The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-06-06

The Arkansas river is up. 1t is now the
raging Rackensack sure enough.
1t was T:20 last evening when somebody
on the Douglas avenue bridge said: Great
heavens, what is that coming down ?''
L. was the flood.
II you have never seen sudden body OF
WAFER rolling down the bed of Il river you
cannot appreciate the thrilling excitement
one feels when he watches it.
A reporter for the EAGLE was detailed
to be Oh the spot, the arrival of the waite
having first been fixed to mathematical
certainty
The water came with front as well de-
fined rs ii it was solid matter. 1t was a
wave about three feet high, aud it beat uD
against the poles and props of the Mis-
souri, Pacific bridge with roar-a deep
hollow sounding roar that could have
been heard two blocks if stiffness had pre-
vailed. There was crowd upon the
bridge at the time, and as the water rolled
and roared under it the immense structure
shivered and trembled.
Boys, for Gods sake save mer' was the
piteous plea that came from the tumbling
liquid as it gorged and rolled through the
piles that support the bridge.
Que hundred men rushed to where the
sound WAS located but could see nothing.
w
blanched faces aud wrung their hands in
pity.
The poor fellow is gone under" re.
peatei dozen voices and the excitement
ran nigh.
"Was it mani" asked one.
"Oh. yes, L saw his face plain" said
another.
A quiet looking gentleman remarked
that he thought l. was WON ans voice.
Insa ther. y fan nj Shnntzl in
wild agony: For Gods sake, save my
child, il have to perish!"
The pen Of man could not depict the
anguish of this appeal.
Women aud men rolled over one another
trying to get over TO the precise spot where
the voice was heard, aud leaned over so far
and in such excitement that a number of
mats dropped into the rolling and angry
waves, and were carried along with the
current.
All the poor woman has gore underv
shouted twenty voices. And the baby Is
gone, toor' screamed half dozen women,
In great pity.
All this excitement was the work of
ventriloguist who stood in the crowd quiz
ETY. smoking cigar Many women went
home, ignorant OF his popularity. to tell
the sad tale around their fresides.
The flood i'll its heavy, sluggish flow to
the mother ocean carried many peculiar
things on its BOSOM Colorado washIubs
sailed along with envious gait before Kan
sas chicken coops which were
all but totally submerged. Piano
stools and BIRDS nests glided along
as companionably rs two country lovers
in msrry-go round. Dead cats and
wrecked threshing machines went along
in peace TO their final resting place Oh !
some loUely sand bar or in the bottom of
the gulf Tables and chairs from the
kitchen mixed up in Democrs tic profusion
with bric-a-brac from the parlor, for the
flood is as great a leyeler of the pride of
household aristocrscy as the red tide of
was of the royal bric-a- brac
of France century ago. The encyclopedia
of fostsbles could be searched in vain for
All article that WAS not in that squadron
of dsbris that heaved Oh the crest of that
wave that went down the river last night
Even fishes floated dead on the surface OF
the water.
A fish is the last living creature that
one would think could b. drowned in
water or that may BE- afraid OF !, flood
People who see II food know that hey are
afraid and that many of them get drowned
The nimble trout Is very often a victim o {
the flood and the white bellies of many of
them could be seen from the bridge last
night. All fishes are. in flood, like men
are in a cyclone. Too much water creates
excitement among them and they, evil
IDENTIFY, have their Il nod cellars aud swim
10 them if they navel ime, Ike men fire D
their cyclone cellars. II they are taken
IS many of them were last night,
they become terribly excitsd, lose their
heads, and turn their toes IT, the daisies.
As a result men who know their nab t.
watched them last evening and captured
mauy with their hands from the banks OF
the river This is especially true of the
Il hes that 1--we in clear water such as
trout, salmon and bass.
AT midnight last NJ ght the banks OF the
Arkansas had all the water confined be
tween them that they could hold IL was
estimated that the food was nearly ten
feet deep under the bridge and still rising.
The water travelled slowly aud was
nearly ali day coming from Hutchinson,
two days coming from Dodge City, seven
days coming from Pueblo and over five
hours coming from ut. Hope, in this
which is said to be flooded.
The result of the flood will be adj
to the farmers along he entire
valley. for the seepage and uuderfow will
have its influence for long distance on
either side of the river in furnishing
moisture 10 the absorbing roots of grow
ing crops.