Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-04-15
CONTINUED RISE PREDICTED.
II Will Take About Five Foot Rise
TO Make the Situation on the
Kansas City Side Dangerous.

The Missouri river stood at 20.5 at
o'clock yesterday morning, and had risen
to POS at o'clock last evening, when the
last official gauge reading was taken. 1t
has continued to rise, and at midnight
stood at the danger line, % feet. Weather
Observer Connor predicts that the rise will
be slow and gradual until Friday noon,
when it will pass the % foot mark. After
Friday noon, Mr.. Connor expects a fall to
begin. He says with the present rise the
river has widened. so that it requires
tremendous amount of water to make much
perceptible effect on the gauge. The trb-
utary rivers, which are now swollen. Mr..
Connor thinks will have gone down by Fri
day. The current is very swift, approx
mating five miles an hour, and the sur
plus water is being rapidly carried away.
Mr.. Connor predicts fair and pleasant
weather to-day.
1t looks like the flood was going to reach
Kansas City on short notice. The Big Mud
dy. after rsceding little from the highest
point touched last week, is steadily rising
again, and now touches point higher than
at any time this spring. The steadiness of
the rise, the character of the drift which
is running and all the signs which river
men are wont to swear by indicate that
the biggest part of the rise is yet to come
1t will take five feet more of water in the
Missouri to cause any serious damage on
the Kansas City side, but a rise OF two
feet more means practical inundation for
Harlem, where the situation is even now
critical.
Standing on the Fourth street viaduct and
taking in at n birdseye view n wide sweep
to the west and south, the sight presented
is a majestically imposing one. More than
mile wide at this point, and for as far as
the eye can reach, the swollen Big Muddy
sweeps sullenly along. the character of the
drift which is borne in the swift current
showing that somewhere above the river
is making inroads on the land. Sweeping
full against the south pier of the Hannibal
bridge at Broadway with n force which
breaks the stream into whirlpools and ed
dies, the powerful current is here diverted
and takes shoot right across for the
Harlem shore, on the Clay county side.
Here it works out its spite by cutting and
choppinS at the crnmbling banks. which,
unable to Withstand the continual on
slaught. are rapidly giving away. Two
weeks of such giving away of the banks as
has marked the last few days would mean
the wiping out of the little own or its mov-
ing Duck 10 higher and safer ground toward
the bluffs. The Harlemtes are really
alarmed for their homes. and several hous-
es have already been moved back for safe
ty. The old school house, which was moved
early last week, has been moved again. and
three dwellings, which We're Bbout the first
built in the town had to he moved yester-
day to save them from becoming victims of
the swelling stream.
On the Kansas City side of the stream
there Is not as yet any great ground for
apprehension. The river looks dangerous
and has encroached a great deal on all the
low places along the banks and on the lit
tie islands, on which there are n few sham
Ties and unpretentious dwellings Lewis;
island. from which all the families with
one exception. moved last week presented
about the same appearance yesterday as
then. None of the little houses has been
carried away. but If the river should riss.
two feet more there would be danger of
their going down the stream
The packing houses which are so located
that the rise would affect them more
quickly and more disastrously than anyone
else are not yet in any great fear Ii
would take a rise of four feet on the level
to do any damage at Dold's. which is
nearest the river. The most the packing
houses have TO far Is from back water
from the sewers and they are taking every
precantion to guard against invasion of
their premises by this route. At the Met
ropolitan power house, at Ninth and Wy