Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-03
REVIEW OF 4opEKA FLOOD
S-Own Dead Number FOrty-EiEht,
Distress Is Great, but Water Is
Quickly Receding.

TOPEKA, Kan. June 2.-The food stu
alton IN Topeka tonight may be suplmar-
ized as follows:
Known dead, forty-eight.
River fallen three feet and now receding
at the rate of two inches an hour.
Distress will be great among the re-
fugees.
Governor Bailey issues a proclamation
calling for help for flood sufferers of the
state.
Fifty deputy sheriffs armed with Win
chesters go to North Topeka to protect
property, with orders to shoot looters
whenever they are caught stealing.
Governor Bailey's proclamation calling
for outside aid was decided upon at a mass
meeting today when the governor was re-
quested to issue the call. 1t was decided
to make this a general appeal for the peo-
pie all along the flooded districts of the
state, as well as those in Topeka
The plan is to make Topeka the head
quarters and to distribute the aid from
here to the other parts Of the state. There
will be this general appeal made, an appeal
through the fraternal organizations and
other appeals through various societies.
A meeting of the representative people
| of North Topeka who are now on the
south side was held today to arrange for
| systematic protection Of their property in
North Topeka. ..
Immediately after the meeting a large
| number of armed men left in boats for the
north side. where they will guard property.
The river tonight Is three feet below high
water mark. The water has receded on
Kansas avenue to the. platform of the
Rock Island depot-a distance of $50 feet
/ 1t is the opinion of experts that the river
will go down rapidly from now on. The
Blue, the Republican and the Solomon have
spent their force and the volume OF water
spread over the Kaw bottoms will hunt
it's channel quickly.
The situation in the flood stricken dis,
tricts is better than 1t, has yet been, foI
the reason that fewer people are marooned
In houses in trees and on islands. NOBODY
Is now clinging to trees. Those who haC
to cling were either rescued or dropped
into the river Tonight not to exceed SO
people are in North Topeka. The work OF
taking them out began at an early houl
today.
There is no way OF getting at the amount
of damage done by the flood in Topeks
and vicinity. The damage may reach So
900. 900. 1t may go beyond that and IL ma,
be much less. Crops in the Kansas bot
tom are destroyed. This makes an enor
nous loss TO farmers.
Governor Bailey tonight will eommuni
cate with the federal authorities and hope
he viii have no trouble in securing the us,
Of whatever tents are needed.
Much Improvement at Topeka.
The Commercial club has voted 70 asl
outside aid for the sufferers. Yesterday tn
club voted that no aid from outside wouI,
be accepted but the distress of the peopl
today is so great that the community can
not provide for all, and so the charity o
the country is appealed to.
This action was taken after an address
. by Governor Bailey, who has just returnet
to the city from Mound City. where he ha
been waterbound since last Thursday. Tn
governor points out to the club the necessi
ties of the suffering people and the ina
bility OF the community 90 provide prop
l erly for them and relieve their wants an
, said that while he wanted to work In haT
! mony with the town people and its char
I liable organizations. he saw his dut
, clearly, and he would this afternoon issu
I proclamation calling upon the charitabl
: people OF the country 10 send aid I'm IN
{ form OF money.
The hood situation here today is ma