The Indianapolis journal., 1885-04-23
WHEN
CLOTHING STORE.
A KANSAS CLOUD-BURST.
A Wall of Water Twelve Feet High-A Dozen
or Fifteen Lives Lost.

WICHITA, Kas. April pa special to the
Daily Eagle, dated yesterday at Medicine Lodge,
recounts the fearful results of the water spout.
or cloud burst, which seems to have been the
same that filled the Minnesota to overfowing.
The special says that the water rolled down over
the lowlands east of Medicine Lodge City FIVE to
twelve feet perpendicular, carrying everything
In its way. Several families are known to have
been drowned. Yesterday morning parties who
had gone out to give relief found men, women
and children clinging to trees, with moth
'1pg but their night clothes to protect
them, and some without any clothing whatever,
but still alive. Their cries could be heard as
early as o clock in the morning. above the rag
ing waters Three attempts were made to res
cue parties beyond the river, but each boat in
turn was swamped, and the occupants only saved
themselves by swimming to the shore. Five
had been recovered up to the hour of writing the
dispatch, which was sent over to the
.Arst railroad point by mail, when another
body was in sight, but could not be reached
There were eight movers wagons camping in
the bottoms, and one old man has recognized the
bodies of three of his family, his wife and two
children, five and seven years of age. James
Gibbs and his daughter and niece were washed
away with their home A Mrs. Hardis and her
little GIRL eleven years old were found drowned.
g. w. Paddock and family, consisting of wife
and four children, are thought to be all drowned.
HFrank Shipper put bis wife and child on the
roof, and his house went down. He was knocked
: off by projecting limb and swan ashore, sew
neral miles below but of the fate of his wife and
child nothing is known.
A Medicine Lodge special gives the following
additional particulars of the disastrous flood there:
1.-THE town is situated between the Medicine
river and Elm creek. Early on Tuesday morn
ing the food came down the streams, quickly
overfowing the bottom lands to depth of about
ten feet. In the Limerick bottoms, dozen
houses were entirely destroyed, and many of
the occupants drowned, while others saved
themselves by clinging to the branches of trees
In camps in the bottom were ten or fifteen
emigrant wagons, filled with families
and not half of these persons have yet
been found. North of here. entire families
were drowned. All of yesterday and last night
the streams were so high that no communication
could be held 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 rescuing people by means of boats
and on housetops. This work was extremely
hazardous and by nightfall there were still some
isolated prisoners. The people in the Medicine
river bottoms had earlier warning and all
escaped with their lives, though hundreds
OF cattle were drowned aud great fields of crops
ruined Hundreds of dead animals also line the
banks OF Elm creek. The rise started at dark
on Monday night, and rain poured steadily for
six hours which was followed by great cloud
burst, north of the town. Among those known
to be lost are the following:
'G Maddox, wife and children; the bodies of
the wife and three of the children were recov-
cred Jerry Gibbs and daughter, and Mrs. Har
ris and daughter; the bodies of the latter were
recovered. The wife and four children of Sam
mel Maddox; the bodies of the woman and two
of the children were recovered.
-Four wagons containing movers have not been
heard from, and it is thought all the occupants
have pershed. No news has yet been received
from the country below here, but it is feared
there has been very serious loss of life. The
town council speedily organized relief measures
and several thousand dollars have already been
subscribed. The bodies thus far recovered were
buried this afternoon. The district court has
adjourned, and the courtroom has been turned
into morgue.
''Sun City and Lake City, situated west of this
place, were inundated, but the damage is not Sc
rious The city of Elm Mills was also flooded
but with no loss of life"