The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-02
RIVER ON RAMP ACE
Low Lands Are Threatened
With InundatiOn.
Approaches to Melan Arch
Bridge in Danger.
INTO THE CITY PARK.
The West End is Covered With
Water.
Feared That Further Rise Will
Cover North Topeka.
TROUBLE AT WOLFFS.
Firemen Work to Get Water
Out of Basement.
Big Smoke Stack Falls When
Anchor Wires Give Way.
Feared That Further Rise Will
Cover North Topeka.
TROUBLE AT WOLFF'S.
Firemen Work to Get Water
Out of Basement.
Big Smoke Stack Falls When
Anchor Wires Give Way.

The Kansas river at noon was within
two feet of overfiowing the low banks
and was still rising at the rate of an
inch an hour. Tuesday the heavy rain
extended throughout the northern part
of the state as far west as Decatur
county, where the rainfall measured an
inch and a quarter.
The effects of the heavy rains as far
west as Manhattan have affected the
river at this point but the heavy rains
west Of Manhattan have not yet aHecl-
ed the river here If the rise continues
for "a hours the river will be over its
banks and the low lands north ana
south of the river will be flooded.
1t is reported to the Rock Island
Offices here this morning that the river
is rising one foot an hour at Manhat-
tan. The Rock Island notified the Santa
Fe of this rise, and the railroad ofh-
cials are preparing for trouble here to-
night. 1t is estimated that the rise Will
reach Topeka in four or five hours, and
1t is likely to be considerably augmented
by tributary streams before 1t gets mere
Four miles west of Topeka at the
site of the proposed dam. there IS all
embankment on the north side of the
river to keep high water from flooding
the low lands there. Last night and
this morning the water was seep1ng
through the embankment. Should the
water carry away the embankment and
flow over the bottom lands it is likely to
cut its way through to Soldier creek
ana HOOQ ali the DOIlOI1l ld1iQS OIl lliC
north side from the river to the hills.
Water at noon today had flooded much
of the made ground in the Rock Island
yards near the railroad bridge and the
west end of the city park was inundated
to depth of three and four feet Boys
in boats were padding around IN the
vicinity of the old water works plant.
OAKLAND CARS STOPPED.
The Santa Fe switching tracks on the
north side of the river between Jeffer-
son and Monroe streets were under
water this morning. A line of freight
cars were standing on the track and
the water was over the axles of the
wheels. The street cars were unable to
make the run to Oakland, as there was
four feet of water over the tracks under
the Santa Fe bridge where the run is
made close to the river bank. Passen-
gers had to transfer and walk through
the railroad yards to the cars. Several
small houses on the north side of the
river near the Santa F'e bridge are sur
rounded by water
DAMAGE AT WOLFF PLANT.
At the Wolff packing plant on the
river front. the surface Of the water in
the river is over two feet above the
level of the basement of the packing
house and is causing considerable trou-
BILE The water is rapidly sweeping into
the basement through the made ground
between the building and the river. The
water was kept down in the basement
last night by men working at pumps
in relays. Today the Wolff company ar
city fire department to be taken to the
plant and the fire engine is being used
to pump the water from out of the
cellar.
One of the steel smoke stacks of the
packing house, 100 feet high, fell last
night at dark. The fall was caused by
the anchors of the guy ropes that held
the stack in position being washed out
by the water, which forms perfect
torrent below the Melan arch bridge.
EDISON WIRES DOWN.
North Topeka was completely cut off
from the electric light plant portion
of last night and this morning. Houses
on the North side We're left without
electric light. The poles of the Edison
company in the Kansas river, which
carry the wires from the south bank t.,
the North side We're washed out The
poles of the Edison company were
about half a block below the Kansas
avenue bridge, and the wires were
broken by the washing out of the
poles. Today the Edison company was
enabled to connect with North Topeka
through the kindness of B. F. Pankey
of the Independent Telephone company.
Mr.. Pankey has long distance wires,
which he is stringing to connect with
Atchison. Leavenworth and several 9TH
er large towns in northeast Kansas,
placed over the Kaw river. AS the line
Will not be completed for ten days, he
allowed the Edison company to use his
wires while arrangements are made for
repairing the Edison line.
MllLE1ttS AXE ALARMED
The millers in North Topeka are be-
coming alarmed at the steady rise of
the river. A foot more and the river
will flood the land around the foot of
Quincy street in North Topeka and sur
round the Capital mill and elevator. II
the river continues to rise the mills will
call upon the railroad companies to fur
nish cars in order that the grain and
flour stored in the lower part of the
mills and elevators can be moved to a
place of safety.
A force of men has been busy all day
dislodging the drift wood piled against
the piers of the street car bridge As
the river has risen gradually large
amount OF drift wood has not come
down. A freshet west would fill the
stream with drift wood and greatly en-
danger the railway bridge At the north
end of the Melan arch bridge across the
river on Kansas avenue the water has
cut into the embankment which was
built to shorten the bridge. A rise of
two or three feet more will be likely
to cut away the embankment at the
north end of the bridge and perhaps at
the south end also and leave the bridge
without any approaches.
JENNINGS PREDICTS FURTHER
RISE.
Observer T. B. Jennings this morning
said: 1.-THE river has been rising this
morning at the rate of about an inch an
hour. The rains Tuesday We're heavy
as far west as Decatur county. So far
the rains as far west as Manhattan