The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-03-27
RUIN BY WATER.
floods Continue Their Work of
Destruction.
towa Cities suffer Greatly - Great
Damage at ManI<nto, Minn.-sit-
uauon fn the south Does
Not Improve.

clans who have been summing up the
damage done by the recent floods in this
part of the northwest are appalled, by
the showing. All farms In the valleys
of the Floyd. Big Sioux, Little Sioux,
Roclx, j i'm. yermillion and Elkhorn rivers
and Perry and Broken Kettle creeks
were under water, as were most of
those on the various small creeks and
dry runs throughout this territory.
There is little loss of life reported, but
much live stock was drowned, and great
damage done 10 farm buildings and
grain and hay in stack. The valleys are
all traversed by railway lines, and these
suffered heavily. Bridges are almost
all gone within radius OF so miles OF
Sioux City, Hinton, Merrill, james, Lc-
Mars, Rock Rapids, Westileld, Vermil-
lion, Elk Point, Hawarden, Akron, Cor
rectionville, Otto and the Sioux City
suburbs of Leeds, Lynn, Sprlngdale and
Riverside.
Sioux City, Ia. March 24.-While en-
deavoring TO escape through the water
which surrounded her house, Mrs. Belle
Massey, residing OH farm on the Big
Sioux between here and Westfield, fell
from a boat and was drowned.
Alton, H., March 24.-There Is every
indication here that serious flood is
impending. The Mississippi stands with
IL foot OF the top of its banks. with is
feet on the gauge and the water Is ris-
ing rapidly with Missouri backwater
and the outpour of the waters from the
upper Mississippi and Illinois valleys.
Thousands of acres OF bottom crop
lands are endangered.
st. Paul, Mimi, March 24.-The rivers
OF southern Minnesota and eastern
South Dakota are on the rampage again.
The Cottonwood river rose Is feet and is
still rising. This river empties into the
Minnesota just below New Ulm, which
causes the Minnesota TO back water and
forces it up at that place. Some Of the
roads into that city are already mum
dated and prospects are that traffic will
be cut off from all directions but west.
Everything points 10 the highest water
since 1881, and as the valley is very wide
great damage will be done TO bottom
lands.
Al Sioux Falls, the Big Sioux has
risen higher than since the flood of
1891. Twelve bridges have been swept
away near there. At West Sioux Falls
the river Is a mile wide. The bottoms
there are flooded three feet deep. An
has caused some alarm. But little ice
has as yet gone out OF the river.
At Mankato every dray and express
wngon in the city was engaged in the
work OF removing the household goods
OF the people whose houses have been
surrounded by the rising water OF the
Minnesota river. The river fell rap
idly Monday evening when the gorge
broke. but another gorge formed and
rise Of 4h feet occurred in n short
time and the river is still rising slowly.
All night cattle were driven across the
bridge from North Mankato. On that
side one-fourth Of the houses have been
vacated and the water is running like
a mill race across the main street in
aront OF the new Swedish Lutheran
church, which is surrounded. Many
houses are under water. North Manka-
20 has "A population OF 700. In Mankato
proper the Blue Earth river has flooded
part OF the commons addition and 50
houses are partly submerged. Most
of the families have moved out, but
many are living in the second story of
their houses. Ii is the worst flood
since 1881 In East Manknto the houses
on the river side of the new Omaha road
cmbanlSment are flooded and residents
have been Obliged to move. Dynamite
has been used on the gorge. but without
effect.
ST. Louis. March 24.--Acting upon an
appeal from Gov. Jones, Of Arkansas,
Tor assistance, the merchants exchange
OF this city subscribed $4,000 for the
relief Of the flood sufferers This money
aud future donations will be handed
over 60 the Memphis relief committee.
Statements from Mayor w. T. Capp
and Chief OF Police Il. Il. Moseley, Of
Memphis, were received by the ex-
change. The mayor says that nearly
all the refugees come from Arkansas.
The chief says that Memphis has two
funds to draw upon that were balances
left from the yellow fever fund and the
cash donated for the Johns;own Pa)
Hood sufferers. neither OF them being
exhausted.
Dispatches from many points in the
flooded section show but slightly va.
ricd conditions from those OF Monday.
Slight rises nre reported AT New Madrid,
Mo-; Columbus and Paducah. KY;
Cairo and Metropolis. III. The greatest
Increase was at Paducah. That town
Is now an island and Is oLiy reached
by one railroad. the Illinois Central.
At noon the gauge "a Memphis read ex-
actly 80 feet nnd stationary, but rises
at points above and below there show
that the steady gauge was caused by
levce breaks at Hopefield and II. Fran
els, in Arkansas. South OF Helena TO
Chicot there is scarcely any more effort
90 save the levees. AZ Modoc the break
is now nearly mile wide.
a dispatch from Greenyille. Miss,
snys the Snnhower river is as wide and
full OF water as the Mississippi az or
binary stages and that the sluggish
Yazoo river is now a raging torrent.