Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-29
SWEPT BY A FLOOD.
Continued From First Page.
houses and horses and cattle struggling fo

houses and horses and cattle struggling for
places of safety.
Yesterday noon heavy cloud swept up
from the west and another deluge spread
over the town. The water fell in perfect
sheets.
A calm about o'clock brought attention
to an intensely black cloud moving toward
the city from the west. The cry Get un-
der groundn arose on all sides, and the
streets We're soon filled with running, Shout
ing people, seeking cave or cellar. Stores
and homes were deserted, and the people
kudded together awaiting the blow. For
tunately, the center of the storm passed
over the southeastern corner of the town,
striking the hills across the valley, wreck
ing all it touched. With the tornado came
the heaviest fall of water ever recorded
here in like period, over two inches fall
ing in thirty minutes. All day the river
had been rising at a frightful rate. reach
ing the sleepers of the railroad bridge and
moving it out of line. The wagon bridge
went out when the water reached its floor,
and the bridge and drift, serving as an OBJ
struction forced the water out over the
bottoms, washing out crops, moving houses
and drowning stock. A dam on the Ellison
ranch gave way to the torrent, and carried
out bridge on the Fort Reno road, swept
the fair grounds clean and flooded the
the houses of the bottom farmers, it COM
PEELED them to desert their places and alone
endeavor to save their lives.
The rescue of many families was made
at great danger to the rescuers' lives. a
party composed of A. L. Woodliff, Pete
Carr, Henry Schaeffer, Charles Justin,
James Tompkins, Rev. Father Hall and
others Immediately set to work rescuinS
the unfortunates. In the home of Thomas
Palmer, the latter's wife and several chill
dren were rescued from the tops OF bureaus
just as the water was creeping up their
feet.
They had been screaming for help for
some time, and it was with difficulty that
they were removed to the improvised rats
of the rcscuers and taken to dry land The
families of Mrs. Hall. Tom Potter, Colonel
Severy and another We're rescued from their
homes in n like manner. In each instance
the water had swept through the windows
and WAS gradually rising.
During the trip, raft OF railroad ties
went to pieces on Il submerged wire fence
and the entire party was precipitated into
water. They were all miraculously saved.
little child of Frank Holman fell into
washed out crossing aud was drowned.
Mr.. Bickford, milkman, nearly lost his
own life in trying to save the child. The
ice plant was flooded to n depth of four
was awakened about l o'clock this morn
ing to find himself sleeping in floating
bed. The bed turned when he tried to arise,
covered him with wet blankets, sinking
and nearly drowning him.
Lightning played havoc. striking the spire
of the Presbyterian church and totally
wrecking it. Mrs. McGrath, wife of the
cashier of the Stock Exchange bank. seat
ed in her home across the street, WAS
knocked from her chair and badly hurt.
The school house for colored children was
struck at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the
structure shattered and about fifty pupils
more or less seriously hurt. Among the
more seriously in njured are Eva ClauSton.
Bertha Turner. Charles Waters and Beulah
Clauston. The latter was paralyZed. Several
other houses We're struck by lightning. but
no one else was hurt. Further west the
lightning killed much stock.
The electric light wires went down, and
the town was in darkness last night.
Reports from surrounding towns are
meager. as telegraph wires are down and
trains have all been stopped on account
of washouts. 1t is known. however that
have been lost. West of here. Frank
Thompson and the 16-year-old son OF HI
ram McGritiin were drowned.
the s Streams and iowahds drained toy to their heir
normal conditions from Saturdays terrific
rains before they We're again flooded high
er than ever by what seems to have been a
veritable cloudburst, which washed bridges
out. and carried great trees, houses. fences
and everything portable down. Several
persons are reported to have been drowned
but it is impossible to get particulars from
numbers of stock of all kinds perished
trains are behind schedule on every road
and business generally is suspended. The
weather service is predicting more rain
and the clouds are lowering. with prospects
of additional heavy downpour. This comes
will make corn planting and cotton seeding
very backward in the l0wlandS.