The San Francisco call., 1897-03-20
Fearful Floods in Western,
Middle and Southern
States.
Many Iowa Towns Under Water
and Hundreds of Families
Homeless.
Houses, Barns, Haystacks and Car
casses of Animals Go With
the Torrents.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa. March 19.-lt IS
the general i'm preston here tonight that
the great flood of 1892. which dld tnou-
sands of dollars worth of damage, Will De
equaled if not exceeded by the present
freshet. The Floyd and Missouri rivers
are still rising at the rate OF an lnch an
hour and haystacks and dwellings from
the hamlets above the city are floating by
as evidences of the destruction already ac-
complished.
The towns and cities so far affected oy
the food may congratulate themselves
that the rise has not been more abrupt-a
fact which has enabled nearly every one
10 escape death by drowning. Stock has
not Jared so we'll. and the carcasses OF dead
animals can be seen now and then rush.
ing by to the confluence with the Missouri.
1t will be several days before the actual
extent OF the damage up the river can De
determined, as all bridges and telegraph
wires to the north are down and have been
since last evening.
This morning the bottoms on either side
Of the Floyd River in this city were en-
tirey inundated, and several hundred
water, Fortunately the citizens IN this
district had been warned OF the lmpena-
ing danger, and moved out In advance.
This section is populated with the poorer
classes. and hundreds OF families are
homeless tonight. The water had risen
this evening TO the stockyards and carrie
away the stockyards bridge. The fall OF
this structure caused stampede among
the cattle cooped mp in the pens. Inc
comm ission men set 10 work at once re-
moving the animals from the yards.
The ice in the river still holds firm,
which only adds to the apprehension OF
the railroad men.
At 10:3o o'clock tonight the Sioux City
and Northern bridge across the Floyd was
swept away, and several others will prob
ably go soon. At 10:30 o'clock the river
was still rising.
The Big Sioux flood is growing much
worse. From Westheld, north of the citv,
rise of twelve feet in four hours is re-
ported and a booming current is swooping
through the streets of the town. Bridges
and cul7erts on the Milwaukee road are
all gone ana traffic is entirely tied up.
At midnight the Missouri River had
fallen three feet in few hours, indicating
either that gorge below had broken o.
that new one is forming above.
Lynn, Springdale, James, Hinton, Mer-
rill and Hawarden are all under water.
Small streams all over the Northwest are
flooding the bottoms and carrying away
hay and grain.
The only fatality thus far reported is
that OF a farmer named Watson, said to
have been drowned near Hinton while at
tenn pting to save his property. Railroad
traffic in every direction from this point is
suspended.
report from Pender Nebr., says that
one-third of the houses in that town are
under water. The Logan River at that
point is rapidly rising and great damage
is expected.
WEBSTER CITY, Iowa, March 49,
Trains over the Omaha and Minneapolis
Railroad are running forty miles around
through this place over the Chicago and
Northwestern because of high wafer and
weakened bridges. This afternoon DR..
Travis of Eagle Grove and farmer named
Kirk kberger were drowned while tryin g to
ford the Boone River near here. The
team, buggy and occupants were swept
away. At 6 o'clock tonight the Boone
had risen seven feet and is rising at the
rate OF ioos an hour. The large bridge
at Lehigh was swept away and Others are
threatened.
CHEROKEE, Iowa, March 19.-The
Little Sioux is higher than at any time
since the floods of 1891. ALI railroad COM
munication, m except over the Illinois Gen.
trail south of Onawa, is cut off. Three
large bridges are washed out between here
and Sioux Falls, s. D., on the Illinois
Central. Wagon bridges are generally
swept away and all communication East
is cut off. The railroad bridge at Merrill
is reported gone. The people have sought
the highlands and much hay and grain on
the bottoms is destroyed.
FORT DODGE, IOWA, March 19.-The
Des MONIES River here is the highest in
years. Manufacturing establishments on
the bottoms have closed.
HAWARDEN, Iowa, March 19.-Water
four feet deep in places fills the streets
here. The railway bridges across the Big
Sioux are impossible. The water is rising
six inches an hour. People in the bottoms
are living in the second stories of their
houses. There is great damage to loose
property and much stock has been
drowned.
LEMARS, Iowa. March 9.-There has
been no munication between here and
Sioux City since last night. The bridges
on the Illinois Central, Sioux City and
Northern and the Chicago. St. Paul, Min
neapoIis and Omaha over Floyd River
to he unsafe