Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1903-06-05

long, dreary hours, knee-deep in wa
ter, and sometimes in water up TO their
necks. they worked with might and
main. AT a late hour last night they
could point 10 800 or more rescued per
sons who otherwise might have been
swept away in the current.
Leading men have made a careful
examination OF the mood and all its
conditions, and as result OF their in
vestigation they give ESQ as the prob
able number OF lives lost. A more
cons ervative estimate places The mum
Der OF dead at us. The higher mum
Der is as apt 10 be correct az the lower
The number OF dead is merely mat
ter OF guess. Twenty members OF res
cuing parties tell OF how they saw peo
pie drop from houses. TO be swept
away by the food. and others tell OF
men who. terrified at the approach OF
the FIRE, dropped into the water, where
they sank and did not reappear.
This estimated number OF dead does
not include the large number classed
as missing who cannot otherwise be
accounted for. Neither does It include
the number who are supposed 10 have
lost their lives in the fire. OF Inc lat
ter class there is absolutely no means
OF arriving al even an approximate
number OF victims. The water is SC
high and the current so strong that al
that can be done now is 10 rescue
those in the buildings surrounded by
water.
Two Heroic Rescuers.
non A N ar
performed some OF the most heroic
work OF the night. In the darkness
about o'clock Sunday morning, al
the greatest risk OF their own lives,
they succeeded in reaching one Of the
burning lumber yards and rescued a
dozen women and children. On the
way 70 the south shore one OF the
women tainted from fatigue and fright
and this all but swamped The boat
The men made superhuman Efforts and
nnally reached the pontoon bridge
with their precious cargo. Here will
ing hands seized them and carried
them over the Melan bridge 10 safety
This is only one OF hundred thrill.
ing rescues. The most prominent n 81
IA ,nc Town uonncu U4ishIns a..u. $50
merged in water up 10 their breasts
worked for hours in the cold water
Women and children were gwen the
precedence in the work OF rescue The
women and children were almost fran.
tic in their all-consuming anxiety for
the husbands and fathers LETT on the
other side OF the swirling flood
F. l.. Cowdry and his brother are
among those who escaped from the
food When asked for a story OF his
experience. he said
"Oh. Il was terrible: | can't describe
IL. II seemed like I have lived IN a
horrible nightmare for the past two
days Friday the whole OF North To.
peka. II seemed. overlooked within an
hour The dreadful water came creep.
Ing up faster than the people could get
out We were forced 10 leave in such
n hurry that we could not even take a
blanket | am satisfied that our house
was destroyed. as II was in the direct
path OF the fire All I have in the
world is the clothing that am now
wearing Hundreds OF others are in as
bad condition as We are"
This is only one OF numerous in
stances OF distress Hundreds who
were rich are now poor. and the poor
people are in distress Many lost alb
solutely everything They had the saw
ings OF years taken by water Now
they have only the titles TO the water.
covered land
Small boats have no chance al all In
the food and many OF them have been
already swamped. Even il they could
successfully traverse the whirling, ed
diving streams for a mile. they Eocld
be almost sure 10 be overturned py
striking against houses and other
wreckage.
North Topeka is scene OF Utmost
desolation. Not square foot Of land
can be seen in any direction. There
is but small chance OF any OF the
residences being left standing at the
end OF the mood period
Nearly all the the fires have been
put out by the heavy rain, which has
been folling since Saturday uight.
Chief OF Police Con and his family
are among those not yet accounted for.
They NAV be among those an the tops