The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-02

street a woman with a child climbed
cut onto the porch and attempted to
get into the boat The small boat haa
was filed to its capacity and it would
have been impossible for me to have
done anything if I had tried The wo~
man was swept away in the current be =
fore my eyes"
Fire Chief Wilmarch was in a boat
which came near being swamped- When
his boat struck the swift current un-
der the Tenth avenue bridge it was
jerked loose from the hold the men had
on q safety wire that had been stretch
ed from pier to pier. The chief sue
ceeded in catching hold of the guy WIRE
but was compelled to remain there sew
eral hours until taken off by skiff.
The insane asylum is very near the
river on the south side, and on account
of the rapidly rising water it is not inn
probable the whole institution may have
to be abandoned before morning. The
asylum is composed of ten buildings,
and IS the biggest. public institution in
the state, with about 5000 inmates. The
asylum has already lost it's ice and
water supply, and great difficulty is be-
ing experienced in conducting the insti-
tuition. There is no danger to the in
mates. and when necessity arrives they
can be removed to safety.
At the Chicago Lumber company s
yards, A. B. Belts, wealthy citizen
and a member of the legislature, had a
gang of men engaged nearly all day in
open on the bridge that connects the
two parts of town. The scows are
clumsy affairs. but they played most
important part in the work of the day.
Oakland, suburb five miles north
east Of Topeka, is deserted The people
began leaving at o'clock this after
noon after having been warned by the
city engsneer.
At o'clock the water from the river
backed up over the street car tracks n
East Topeka, near the Santa Fe shops.
The warning for the people between
Brewer street and the river to get out
that part of the city is tonight COM
pletely flooded. Farther out between
Ennis and Benton streets, the water
rose early in the afternoon. In this To-
cality several people are still in dan
gerouS positions. It is asserted that thu
police have all the boats under their
charge. and that the houses in this dis
! tr1ct are given thus much protection
The houses in this section are being
looted and the police are trying to ger
D1undering
About o'clock a current began to flow
with great swiftness through break IL
the buildings lining the block between
/ Crane and First streets The wideni1e
OF the current made it still harder work tC
/ pun the boats across to the pontoon by
means Of the line. Also a great lot q.
driftWood commenced to come down the
new current, pressing with great force
against the pontoon. A number of rren
! were SLaIOned at this point With pike
poles, aid It was only by nard and con
tinuous work on their part that the drift
was kept from piling up and pushing the
| bridge away One of the men who W0Y lzad
al the afternoon with pike pole wa:
/ DR.. Raster, chief surgeon of the Sants
Fe. The most prominent men in the city
| worked as common laborers MI day.
In the Auditorium tonight 2000 homeless
people are quartered. The society womer
of the city are there attending to thu
refuge and needs. Great wagon loads OF
clothing and provisions have been sent ant
the immediate needs of the unfortunate.
have been provided for. In this large nun
Der of refugees are Russians. Italians aux
many other of the poorer class of the city
population. a number of these are afflict
ed with contagious diseases but it is i'm
! possible to enforce any quarantine regua
lions. The physicians of the city say tia
as result of this an epidemic of sickness
| Of all kinds may be looked tor. Guaran
tine regula atoms are lost sight of by TN
rescuers. Children suffering with scarle
fever are compelled to be. near those VIII.
are we'll