Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-07-02
OVER THE BANKS.
The Missouri River Menaces Dwell
ers In Low Lands.
4 HURRIED EXIT At HARLEM.
People at Kansas City ApPrehensive-Pos'
sibnity of Reaching the Flood Point
of IsSi-The Kaw River Also
Rising.

|
KANSAS CITY, Mo, June 39.-The
river is at a dangerous height and is
still rising. It is out of its banks and
Harlem is flooded Many families are
compelled to move out and more will
be compelled to do the same to-day.
| Last night the river began cutting
across the neck of land. about which
the stream usually runs on its way past
Kansas City, Kan Once before, in
1881, the high water brought volume
of water across from the upper bend
through Harlem and threatened to
establish a new channel and thus leave
Kansas City, Kan, and the most part
of Kansas City, Mo-, high and dry
without any river front. Should this
happen it will prove most disastrous.
The Hannibal & ST. Joseph track,
was under water for quite distance at
o'clock last night, and it was feared
that the track would be swept away.
All trains went out over the Kansas
CITY & Council Bluffs, and it was feared
that the latter road would be unsafe
this morning. Should the embankment
of this road give way Harlem will GER
tainly be flooded completely and the
river will come across with great force.
| The river was 229 feet at S o'clock
last night, rise of seven-tenths of
foot since a. IN. In 1881 it rose to 26.5
and overflowed all of West Kansas.
The river was so high that a steamer
passed through the streets of Harlem.
In April, 1888, Harlem was under water
eleven days. 1t is probable this rise
will equal that of 1888 and perhaps that
of 1881, as reports from further up the
river show a rapid rise also.
A special dispatch from Nebraska
City says: "The Missouri river is rap
idly rising at this city and has left its
banks at places. People living on the
banks are moving to high ground. The
east approach of the Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy railway bridge is sub
merged. The river lacks but three
feet of being as high as in 1881, at
which time great damage was done"
A dispatch from Omaha reads: while
the Missouri river is on one of its peri
odical sprees at St Joseph, Atchison
and Kansas City, it is quiet at Omaha.
There has been a rise of one foot since
Saturday morning and yesterday morn
| ing it registered 14.5 and at night the
rise was a14.7. The danger line, estab-
| lished several years ago, is IS feet
which is construed to mean that when
the water reaches this mark it is SO
feet deep in the channel This limit
was fixed by the flood of 1867, but on
the bank it has been riprapped and
I lied in. These figures are thought by
river men to be false. Sergeant Welsh,
of the United States signal service, said
last night that he anticipated no
danger, as while it was filling up
south, the river was running ont at
Omaha"
At Randolph it is reported that the
river is up to the caps of the bridge.
Considerable anxiety is felt by farmers
along the river bottoms, and many farm
ers are seeking safety on higher land.
Should the rise continue the packing
houses may suffer along with all West
Kansas
The present outlook is that there will
be no rainfall during the next twenty
four hours, but the regular spring
freshet from the mountains is due and
a much higher stage of the river is ex-
pected 1t would take a much higher
stage than is anticipated to bring the
river where it was il 1874, when it rose
sixteen feet above the danger line or to
thirty-seven feet, fourteen feet higher
than it was last niE..t
It is thought the highest point will be
reached to-day. Yet /, may go much
higher. Many houses along the river
bank are ROW partially submerged and
several buildings in Harlem are sur
rounded with water. The ferryboat
cannot land on the Harlem side as there
is no dry ground to form landing.
At last accounts the food was still
rising and the railroads expect serious
damage. The water coming across the
Harlem neck Of land is increasing and
the river is two inches over the bank at
Dold's packing house and the whole
West Kansas bottoms are seriously
threatened
The Kaw river-is also rising. Indeed,
it is higher than at any time before
this season and the water is still rising.
Armourdale sewers are flooded with
back water and some damage has al
ready been accomplished
There are 100 small dwellings in the
Kaw bottom, from the mouth of the
river to the Union Pacific bridge, that
are under water and the people there
got out their effects as rapidly as pos
sible yesterday. They carried them
away in boats and barges
The people living in the Riverside ad-
dition have taken to high ground The
addition is in the fiat bottoms and the
water is rapidly filling in about these
places.
The yards of the Consolidated Tank
Line Co. are flooded with water from
the Kansas avenue sewer