Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-07-10
THE LEVEES
GIVING WAY
A Great Part Of the City Of Dss Moines Is Five
to Six Feet Under
Water.
PREVIOUS RECORDS BROKEN
The Des MuInes River Is Twsnty-0ns Feet Above Low
Water Mark and Is Still Rising as Is Its Tributary
the Raccoon Rlver--Foods Are Reported
from other Polnts-Much Damage


situation reached a most alarming
stage early this morning. The De'
Moines river was q feet above low wa
ter mark at Z o'clock, having risen
feet in less than 10 hours. 1t is still
rising at rapid rate. The Raccoor
river, which empties into the Def
Moines at this place, advanced foul
feet between 3'and 1880 this morning
and is still going up. The flood is al
the highest point since 1851, when the
river was six feet deep over what is
now occupied by thousands of resi-
dences business houses and factories
At that time the river was but foot
higher than at present and it is evident
that the old record will soon be broken.
Nohing but the levees protect all this
district and in two score places they
have either broken or given away.
Another span of the Great Western
bridge at this place, went out this
morning. The bridge is now a total
wreck. The Des Moines race track is
submerged. The race meeting will be
Hundreds of men are working desper-
ately along the levees to save their
homes and property, but the water is
slowly driving them from their posi-
tions. The residents of South Des
Moines kept anxious vigil all night and
at o'clock this morning, owing to the
breaking of large section of the levee
We're forced to flee. Many thrilling res
cues We're reported. South Des Moines
is now practically cut off from the rest
of the city. Four feet of water is
rushing through a district of twenty
blocks, occupied by residences. In
North Des Moines a wide breach of the
levee occurred at s o'clock and 400 res
idents were forced to abandon their
homes. The situation is intensified by
the necessity of closing down the wa
ter works. if the river advances an
other foot and then the city will be alb
solutely without water for domestic
consumption, factory use or fire protec-
ton. Hundreds of men are construct
ing temporary levee about the water
works, but the water rises almost as
fast as they work. The street car traffic
has been abandoned on number of
lines and will have to be abandoned all
over the city in short time, owing tc
the water putting out the fires under
the boilers of the power house. 1t is
repored from Adel, Fort Dodge and
other places above Des Moines that the
rivers are still rising, which means a
greater menace to this city.
At 10 o'clock the Des Moines river
ceased to rise and by noon had reced-
ed three inches. Heroic work was done
on the ,levees in North Des Moines in
the repairing of the breaks, Which
saved many valuable residences. The
Raccoon river, however, continued to
rise and spread out over an enormous
territory. At noon it invaded the fac
tory district and nothing but the roof
of the Keith Furnace Factory and the
Mccormack Manufacturing Company
could be seen. Thousands of dollars
worth of machinery in these places
were destroyed. The Keokuk and Wes-
tern tracks constitute a levee in this
district, on the other side of which the
biggest factories of Des Moines are To-
Gated. The river was within six inches
of the top Of the levee at noon and was
beginning to break through. The level
Of the water was then six to eight feet
above the factories, which will suffer a
loss exceeding half a million dollars
whenever the levee will give way.
REPUBLICAN RIVER STILL RISING
Topeka, Kas., July 10.-A special to
the State Journal from Concordia,
says: The Republican river is still ris-
ing and hundreds of acres, west and
north of the city, are under water. A
house went down the river today
Many farmers lost all their cattle and
hogs. At Rice the river is four miles
wide.,
A DAM THREATENED.
Lawrence, Kas., July 10.--The high
water Of the Kaw river here has caus-
ed the flood gates to weaken. Fears
are entertained for break in the dam
and big force of men is at work
Strengthening the weak places as fast
as they appear. The river is now nine
feet deep over the dam and the water
is still rising.
SHOWERS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
Pittsburg, Pa, July, 10.-Copious
showers and thunderstorms last night
and today have broken the hot wave
and the mercury is down to 6S degrees.
Four fatalities and II prostrations were
reported since yesterday.
THE FLOOD AT TOPEKA.
Topeka, Kas., July 1O.-The flood sit
uation her Is more serious than at any
time since 1892. The Kansas river is
still rising. The inhabitants Of Little
Russia" a northwest Topeka suburb,
abandoned their homes or have taken
to the upper stories. Portions Of the
city railway tracks are under water.
ABOVE DANGER LINE AT KANSAS
CITY.
Kansas City, Mo-, July 10.-The Mis-
souri, river at Kansas City was seven
tenths Of an inch above the danger line
at 10 o'clock this morning, with the
probability of further rise at this
point Of foot within the next. "a hours.
However no serious damage has result
ted so far.