The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-04-29
THE KANSAS FLOOD.
Fearful Devastation caused by the Wat ,r
Spout ClOud-Burst.

KANSAS CRY, April 22.-The Timess Medi-
cine Lodge, Kas, special gives the following
additional particulars of the disastrous food
there: The town is situated between the
Medicine River and Elm Creek. Early
Tuesday morning the food came down the
streems quickly, overlooking their bottom
lands to depth of about ten feet. In the
Elm Creek bottom a dozen HOUSES were en-
tirely destroyed, and many Of the occupants
drowned or saved only by clinging to the
branches of trees. In camps in the bottom
were ten or fifteen emigrsnt wagons filed
with families, and not half OF these
persons have yet bean found. North
of here entire families were drowned.
All OF yesterday aud last night
the streams were go high thst no communi-
cation could be had with the east, and to-
day the first dispatches were sent out. The
stores in town were closed yesterday, and
every citizen engaged in the work Of rescu.
ing people by NJ cans of boats and RATS from
their perilous positions in trees and on
house tops. This work was extremely haz.
sraoCs. and by nightfall there were still
some isolated prisoners. The people on
Medicine River bottoms had earlier warning
and all escaped with their live, though hun
dIeds of cattle were drowned aud great
fields OF crops ruined. Hundreds OF dead
snimals also line the banks of Elm Creek.
The rise started at dark on Monday night
and the rain poured steadily for SIX hours,
which was followed by q great cloud burst
north of the town.
Among those known to be lost are the fol-
lowing: g. Maddox, wife and four children,
the bodies OF the wife and three OF the chill
oTen we've recovered; Jerry Gibbs and daugh.
Ter Mrs. Harris and daughter, the bodies of
the latter were recovered. The wife and
four children of Samuel Maddox, the bodies
OF the woman and two OF the children re-
covered. Four wagons containing mowers"
have not been heard from, and il is thought
all the occupants have persisted. No news
has yet been received from the country be.
law here, but it is feared there has been
very serious loss of life. The Town Council
speedily organized relief measures. and sew
ersl thousand dollars have already been SUBJ
scribed. The bodies thus far recovered will
be buried this afternoon.
The District Court has adjourned aud the
courtroom has been turned into a morgue.
Sun City aud Lake City, situated west of
this place, were inundated, but the damage
is net serious. The city of Elm Mills was
also flooded, but with no less of life.
Later Reports from the Deluged District.
WICHITA, Kan, April pa special to The
Daily Eagle, dated yesterday at Medicine
Lodge, recounts the fearful results of the
wster-spout or cloud burst which seems to
have been the came that hlled the Minnesota
to overhowiDg. The special says that the
water rolled down over the low lands east of
Medicine Lodge CITY FIVE to twelve feet per-
pendicular, carrying every thing in it's way.
Several families are known to have been
drowned. Yesterday morning, parties VINO
had gone out to give relief, found men. wo.
men and children c,inging to trees with moth
ing but their night clothes TO protect
them, and some without any clothing what
ever, but still slive. Their cries could be
heard as early as o clock in the morning
above the raging waters. Three attempts
were made 10 rescue parties beyond the
rlver, but each boat in turn was sTamped,
aud the occupants only saved themselves by
swimming TO the shore. Five bodies had
been rescued IN to the hour OF writing the
dispatch, which was sent over to the first
railroad point by mail, when another b9dy
was in sight bat could not be reached.
There were eight movers wagons camp ping in
the bottoms, and one old man has rec ogniz I'd
the bodies of three Of his family, his wife and
two children, five and seven years of age.
James Gibbs and his daughter aud niece
were washed away with their home. A Mrs.
Harris and her little girl OF eleven years old
were found drowned. e.. w. Paddock and
family, consisting OF a wife and four chill
dren, are thought to be all drowned. Frank
Simpler put his wife and child on the roof,
and his house went down. He was knocked
of by projecting limb and swan ashore,
but Of the fate of his wife and child nothing
was Known