Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-04-17
FLOOD SITUATION.
Omaha Trying to Keep the Missouri
River in It's Channel
HIGH WATER At KANSAS CITY.
Packing Houses and Other Industries
Warned to Look Out for a F1ood-Mis-
sissippi River Still Rising South
of vicksburS.


OMAHA, Neb., April 14.-Piing and
boards and bags of sand, old hay and
stones are being fed to the hungry nav
of the Big Muddy at Omaha in an effort
to restrain the manifest intention of
that erratic stream to resume the chan
mel abandoned 20 years ago. AT night
fall it looked as if the effort might
succeed. But all hope is hedged about
with provisos that the river does not
rise any higher, that north wind
does not blow, and, most uncertain of
all, that the break in the bank above
Florence lake is not so bad as the over
flow of water indicates. East Omaha
and North Omaha are flooded by waters
that are rushing from the overfull Mis-
souri, river. The residents flee for their
lives, leaving their possessions behind.
the horses are standing in the flood,
submerged in water from one to five
feet deep. Fields of grain and fences
disappear beneath the surface of the
water, and the trees no longer show
any trunks The flood is pouring in
upon the lowlands of the East Omaha
bottoms in a stream that is estimated
to be 1900 feet in width. 1t is sweep
ing southeast and pours into Florence
lake. The water in the lake has
broken over the 1evee that was built
to separate it from Cutoff lake, and is
now rushing with ever-increasing vol
ume into the latter.
In the last IL hours Cutoff lake has
risen almost two feet. IF this rate con-
tinues the lake will overflow it's south
ern banks If this should occur, and
the rise be still maintained, the entire
southern portion of East Omaha would
be threate with a most disastrous
flood, as there is no elevation of the
land to stem the outpouring. Should
the river complete the cutoff it has
threatened, East Omaha, with extern
sive factory plants, including the great
Carter white lead works, will be moved
into Iowa and the So, 600, 900 bridge of
the East Omaha Terminal Co. will be
left across a slough, while the thou
sands of dollars expended by the gov
eminent in protecting the banks of the
river along the great bend will have
been wasted on a ''cut-off'' lake.
HIGH WATER AT KANSAS CITY.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, April 14.--Just
as Weather Observer Connor predicted,
the Missouri river began to rise yester-
day shortly after daylight, and during
the day climbed slowly up the gauge.
It started in the morning at 1876 and
keeps rising at such a rate that by to-
morrow morning the river will be
fully foot over the danger line and
the spring flood will be on in first-class
shape. Mr.. Connor was so firmly of
the opinion the danger line would be
reached that he yesterday morning no.
tilted the packing houses and other in
dustries along the river banks to be on
the lookout for high water, and there
was plenty of hustling done down in
that portion of the city all day, and
most of the people interested were as
well prepared last evening they
could be and were simply waiting for
the volume of water to reach the line.
There is also rise perceptible in the
Kaw, and yesterday there was some
current shown in the stream. The rise
of the Missouri will back the water up
that river and may do some damage
down in the lower portion of Kansas
City, Kan.
MISSISSIPPI RIVER STILL RISING.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 1.-THE river
continues to rise south of Vicksburg,
and the swift current is throwing the
water all over the 1evees with enor-
nous force. A telegram received from
Tallelah, La, reported that the 1evee
at Davis island, in Warren county,
Miss, had broken, but the report was
premature. The water is washing over
the levee at that point, however, and
break may occur at any hour. Many
people have left the island with their
most valuable effects and stock. Sew
eral weak spots have developed in the
southern levee, and the people in that
section are making heroic struggles to
save their property Last night the
backwater in the flooded Mississippi
delta was about stationary. The river
at Memphis continues to fall slowly.
At Helena the river is declining. The
refugees are foc41ing to Helena by
every boat.