The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-05
CATTLE ARE DROWNED
WaInutRiver South of Augusta
Four Miles Wide.
FAMILIES MOVE OUT
At Winfield ieIdS of Wheat
Washed Away.

Inc ralnIau IN wichita Tor the Jour
days up TO midnight last night was nearly
five inches. Every stream within fifty
| miles OF Wichita is far out OF its banks
and at last accounts was still rising. In
many places stock are drowned 1t is
reported that there are several thousand
dollars worth of stock drowned Up and
| Of Augusta, the barn OF Captain Webb,
standing a mile from the river, was
washed away. The Walnut river at this
point is four miles wide
FLOOD AT AUGUSTA
A special TO the Eagle from Augusta
says:
The Walnut and Whitewater rivers be-
steadily until L O'Clock Sunday night.
People in the south part of town were
| obliged to move out by Sunday morning.
| The water reached a height of over q
/ foot in the Santa Fe depot. Three head
Of cattle were carried away Sunday
morning. The stone quarry bridge was
washed out and about 100 feet Of the ap-
| proach on the Santa Fe bridge south OF
town. Two sections of track on the
Frisco east Of here and small sections of
the Santa Fe north and south were wash
ed away, which has caused an Irregular
ity OF trains since Sunday morning. The
Little Walnut was higher than has ever
been known since the settlement Of the
country. NJ. Tague, living SIX miles
southwest OF Leon. Is reported to have
lost forty head Of hogs
FAMILIES MOVE OUT AT WINFIELD
Yesterdays evenings Winfield Courier
says:
Part of Winfield is under water and
the streams are still rising. All the lower
lands are overfowed and it is feared live
stock has persisted.
But few trains got in or out of town
today. The Southern Kansas came in
on time, but wasted no time in town.
going west as quickly as possible. 1t
was then considered a little risky to
cross the river, and no Santa Fe train
has ventured over either bridge since
When they Will cross is an unknown
quantity. The Frisco came in from the
south and is expected from the north.
The Missouri Pacific train from the east
stopped here and the train from the west
put its fires out getting here.
The Walnut river was rapidly approach
ing high water mark last night, but those
living along the lowlands thought the
worst was over and the waters would
soon begin to recede. Their calculations
were wrong and some Of them moved
out to higher ground during the night
This morning as soon as light 1t was seen
that the water was still rapidly rising
and wagons and teams were in demand
\ great many homes were already flooded
and in some cases it was with difficulty
that the occupants and goods were re-
mved
At 10 O'Clock Island park was almost
covered with water and the back-water
was nearly two feet deep at the Missouri
Pacific depot At the Frisco 1t was
nearly six feet deep. On the west the
Santa Fe track marked the east bank Of
the river and it was impossible to get TO
any bridge. A report came from the
north 10 expect two feet more of water
and then it was realized that the situa-
ton was serious. To make matters still
worse steady rain which is reported
general fell during the night and has
kept it up during the day.
The water is now all owe rthe valley |
on the west from the hill TO the Santa
Fe tracks. and the river is running this
side Of Baden's mill. On the north it is |
this side Of the Missouri Pacific depot, |
and is rapidly spreading south on Loomis |
street Only once IN the history OF Win |
field was It higher. and that was when |
Timber creek ran down LOOMS street
ARKANSAS RIVER BANK FULL.
At Arkansas City the whole country |
east OF the city is a sea and a few of |
the houses are surrounded. The Big |
river is bank full. The Traveller says
The high waters have played havoc /
with our train and mail service today.
The Santa Fe appears to have had /
ths greatest trouble from washouts. No /
definite statement OF the situation will /
be obteinable until the waters go down.
No train has arrived or gone out via |
tire Florence branch since Saturday.
Yesterday morning the trains on the /
main line OF the Santa Fe were all de- /
isyed several hours because OF wash
out between Wichita and Derby. The (
rain last night and today has made the
worse Around Seeley there
appears % be a small food. This morn
iug's Santa Fe train from the north VIII
n0r arrive until late this afternoon
Then II came from Newton - Mulyans
then - Welhn gton, and then over the
Rock Island track 70 Caldwell and on to
this city over the Anthony branch Il
was the Intention 20 have run the train
TO this point via Wellington and winfield