Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-31


Ice company spent all Friday night hauling
people from North Topeka. One driver.
named Beeler. rescued over 500 people by
morning. with one wagon and team.
In the afternoon a mar with a store Of
whisky in a grip paraded back and forth on
the pontoon and dealt out "nips" to the
weary and watersoaked workers. and a
great many OF them received It gladly.
Steaming hot coffee was also supplied the
workers, and many of them who had been
laboring for hours with hardly a bite to
eat took advantage Of the opportunity TO
get some crackers and cheese when these
eatables were being sent across the river.
To Firemen Berger and Baker of the
station at headquarters belongs the credit
Of a daring rescue and one in which they
placed their lives at grave hazard. Ed
Butts, who was with the rescuing gang on
the north end OF the bridge had ventured
too far out into the current and was swept
away. He went over and over like a cork.
Even the best swimmers could not with
stand the current on Kansas avenue. He
managed to catch hold of the scales at
Billiards. mill. The two hremen ventured
out in a boat to a place where the man
could be reached by a rope, despite the
orders Of Chief wilmarth to come back.
After the man was pulled into the boat it
took a desperate fight TO row the boat back
to the bridge.
Danger Causes Insanity.
Burt Potter, a Santa Fe man in the shop
district, says there is a story there to the
effect that a man who was in a tree on
the north side went crazy and shot him
self. He was east of the Santa Fe bridge
and at various times during the day had
been calling for help. Twice a rescue party
tried to take him of. Each time he refused
TO leave the tree. After going away the
second time members of the party say
they heard a shot and saw his body fan
into, the water. The belief is that his stu
alton crazed him and led to the taking of
his own life.
Aside from the fact that the loss of life
will be appalling, the property loss will be
S3,0O0,OO0 or more. Nobody can tell Just
what has been destroyed.
The water extends around Sherry and
other suburbs. Every foot of North Topeka,
inhabited by 10000 people. is under water.
The current is so swift that no boat can
live in IL.
Seven thousand people have escaped to
the south side and are being cared for as
we'll as possible.
Screaming for Aid
The remaining large number have not yet
been accounted for. They have been forced
to the top floors onto the roofs and are
waiting for the water to subside, or to
carry them down stream. They are safe
only so long as thus standing.
Below town scores of men are in tree
tops, yelling for help. Thousands of re-
volver shots and screams have been heard
on the north side-signals for aid.
Women and children in the part of North
Tz-.lr, -rAA-. A., -aNza d - akT.r a.
than at any other point in the immediate
part of the city are standing on the highest
points in reach and yet in water to their
necks.
1t is reported by men who have been in
sight Of the district that hundreds of people
there are suffering and sick. The current
? is so strong that oars are useless and early
in the afternoon a gang was being organ
lied to row as far in there as possible and
) then TO swim the rest Of the distance.
Several boats and wagons have been over.
turned and men and women have been seen
: struggling in the water.
The river reached the Rock Island depot
on First street this morning. The water
on Crane street is eight feet deep and the
. current is like a mill race.
Intensity of Suffering.
> Perhaps 100 people have been dumped into
. the water at that point.
The river is twenty-five feet above Low
e water mark and H. stifl rising. Th'
c weather is cold, and the people who hav'
. not been rescued are suffering intensely
Unless they have help soon 1t is feared
= that many will die of exposure.
In the n" street colored Baptist churcl
e on the north side more than 100 victimi
I Of the food are gathered. The watel
4 flooded the building and the people ar
9 standing on pews in order to keep thei
5 heads above water.
a The work of rescuing and caring for tn
{ flood survivors is being carried FORWARD
E systematically Contributions are beint
:. rushed in to the relief committee. Citizen
g are opening their homes to the survivor
and every indication is that the city will
be we'll able to care for those who hav,
: lost their homes. Every public building
y in the city is sheltering scores of home
less people.
All night long families over the wors
flooded portions roasted on the roofs o
{ buildings and in upper stories. shooting re
volvers and shouting to attract attention
\ one baker and four of his workmen. VIII
a camped on their roof over night, escapes
q on planks today. They saw a woman an
two Of her children float away to thei
death and the body of an unknown maj
drifted by.
suffer All Night Long.
d III night the citizens Of the south sid
v labored in the work of rescue by boat
wagon and horseback.
The Rock Island bridge went out earl
today and the approaches of the big Mellai
e bridge are weakening.
a Woolf's packing plant is flooded an
abandoned. as are all the ice plants.
The Rock Island wires are out and tn
d dispatchers are absent from the offices
n The Union Pacific depot in North Topeka
n is abandoned. as is the traffic on that road
d The Santa Fe is still getting trains ives
as far as Emporia.
Battery r. and Company A. of the Ma
uonal guards were ordered out today {
II assist the sufferers and 10 aid in quietin
any disturbances that ma arise from tn
crush to the riverside of frantic. persons
ID VIII have relatives on the north side:
Is Mayor Bergunthal and the chief of polio
are at the formers home camped on III
s. roof awaiting rescue,
ar Henry Jordan was drowned today Will
n trying to rescue a man from a tree, an
Is the latter, whose name is unknown. wa
ar swept away.
Decoration Day exercises have bee
lie abandoned and the Grand ARM Of tn