The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-20
KAW IN FLOOD.
Immense Rainfall In Central
Kansas Raises the River
Eleven Feet Above Regular Low
Water Mark.
DYNAMITE is USED
To DislOdge Great Masses of
DriftWOOd
Gathered Against the Bridges
on Kansas Avenue.

The recent rains have swelled the
Kansas river until it has reached a
height of 111h feet above low water
mark and fears are entertained for the
Electric railway bridge on account of
the driftwood which has accumulated
against the wooden piers.
The water guage on the bridge shows
that yesterday the river was 111A feet
above low water mark, and today it
has dropped Is inches.
The largest blockade of driftwood
which has ever been seen here has
formed against the bridge, and a force
of men was kept busy yesterday after
noon and last night breaking up the big
logs and releasing them.
On the upper side of every pier of the
bridge there is a pile of driftwood, but
at the south end of it there is a solid
blockade which is about 200 feet square.
Efforts were made to prevent the wood
from collecting there, but owing to the
sudden rise of the river, and the fact
that the piles of the electric car bridge
are so close together, all efforts to clear
the accumulated raft was unavaiI-
ing. Ropes were fastened to large logs
which had been wedged into the mass,
and electric cars were employed in pull
ing them. But more logs and branches
fioated into the mass than could be re-
leased.
So tightly were the logs wedged to-
gether that men could walk about on
the floating island. Two of the city
street force who were assisting in
breaking loose the large logs fell into
the river yesterday afternoon, but they
were good swimmers, and they scram-
bled out in a hurry.
An immense crowd assembled at the
river bank to watch the operations. The
old Kansas avenue bridge was packed
full of curious people. who wanted to
see what was being done. The old
bridge swayed with the heavy load
The police attempted to clear the
bridge, but as soon as they would get
from the other side. Street COmmis
sioner James Ramsey had his force of
men at work on the big mass of drift
wood and the Topeka Railway com
pany also had a force of men there.
There were some logs against the piers
which were three feet in diameter, and
80 to so feet in length. 1t was almost
impossible to get these monsters loose,
and the only thing to do was to either
chop them to pieces or to blow them
up with dynamite Both plans were
tried. Many charges of dynamite
were put into the drift, but it did not
explosion pieces of wood flew up to
within six feet of the crowd of people
who were crowding onto the Kansas
avenue bridge. The crowd cheered,
but did not get out of danger. Strange
to say, neither the bridge broke down
nor was any one blown up.
The large pile of driftwOOd is still
surging against the electric railway
bridge, although the men are working
with axes, ropes and dynamite to clear
the way for the swiftly running water.
The pressure against the bridge is
great The piers, which are composed
OF piles driven close together in a row,
are about thirty feet apart If the rail-
way bridge should give way it is prob
able that the wagon bridge would go
also. Heavy timberS reach from the
former to the latter, and are used as
braces to hold the railway bridge
against the current.
Word was received in North Topeka
this morning that a sudden rise had
been observed in the river near Manhat-
tan. and if that is the case the two
bridges will be put to a greater strain.
Soldier creek is the highest that has
been known in many years. It has
overf1owed its banks in many places
and farms north of this city have been
inundated. The Rochester road bridge,
which is north of North Topeka a
short distance, is under water and the
Kansas avenue bridge near Garfield
park will go if the creek should rise a
little more. The lower part of Gar
Held park IS unQeT water, ana the BOAT
platforms are not to be seen. At the
reform school the creek bank is low
and the road in front of the institution
has three feet of water on it.
While the water in the Kansas river
is eighteen inches lower than it was
yesterday afternoon, the water in Sol
der creek is higher today, and farmers
living in it's vicinity say that they
never saw it so high nor with such a
swift current Near MenOken probably
the worst break occurred. Although
the creek bank is of about usual height
at that point the Soldier has broken
over and formed a new channel through
the farm of man named Lynch. The
current is swift at that point and is
said to be cutting away the land rapid
ly. But it is thought that the creek Will
go back in its old channel when the
high water subsidies.
Low places in the country roads near
the creeks are covered with water.
AS far as can be learned, no lives
have been lost by the big floods, but
some live stock is reported drowned in
the Soldier northwest of MenOken.
Several dead animals can be seen
floating down stream, both in the river
and the creeks.
Soldier creek is twelve feet above low
water mark and this morning was still
rising. The water in the river is at
present lowering slowly.
UTEGT TN UEADC