The Topeka state journal., 1903-06-06

half rope to be used with it. To keen
that rope out of the water as ii went
over, we had to fasten it to the wire
cable with short pieces of wire q no,t
every six or eight feet. Then we nut a
pulley around the Wire cable and roDe
ana Fred Richie, who. as well as his
protner frank. has the same sort Of
courage as Old John Ritchie. was swung
onto lne cabIe and pulled over. He had
to stop about every six feet and take
on tne little wires that held the rope
ana wire cable together and this made
u SLOW journey ]. Z. Wilson of the
Wells Fargo Express COMPANY and a
number Of other persons, whose names
1 do not know assisted Frank Richie
Fred Ritchie, Hugh Mcfarland and
several other Washburn boys in that
work Of getting the cable over and es-
tablishing it.
After number Of persons had been
brought over. the inch and one-half
rope that formed part of our cable part
ed at a splice and let r. A. Beyrans
who was then on the cable drop into
the swift current as far as the half
inch steel cable would stretch. The
boys dragged him through the water
over timber and wires just like he was
q catfish and got him onto the bridge
in safety. A heavier cable was then put
up and 1t worked without accident as
long as needed.
Early Monday morning I was sta
toned at the north end of the cable and
in addition to sending boats out for peo-
pie, we organized a force to extend d
cable up Kansas avenue. Mr. J. +. Will
son had charge of this crew and they
worked hard in d terrific current all day
and succeeded in running a cable
straight up Kansas avenue past the fire
station and as far as the Methodist
church by Monday evening. I stayed
at the car all day Monday and Monday
night and Tuesday directing the boats
nj going after people who We're in dis
tress ana bringing them to the bridge.
The boats also took out large guam
t1ty of food to people who could not be
removed from the houses as yet.
Tuesday evening 1 was relieved by
Mr.. =. l. OvertOn, who took charge and
stayed on the north side all that night
I relieved him Wednesday morning and
kept up the same work all that day and
he again relieved me during Wednesday
night on Thursday morning the water
had fallen so that our landing had to
be established several blocks from the
car and Mr.. OVertOn kindly stayed and
assisted during the day. Thursday
evening we were relieved by the regular
authorities of the city and county
'Ihe men who worked together north
of the bridge during the time the vOlun-
teer forces had charge. were, without ex-
ceptiOn, ready and willing to work at all
times and their work was done in
systematic. careful and harmonious
manner. Mr.. Francis and other prop
erty owners, who live near the bridge
gave our forces a great deal of helm and
assistance for which we were very
grateful. The Iinemen and deputy sher-
ifs and doctors who came over to do
special work, would all of them, take
hold at any time and help US in any way
that they could in the rescue work.
I'VE depended entirely for boats upon
persons We found working in North To-
peka- We would get them to accept our
assistance in keeping their boats going
xff OIL -
those who Joined US in our work stayed
as long Is they could. The Valley Falls
crew put Themselves and their boats at
our disposal and brought in load after
load of people This was also done by
Mr. Jerome Stahl. his two sons and Mr.
Smith, who brought two boats from Au-
burn I receipted to the St. Joe people
for one boat and to the Ottawa people
for another We rescued two boats from
drifts and used them and secured the
use Of several others as above stated.
SOME OF THE HELPERS
while at work we made no attempt
to take the names of those who assisted
and the list herewith given IS incom-
plete and omits the names of several
good men who worked all of the time,
but whose names I have not learned.
I give the following as a partial list of
those who worked with me:
"E. L. Overton Prof. Town. Frank
Ritchie, Fred Ritchie, Hugh Mcfarland,
/ G. A. Steele. Geo. Anderson, p. Ander-
son. Hugh Reed, Conrad Biorlze, Carl
Stahl, Harden B. Leechman, ]. E. VIII
son, Ray Gregg, r. A. Beyrans, Ray
( Gill, Omar Mehl, H. H. Ronahue. Sam
4 uel Percy. J. Cooper. William Haynes.
H W. Banks, Henry O'Gee, DR.. Buck,
Geo. W. Reed. Jr., Luther Nellis, Harvey
Parsons. Paul Adams. Clifford Cunning
ham, Harry Nichols, Ed McCan, Jerome
Stahl, Ralph Stahl. Frank Stahl. a. 3.
Smith, K. W. King and brother, J. A
/ zimmerman, Lu Hauck, Lu Van Lew
W. c. Goodman. c. O. Fletcher, r. NJ
/ Breezy, James Faucht, L. J. Brown.
Robert Stone. and w. NJ Cowles, Kay
Miles, Merrill Mills. Lewis Strauss