The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-09

ing the telegraph pole. broke it off and
precipitated him into the flood. He was
drowned in the view Of many spectators.
The valley of the Colorado river south
of Austin for a distance of 300 miles is
thousands of negro families. There are
also many towns and villages along the
river.
The great flood struck many of these
settlements without warning, and there
is no means now of estimating the cas-
Within a few minutes after the dam
gave away telegraphic warning was sent
to all the towns within reach that the
flood was coming, but there was no way
of reaching the country people, and it is
among them that the deaths from drown
ing and the destruction of property will
be heaviest.
There were many incidents of escape
and rescue In the vicinity of Bartlett
Creek. a colony of Water-boun people
sought refuge in trees.
The greatest damage to residence prop
city was along the south bank of the
river in the suburbs of Austin. This is a
thickly populated suburb, but most of the
residences of the better class are located
on the heights above the bank mark
reached by the food. In the bottoms
were probably 100 residences and store
buildings, which were caught in the de-
luge and destroyed.
The State Deaf and Dumb Institute is
located on a hill overlooking the river.
The water covered part of the beau
tiful grounds of the institution and did
The high bridge of the International and
Great Northern across the Colorado river
has so far withstood the food but a train
of freight cars loaded with gravel, dis
appeared in the torrent like SO much
sand.
Hundreds of thousands of acres of rich
valley land, already planted in cotton,
corn and other products, are IN the path
of the flood, and the damage from that
source alone will amount to a big sum.
In addition to this loss. hundreds of
poor people in this city and along the
| lower course of the river are made home
less. Scores of families are camped on
| the hillside around Austin.
/ BIGGEST FINANCIAL loss.
The hardest financial blow of all. how
| ever, is that suffered by the City Of Aus
! tin by the washing away of the dam and
! the wrecking of the waterworks electric
light and power houses. The dam was
constructed at a cost of $1,000. 900, while
| the power house cost another $500. 900. It
has been a hard load for the taxpayers
/ of this city to carry ever since the debt
| was incurred. The outstanding bonds on
I the dam and power house now amount
/ to 81, 900, 100000 of the bonds having
been taken up by the city. Interest on
the outstanding bonds for the last two
| quarters is now overdue and unpaid by
| the city; 1hese ponds are held IN New
/ York, Cleveland and other eastern cities.
| The city authorities are paralyzed by the
| magnitude of the catastrophe, and it is
not known as yet what steps they will
| take to meet it.
The dam was the second largest in the
United States. It was l. 143 feet long, &C
| feet deep and so feet across the base. It
formed Lake Mcdonald, which was thir-
ty miles long and about one-half mile
wide when the water was even with the
crest of the dam.
Inc United oldleS uSn naIcneIleS at oel
Marcos are reported to have been de-
stroyed by the flood in the San Marcos
river causing a loss of about $40 900.
Several small bridges on the Austin and
Northwestern and stretches of track or
that road as well as on the Internationa
and Great Northern road were washed
away.
Following is a list of the known casual
ties here:
Drowned-John Baiz. aged IS years
workman; Walter Blossom. aged 10, work
man; Frank Pinget. aged 49, engineer
Walter Johnsons two sons, aged 10 ant
Y: Frank Kinney, aged Is years; Thomas
kirkpatrick, aged 40 years, workman
odd Dan" colored, laborer; woman and
two children, names unknown; Claudi
Franklin, of South Austin, who was in
buggy and was caught in the flood: color
ed family of four; student at State Uni
versity, name unknown; Joe Newman
aged u years; five men believed to hav
been delegates to the State Travellers
Protective association convention in ses
sion here, names unknown.
Missing-Three men, names unknown
, who were fishing a short distance beloy
! the dam and were caught in the flood
, Thomas Johnson, colored. laborer; Mil
: ton White, farmer, living two miles sout
l / of city.