Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-06-01
GREAT FLOOD
AT KANSAS CITY
Financial Loss viii Amount to
Millions Of Dollars,
A NUMBER OF LIVES LOST.
stock Yards submerged Trains Can-
not Move Armourdaie Deserted
Refugees Huddled Together.

OF dollars loss Will result. A great
body Of water coming from the west
swelled the Kansas river at Kansas
City, Kan, this morning. causing a
most alarming rise. Waters rushed with
terrific force over the outlying railroad
tracks and the crowded wholesale dis
tr!cts of the west bottoms, and finally
into the Union depot,
In the valley Of the Kaw or Kansas
river, between this city and Kansas
CITY, Kan, a report has 1t that a num-
Der OF lives have been lost. one report
Gays IA, and another 80, but In the midst
Of decentralization of traffic and the
ordinary means of communication II
is impossible 10 verify these reports
At 10 o'clock, mile Of big wholesale
houses elevators and freight depots
were entirely surrounded, baselienls
that yesterday were partially sum
merged We're sooon brimlul and water
began TO reach the first floors. Within
Is minutes the tracks entering the
western end Of the union depot were
entirely submurged and at IL o'clock
the water had risen at such a rapid
rate that the thousands of delayed
passengers were making preparations
10 leave for the high ground up town
Union avenue, on which the Blossom
house and numerous smaller hotels,
restaurants and stores are located, is
running stream. At 1890 the water
In Union avenue was three feet deep
and people were being taken out OF the
Blossom house and adjacent buildings
In wagons, which VIII soon be forced to
quit The water rose so fast In the
vicinity of the depot that many per-
sons were forced to remove TO second
floors, and preparations were made
hurriedly to remove the passengers up
town.
Trains that have been waiting in the
depot for hours for an opportunity to
start west and south stand foot deep
in water. No trains have left Kansas
City for none will leave today and per-
haps not for several days. Trains from
the east also are late, many apparently
having met the flood now being caused
by the rise In the Missouri river east
OF here,
The losses in the wholesale district
will aggregate well into the millions,
and the losses to the various packing
houses nearer the river VIII be tremen-
dous.
The street directly in front Of the big
Armour packing plant is under FIVE feet
OF water. Armour & Co, have a force
Of 200 men working at pumps trying to
keep the rising waters out Of the build
irgs. At the superintendents Office 1t
was stated this morning that the plant
viii continue to operate with a full
force unless the water goes much high
er.
All of the hundreds OF smaller con-
Germs near the ordinary banks Of the
Missouri river, which depend upon the
river for power, are under water, and
they win be forced to suspend until the
river recedes, throwing thousands Of
men out Of employment
The entire stockyards, situated on the
state line, are submerged, Many Of
the pens are five feet deep IN water.
The basement OF the livestock eN-
change containing 100 railroad and
other offices, as well as the big barns
of the mule and horse markets in that
district, are several feet under water
There is no way of reaching the stock
yards except by boat and from point
one mile east Sheep valued at 5000,
as well as many head of cattle and
horses, have been drowned, and the
loss at this point will he very heavy
All night the forces Of the st0ckyards
men were at work rescuing live stock
hundreds Of head being brought up into
town.
At Schwars2chid's plant $50 persons
employees and people in the vicinity
who had been driven from their homes,
are imprisoned. They have been held
there since early last evening. They
IRE safe frcm harm, but will not be
Jcmoved until those In greater danger
In the low-lying ground near Armour
dale and Argentine have been taken
10 places Of safety. A steady rain has
Fallen here and west all night and still
continues, aud all streams in the strlck-
en- territory are rising AT an alarming
Erate The property loss in the whole
sfale district Of the west bottoms viii
be tremendous,
ARMoURDALE DESERTED.
Kansas City, May 3l.--Armourdale.
with a population OF 10000 people, Is
.ceserted and its site marked only by
.fhe tops OF buildings and a number
of fires, Seven fires, believed to be
chiefly box cars burning, could be seen
from the bluffs tonight. There ~ some
fCanger that the flames will spread to
the partially submerged buildings, add
ing greatly to the already heavy loss,
the fires started by the intrusion OF
the flood into a limehouse.
4 The refugees from Armourdale for
the most part are huddled together In
1he immense auditorium Of the con-
Mention hail. although several hundred
Found refuge with friends I'm more for
trnate parts Of the city,
81 Two-thirds OF Argentine Is under
Water. More than $500 people in this
fuburD found safety In the higher part
of the town.
II All bridges over the Kaw river are
Down and the only communication with
Armourdale is by boat
LOSSES AT LAWRENCE.
Lawrence, Kan, May Si.-The water
here has fallen foot, Half the houses
81 the north side are washed away but
the people have all gone TO high ground
tnd are safe Hundreds OF homes have
been carried down the river. Almost all
ot the 5000 people on the north side are
tomeless and have lost all their person.
ol property. Portions of this part OF
Town have been swept clean Of build
mas There has been much loss Of live
Stock
Harry Scdgewick and a man named
Richards died from the excitement
fror the food after they had been
noyed TO places Of safety and a Union
Pacific employe whose name could not
81 learned and his companion, named
Matthews. were In a boat that over
nrned. II Is believed both were lost
-
Yale Strike Breaker Arrested.
New Haven. Conn, June l.--Thereon
X L, Strong OF New York, "a senior IN
1ale university. who has been driving
a hack az night as a strike breaker
uler having become involved IN dis
ltte with a passenger over his far2'
ha been taken 70 the police station
rtarged with breach OF peace. Strong,
VIII lives at Vanderbilt Hall, Is mem
hf ~ the football team, an oarsman
~ belongs to Psi Epsilon fraternity
no Keep out Of mischief" was the
Nhson given by young strong when