansas
bring details Of disaster by tornadoes last nisnt
At Arkansas City. Kan, settlers HVing IN th'
strip five six miles southeast OF thai city, -
day report that three different tornado clouds
swept their section of the country no hFes
were lost. hut much damage was done. ana on a
dairy cattle ranch thirteen herd of catNe were
A genuine "twis;er" passed from southwest 10
northeast near the town Of Olpc. passing direct5
over the ranch Of the Hughes Brothers tearing
norton Of their dxellng- house TO pieces and
throwing II across the Santa +" tracks Inc
barns corncribs and outhouse' were an nI""h
away William Hughes was caught IN me wt',N
u the barn. and IL IS supposed he Is iatally IN
Al burlington Kan. n tornado passed one mile
west Of the city yesterday evening: tedI'"s "o"' Il
n huildng on the farm Of W. II. Clarke
Alton. H. Ma 2l-The Mississippi. rein
forced by the food from the Missouri passed the
danger line here yesterday afternoon AT eighteen
foe, and ia still rising alarmingly, thousands "i
acres ~ wheat and corn being covered and crops
ruined
<, Joseph No. May 2l.-An north and south
bound trains over the Kansas city 81 Joseph
and Council Bluffs road were delayed yesterday
bv a cloudburst near Forbes Mo. which de-
stroved n mile of roadbed and washed away the
track All the trains have been running by way
of MarvsvIlc. using the Omaha and ST LOUIS
tracks from there to Burlington Junction.
Tho Missouri River Is rapidly rising. ana bur
ungton officials are guarding against 'ut'hs
toward the tracks al many points between Ter"
and omaha water is from one L. six i""i d'"p
on the level In the vicinity Of Forbes ana FoIeS'
CITY. ,.,.,
Creston Iowa May 2l.-The recent storms III
.his locality have been unprecedented not ohIy
,n severity but in duration. Heavy ram mas
FALLEN almost necessarily for eight days. ana our
TO-, ,hat lime the sun has shone less than three
honrs Heavy rain is still falling, reports
Tr,rn the country are 10 the cnect thht seNrrai
harms we're struck 10y lightning but no lives l"''
.armvork ls at n stAndstill. ana the farmers are
boc,,nire uneasy Railroad trafilc IN thls sec
lion has only been slightly interfercd WIN al
thouoh creeks are hiRh ana still rlslnS l mess
4. cessation occurs soon much damage VIII result
C,rookston. Mimi. May 2l-Northern Mime
so,a &c under wafer There has been nothlht
rle I, for many years. The prairie has become
. ,,to and farms have been transformed into
archipelagoes The situation is discouraglhg 'or
the large agricultural interest In the upper rsep
piver Valley both in Minnesota ana In Npru
naLnta From Warren TO IIallock. forty niles
the water is deep enough T. hoat boar Ins
stroets of some of the towns are impassaDle' anu
they are In large part deserted.