The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-21

Chicago, March 2O.-Three days of
unusually warm weather, accompan-
led by heavy rains extending over an
exceptionally wide area of country
have played havoc with things gener-
allv throughout the Ohio, Missouri and
Mississippi river valleys, and the worst
is vet TO come, judging from the tele-
graphic reports.
The outlook is so gloomy for the
residents of the threatened districts,
that the weather bureau has issued
warnings telling them to fee from the
floods that are coming.
1t is considered an absolute certainty
that the floods in the lower Mississippi
valley, during the next ten days, VIII
exceed in destructiveness those of any
in the past.
MANY lives have been lost already
through the breaking of levees, and
vast amount of property has been de-
stroyed by the foundations OF the low
lands.
ALL ARE RAMPANT.
While the Mississippi river has thus
far broken it's bounds only in the lower
valley, the indications point to dan
ger in the upper valley as well. The
other important points along its course.
From all over the northwest come
reports of disaster to the railways and
the river towns. Bridges and culverts 4
have been washed out: streams that
were scarcely navigable have become
raging foods too great to be confined
by their banks; rivers have swollen
until their waters are sweeping
through the streets of dozen or more
towns; trains are delayed hours be-
hind their schedules, and in several /
places telegraphic communication has
been temporarily cut off; families have
been driven from their homes so sud
denly that they had no time to save
their belongings from the flood; farms |
are hidden from sight in the bottom I
lands, and the fires of many factories /
have been put out by the rising waters. /
WITH ALARMING RAPIDITY.
The Missouri river, fed by hundreds |
of swollen tributaries. is rising with a
rapidity that is alarming.
At Kansas City, ii has risen a foot |
a day for three days and when the
accumulated waters reach there a
great deal of damage is sure to fol-
low.
All railroad traffic has been sus-
pended at Yankton. S. D., on account
of the high water and the washed-out
bridges and culverts.
Many Wisconsin towns are in the
direst distress because of the floods.
Milwaukee. La Crosse, Richland Cen
yer. B5scobel, BaraboO, Oshkosh and
Fon Du Lac are the worst sufferers,
some of them being partly under water.
The situation is very serious at Sioux
CITY. Ia. nearly every suburb being liz
undated Every bridge from Lemars to
Sioux City has been carried away by
the flood that is rushing down the big
Sioux The water is five feet deep in
the streets at Hawarden. and the
railroad has lost nearly
every bridge between that town and
Huron. The Milwaukee bridge at Sioux
City over the Floyd river is expected
to go with the flood, and all trains
have been abandoned.
MANY LIVES LOST.
Lives have been lost in great num-
bers, the principal losses occurring in
the lower Mississippi region. The
drowning of negroes-men, women and
been officially reported
at Memphis until the list now numbers
over so.
DR.. j. H. Travis and Oliver Kirken
berg lost their lives while trying to
ross the Boone river at Eagle Grove, \
Ia, yesterday. f
The most alarming reports come :
from the south, along the Mississippi !
liver. Breaks have been made in the ?
evees at several points, some of r
which have been repaired in time to a
prevent any great damage Work is g
being carried on at the weak spots in n
strengthening the levees. but under the Ii
greatest difficulties on account of the f
earth. The serious breaks are +
outh of Memphis, according to the h
most reliable information to be OBJ \
aimed, the points being remote from a
lines. n
CROWDED WITH REFUGEES. Ii
Memphis is being crowded with flood
efagees and a relief committee has a
erculean effort on its hands in TAX
ng care of them. kilograms from b.