Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1903-06-12
TOPEKA soRELY STRICKEN.
Recedins Waters Uncover the Dead,
: Nearly 90 OF Whom Have Been
Foand-Great Loss OF Property.

Topeka, Kan, June SIT is Must
low that the devastating power of
the North. Topeka food is becoming
Known. While the calamity here in
loss OF property is not comparable
with that in Kansas City and environs
the loss of human life and the class
of people dead and homeless makes
it fully as crushing a blow to the
Icommunity. The known dead is 80,
and as the waters recede the bodies
of more corpses are daily being I'M
covered. North Topeka is a total
wreck. There is town there-the
| plaything of the elements, which
seem to have worried it until they
were tired and then left it stranded.
Fhe damage is done and the subsid-
ing Of the waters made little diff
ference-simply the lifting of the veil
which hid the awful wreck of the
under-current. The business part of
the town is a sorry looking place, the
damage OF the waters being almost
complete. The fronts of most of the
stores have large openings broken
through. The contents of most of
the stores are ruined. The currents
came rushing through with such
force that they upset the counters
and boxes and whatever came in
their way and dragged the goods
stored high on the shelves into the
water. In nearly every building
which was not washed away the con-
tents were piled on the side further
most down stream and over all there
was a slime Of fine sand mixed with
little mud. This deposit varies from
few inches to two or three feet
and is over everything.
North Topeka was built in a basin
and was connected with the main
part of the city with the Milen arch
bridge. Some of the finest residences
of the city were in North Topeka
and there is not one left standing.
Asphalt paving is rolled up against
trees like carpets.
Kansas has suffered as a result of
the floods more than any other state
No exact figures of the loss sus-
tanned can, of course, be given, but
those who have an intimate knowl-
edge of the sections submerged and
the extent and force of the floods
have been making estimates, and the
conclusions which they have reached
may be, considered fairly reliable.
The damage done in the principal
cities and towns is estimated as fol-
lows: North Topeka, So, 900, 900; Law
renee, 100000; Salina, 100000; Man
haitian, $150,000; Wamego, $4,000;
St. Marys, 100000; Blue Rapids, $780,
900; Clay Center, 100000; Enterprise,
$4,000; Concordia, 900; Junction
City, 100000: Solomon, $4,000; Abb
lene, $250,0OO; Ellsworth, $4,000;
Lindsborg, 100000; Hutchinson,
100000; Minneapolis, 100000; EN-
poria, $65, 900; Florence, $4,000; Lin
| coin Center. $4,000; Atchison, $780,
900; burlington, $4,000; Hill City,
$50, 900; Beloit, $4,000. No account
has been taken of the smaller towns,
although nearly 200 of these were
affected by the floods. The very
| lowest estimate that can be made
of the loss done to crops is SIS, ZOO, 900.
Owing to the lateness of the season
and the condition of the soil, it is
very doubtful if any profit will be
drawn during the remainder of the
year from the farms which were in
undated. AS consequence there will
be great deal of individual want
and suffering among farmers upon
| whom the blow fell heaviest.
Otto Kuehne, president of pickle
and vinegar factory in North Topeka,
left $500 in silver in an overcoat
pocket in his home when the waves
drove him Two days later
stranger walking the streets of To-
peka was arrested with the overcoat,
but no money was found.
So great was the pillaging and loot
ing for time that Gov. Bailey was
urged to declare martial law in
North Topeka and invest the town
with soldiers.
Sixty men armed with Winchesters
patrolled the flooded districts in
boats and prevented many cases of
looting.
+. F. Criswell, state agent of the
North British & Mercantile Fire In
surance company, arrived in Topeka
Thursday, having made the trip from
Manhattan to Topeka in a small row
boat, which left Manhattan the day
before. He was the first man from
the northwest to reach the city, as
trains had not been running on the
Rock Island or Union Pacific for ten
days. Few people ever had more
perilous trip by water than Mr. Girls
well.
The extent of destruction to prop
erty along the lowiands near Man
haitian is just being revealed. Many
farms valued at from $4,000 to $10,--
600 each are nearly ruined Besides
being cut and burrowed with many
bitches several feet of sand and
gravel cover hundreds of acres OF
the best land. a large number of