The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-06
HOW IT WAS DONE
Major A. N. Harvey Gives Story
Of Rescue Work.
Those Who TOiled on North
Approach to Bridge.
DID GOOD SERVICE.
Young Men Who TOiled Unceas-
ingIy in Water.
How Communication Was Main
tained With North Side.
DID GOOD SERVICE.

The following was written by Major
"a NJ Harvey. who did valiant work on
the north side as commander Of the re-
1ief forces from Saturday night until
Thursday evening:
Last Saturday evening about o'clock
iDiclS Hayden and I made our way
across the bridge to the north side. We
Hound eight or ten men there, who were
doing what they could to bring people
over. We at once commenced and as
sisted in the work Judge Hayden went
out in a boat with another man about
o'clock and we saw nothing more Of him
during the night Two colored men,
whose names 4 do not know, and Dr.
Conrad Biorl1e soon came in with Cover
nor Troutmans father and sister. These
colored men were absolutely at home IN
the water and assisted US in landing two
other parties besides the ones they
brought over. The water was then at
the highest point and the currents were
running like a mill race all around US.
we were stationed in two cars that
were stranded at the north end of the
bridge and had a telegraph pole swung
from one of them to the end of the
street car bridge which yet extended up
to the Melan bridge. From there we
crossed to the AIelan bridge on boards
that were laid across. Up to - O'Clock
we had sent out several boats and had
received number Of persons ana sent
them over to the south side.
About midnight Dr. Powell told me
that L. l. Kiene. of the State Journal,
was stranded at the corner OF Van
Buren and Gordon streets. and he urged
me to send a boat to him as soon as
possible. We sent four different boats
before we succeeded in getting him
back to the cars. Two Of the boats that
Evere compelled to return without him
.r.--f-A 1-.1- no.
found in trees About o'clock Sunday
morning We discovered that the pOr-
tion Of the street car bridge which we
were using would soon wash out, ana
although we still had one boat out with
a. number of men in it. we thought we
had better cross over to the Melan
bridge and this we did. Two young
men named McCauley and Ramsey
We're the ones who succeeded in reach
ing AIr. Kiene and bringing him to the
bridge In addition to these two. At
t0rney COWies, Geo. ". Reed, jr., Cons
rad Biorke Robert Tasker and several
others whose names do not now re-
call. assisted in the work at the north
end of the bridge during Saturday
night.
AFTER crossing to the south side I
secured some dry clothing and break
fast and went back to the bridge. and
found that the north approach and the
street railway bridge that we had used
the night before had washed out and q
terrific current separated the men who
had returned to the car on the north
side from us. AS 7 went through the
line of the south end of the bridge 4
found Frank Ritch1e and a number or
other Washburn boys, who were there
trying to get through the line to do
what they could The guards informed
us that a committee was on the bridge
at that time to determine whether any.
thing more could be done at that point
I'VE waited until the committee came
back and they told US that everything
would have to be abandoned at the
Drldges and they ordered the guard TO
allow no one to go on. We stopped them
and told them that we wanted to 90
on to the bridge and undertake to es-
hablish a line to the North side. It was
agreed that those Of us who wanted to
work together might go on to the bridge
Tor that purpose, and so they at oncu
passed the Washburn boys and any
others that / knew were good workers
and we started some of them over xvfilR
dhe others Of us secured cord. rome and
cable to use in getting across By thN
time our second detachment had
reached the bridge with the material
the ones who had gone first had suc-
ceeded in establishing communication
with the boys in the car on the North
This was done by the men on the
bridge getting loose a telegraph wire
that yet extended across the current and
then signalling to the men at the car.
TO get hold of the same wire. The men
at the car tied the rope around one of
their men and let him get into the wa
ter and wash across the street to where
the wires were entangled This was done
and he broke loose the same wire our
boys were holding and then the men in
the car dragged him back through the
water to the car and our communication
was established. We soon had a hair
inch steel cable extended across the
water and for fear it was not strong
enough we sent over an inch and one