Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1881-05-05
KANSAS clry's EXPERIENCE.
A General Overflow From the Missour, and
III kansAw Rivers. a


III Kansas Rivers. ~
Kansas City. April 2s.-To.day has
been an eventful one in this city, and at
last the inhabitants Of the lower portion
of the town have become thoroughly
alarmed, and are snxiously awaiting ia
vorable news from points above, both on
The Kansas and Missouri rivers. At an
early hour this morning the Kansas riv-
er, which had risen several inches from
the night previous, broke over its banks.
and cutting q channel had coon flooded
q large portion Of the locality surrouud-
ing Fowler Bros. and Plankington & Ar.
mour's packing houses to depth Of one
or two feet, and tremendous body of
water rushed over the banks between Ja-
cob Daid e. Sons packing house and
Nowler Brothers from the Missouri. By
daylight the people had become aroused
and many jumped into water ankle.deep
and found the greater portion of their
household utensils floating and scatter
ed around in promiscuous manner. All
haste was made to move out, aud the ma
]ority sought vacant lots on the bluffs, at
least fifty feet above their former abode.
There was great excitement and hun
dreds Of families are on dry land but
without shelter, utterly destitute of food,
and many OF them of clothing. The
scenes and incidents are beyond descrip.
ton; people rushing pell-mell in various
directions, and those who had already
saved their effects. rendered such aid as
they could to their unfortunate neigh.
bors. Express and dray wagons with
the assistance of boats saved most of the
goods and brought people to place of
safety. Household goods are piled up
along the railroad tracks, and are being
moved to higher land as fast as it is pos.
sible. The river this morning marked
rise of eight inches, and has been going
up all day at the rate of one inch an
hour. The government measurements
for the week are interesting. They are:
Sunday, 6 a. M, 32, 5; 6 p. M, %, 8; Mon
day, s a. m., q, 2; 8 p. M, %. 4;ruesday,
49, Z, %, 9; Wednesday, "a, 4, "a, 8;
Thursday, IS. s., The highest point in
1877 was twenty.three feet one inch, and
the present rise is therefore three feet
and six inches higher. The terrific flood
there is no doubt but that the food
will reach twenty.six feet, in which
case much OF west Kansas will be
oveltlowed. The greatest alarm pre-
walls. The scene from elevated points
on the river is grand but terrible. The
rushing stream imposes n sense of help
lessness upon the beholder, like storm
at sea, and possesses fascination which
attracts and holds the attention of thou
sands.
Along the levee, from Main, clear
around to the packing houses, the water
is within few feet Of the Missouri Pa
cifc railroad tracks. and large force of
men have been constantly employed in
riprapping and pounding in stone along
the road bed to save the track from set
tling into the river. The track runs
within q few feet Of the bank, which
keeps caving and washing in. tits
feared thst the track will be destroyed.
For at least a mile below Grande avenue
there is great damage done. Wood
Brothers and Newmans ice houses gave
way, precipitating their valuable con-
tents into the river. Factories of various
kinds are in imminent danger of partial
if not complete destruction by the water,
and the foundations giving away. There
are many shanties III this locality so
deep. in the water that further rise of a
few feet will float them away: The oc-
cupants have all left. The cellars Of the
gas works are filled, and there is great
danger Of considerable damage being
done to the works.
The brick yards of Brooks, Brown &
Shaw and Potter g. 20. arc under water
The latter firm have not worked since
Friday, but have been building dam to
protect their yard. This, however, threw
the water over the land on which stands
a'number Of houses, and the people hv.
ing there cut the dam last night to save
their own property, and the result is that
all parties are flooded alike. The Brooks
Brown g. Shaw yards arc banked up so as
to leave space about one hundred feet
square out of the water yesterday, but
the rise last night went over that and car.
ried away three Thousand feet of lumber
and quantity of tools. Their engine
house. now stands out in the river, and is
used BY the ferry boat as beacon house
at night, there having been light plac.
ed upon it. The water is sweeping
through the foundations OF the Zenith
mills and running through the distillery
with considerable current but no. serious
alarm is felt for the buildings. There is
no longer any doubt about Harlem being
completely and emphatically. under wa
ter: ~ s,F 49, - 54Y
-.