Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-06-06
More than so Persons
Perish in Calamity at
Topeka, Kan.
Suburb Across the River Is
Almost Destroyed by
the Elements.
Residents Cling to House Roofs
as They Are Swept by
The Torrent.
Fifty Thousand Made Homeless
by Waste of Waters in
Three States.

Death, wreck and devastation have
marched in the wake of great floods IN
Kansas, Nebrasaka and Iowa. Many
have been drowned, hundreds placed
IN mortal peril and tens of thou
sands driven from their homes by
raging rivers swollen beyond all pre-
rious measure by the rains. Two State
gapitals-Topeka and Des Molnes-
were the cCntcrs of the ruin and suffer
ing. To the danger of the rushing
waters which had invaded both bust
ness and residence districts Of both
capitals was added the more dreadful
peril of fire. Submerged, the water
works of both cities and a score of les
ser towns in the three States had been
shut down and no protection against
flames had been left to them.
Fire and flood are responsible for the
taking of 80 lives in North Topeka,
BuDuEb Ol IOpehd, Mill, thiANNtAy
across the Kansas River.
Early Saturday afternoon one or two
Of the water logged houses took fire.
With five miles of water all around
there was no means of fighting the
flames. y high wind was blowing and
one of the burning buildings broke
loose from it's foundations, and swept
onward by the swirling current spread
death and destruction on every hand.
Acres of Buildings Ablaze.
Soon the acres upon acres of sub
merged territory We're dotted with
burning buildings, some stationary,
some wind blown from point to point.
The floating tireships ignited whatever
they touched. These spread the flames
80 rapidly that at one time eighty sep
arate fires were counted from the
dome of the capitol.
All the preceding night and during
the daylight hours the roofs Of houses,
factories. and other buildings had been
and children who lived and were trap
per in the district They had not suf-
fered for want of food, even though
each house had ten feet of water in
1t, and though the rapidity of the cur
rent prevented rescue by boat they all
hoped that i'll twenty-fOur hours or so
the food would subside sufficiently to
allow their escape.
But when death by fire appeared be-
fore their eyes they became panic
stricken. In Il number of cases they
jumped into the water long befOref
their arks of refuge were threatened
by the flames. preferring death by
drowning to their chances of being
Gaught by the fire.
Futile Attempts at Escape.
Futile attempts We're made to escape
BY every method that ingenuity
spurred on by the sight Of rapidly adj
Vancing death could suggest. Rats
were .tmprovised, on which the women
and children were placed. Men threw
trunks, bureaus, tables and other arti-
GleS of furniture into the water, then
jumped on them, and sought to float to
safety. Those who escaped the float
ing fire as general rule We're of little
value in buffeting the swirling torrent,
full of burning driftWood and the de-
sriS of wrecked houses.
Business in Topeka was practically
at standstill because of Memorial
day and most of the stores were closed
the greater part Of the day. The flood
and the condition of the sufferers took
the attention of everyone, to the eXclu
sion of all else An army of men was
engaged in the relief work, and it
would be idle TO attempt to place an
estimate on the immense number res
sued
Thousands Given Shelter.
Thousands We're sheltered in the
public buildings and in the Auditorium
1000 homeless people are quartered
Great wagon loads of clothing and
provisions were sent and the imme-
diate needs of the unfortunateS pro-
.Sided for. IN this large number of ref
ugees were Russians, Italians and
many other of the poorer class of the
eity's population. \ number of these
were afflicted With contagious dis
eases. The physicians of the city say
ahat as a result of this an epidemic
saf sickness of all kinds may be looked
for.