The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-02

There is a considerable difference in
the appearance Of the dam now than Sun
day. The back water from the big river
presents the water from flowing away
| freely, and the level of the back water IS
within a few inches of the level of the
top of the dam. II is believed that TINS
| is one of the causes for the water break.
| ing over the levees farther up the river.
Many thousands of loads of sand IN
! bags We're placed along the south bank
of Little river Sunday night, yesterday
| and last night. Wherever there was the
! least appearance of weakness the men
were put 10 work protecting the levee.
On Carlos avenue. just north Of Eleventh
street, the water broke over the levee
| at II o'clock last night and as many men
as could be spared were sent to the scene.
The break was repaired within an hour
and little damage was done
Just to the east of the Eleventh street
bridge the river broke through the en-
bankment into the sand pit and from
there ran across Eleventh street into the
park Men were put TO work and have
stopped the greater part of this flow.
The river broke over its banks in sew
eral places north of Eleventh street, but
the breaks were small when first discov
cred, and the sand bags stopped any
great amount of water from flowing
across Eleventh street and thence as far
east as Waco avenue.
Chief Burt and City Engineer Harding.
with several other city officials, spent the
greater part of Sunday evening superin-
tending the work of protecting the levees
along the south bank from Eleventh
street north. Yesterday morning the
greatest danger from a flood reaching the
lower part of the city came from this
source as the levees had been washed
away in a number of places and the water
| was flowing southwark in great streams
and increasing all the time.
Most 30 the breaks were repaired or par
TALLY so, and the levee was covered with
sand bags, so that there is little danger
of the flood extending below Eleventh
street should the river continue at its
present high stage for several days. and
this it is likely to do.
Last night it was reported that the big
iron bridge across Little river at Thir-
teenth street was out. This was not
true, however, but the approaches have
been washed away and the water be-
tween Jackson avenue and the bridge is
seven to ten feet deep. The low lands
along the river at Thirteenth street are
covered with water as far east as Jackson
avenue, which north to Seventeenth street
is a Veritable river.
Sometime yesterday morning the levees
broke south of Sullivans dam and
great stream of water is flowing south
| along the Santa Fe tracks. The loop at
Twenty-first street is submerged and the
water is flowing into Chisholm creek south
of the packing houses. The Cudahy pack
ling house is high and dry The company
made ample preparations for high water
and the roadway into the plant protects
them to some extent. Dold, however,
was not so fortunate, and the water is
! being pumped from the cellars, although
the water is not serious enough TO handi-
cause the plants to shut down unless the
water reaches a great deal higher stage
than at present.
South of Douglas avenue the water
broke over the east bank, and large
section of the fat and filled land is COW
cred with water. The Wichita Casket
company moved its perishable goods on
the lower floors to benches last night to
protect them from any possible rise The
water extends to the railroad tracks on
| this property.
The Maple street bridge is unsafe. a
| section twenty feet long sagged yesteP-
! day morning, and it is very dangerous to
| cross even by people on foot, as this sec
ton is liable to so out any minute.
Below Maple street the river is bank
! fun and in a number of the lowest places
has backed up to Wichita street. Several
! families in the south part of town have
moved out on account of the water back
/ ing up to their houses. The Wichita and
Western bridge was reported unsafe yes
terday, but this was denied by the rail-
road company and they are running heavy
/ trains across'it. It is not expected that
the river viii go any higher at this time
From every point up the stream the water
! is falling slowly and UP TO midnight it
had fallen an inch at Douglas avenue
Wichita, just IS present, is seeing some
very fine railroad trains. The Missouri
Pacific IS running their Colorado flyer
/ from Kansas City TO Denver through
Wichita This train is one Of the finest in
! the west X is made up entirely of
/ sleepers. and looks like a moving palace.
No trains have ever passed through
Wichita to equal this train.
The Santa Fe is bringing their Cali
! fornia limited trains from Newton 70
/ Wichita. where they take the Wichita
and Western to Kingman and transfer
/ To the Hutchinson and Southern at that
+ point and run to Hutchinson, where they
/ strike the main line again The four big
/ trains ran through Wichita yesterday
many hours late but the tourists were
going to California and coming back all
/ right No stopped here yesterday
/ afternoon and the passengers said that
west Of Hutchinson they found no high
water There was plenty Of dust. and
I they were glad TO get into the wet country
I
( several hours waiting for the track 10
be repaired ahead Of them.
The Rock Islands train. which they
started from this city TO Harrington Sun
dav night. got as far as Peabody and had
/ TO come hack They started another train
last night which L was hoped would get
through and bring some Of the car loads
Of mail held at Harrington The trains
come IN from the south and turn around
and run back. and they are running on
schedule time between Wichita and e
Reno At this point the Rock Island
turns its business over 70 the Frisco.
which is running trains east although
they are a little OF time.
The Missouri Pacific trains are running
all right both cast and west. although
they come in l!ttle late on account Of
soft track. which makes fast running
hazardous
Reports from Hutchinson last night
stated that the water there had fallen
more than a foot and although the
streets had considerable water IN them.
the situation was not serious. Business
has been suspended ard the amount OF
damage by water II the stores cannot be
estimated AT the present time. IL was
reported here yesterday that several
isolated families in that town suffered
some because they could not set food
but these were reached with boats yes
ter5ay-
At Halstead the water has fallen a foot
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