Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-02

take care of the food sufferers. The COM
mittee has a long list of proffered places
to send the homeless people as fast as they
come In There were not as many people
at the Auditorium this afternoon as there
proximately S1.OOO,0OO. The whole of North
Topeka is still under water seven feet
deep. While the 200 people penned up in
were last night. Most of them had been
sent to the different homes over the city.
Many of those who have been found tenn
porary lodging after being fed and clothed
have no money with which to buy food.
The property loss from the best esti
mates now possible will amount to APP
the second stories of houses have plenty
of food, they are in great need of good
drinking water, which is being supplied as
rapidly as possible in barrels and cans.
The great fear at present Is that some of
the buildings in North Topeka may collapse
because of their founda atoms being under
mined by water. There is no immediate
apprehension that the wooden mill will go
down. but at the same time every effort
will be made to extricate people from that
point as quickly as possible TO avoid any
fear of loss of life.
situation is Improving.
At O'Clock this morning the Kaw river
tendency toward falling. There is no rising
water from above The rain has fallen
without cessation for the last seventy-two
hours, but at no time has it been in the
nature OF a cloudburst. h2-
Today more boats have arrived and in ad-
dition the Chicago Lumber company has
constructed rude boat propelled by
gasoline engine. This additional transpor-
tation expedited the work of relief very
much today. In addition to these boats the
Rock Island, the Union Pacific and Mis-
souri, Pacific are trying to ship in some
steam launches
Among the missing are DR.. H. C. Miner
and his son-in-law, A. G. Heating. The
rescuers of the Miner family took the
women and children on the first boat.
When they returned the doctor could not
be found. They lived in a one-story house.
Two miles down the river shirt marked
"a. C. Heating was found ahoat.
President Expresses sympathy.
President Roosevelt telegraphed today
from Cheyenne to Governor Bailey offer
ing the assistance Of the federal authori-
ties, II needed, as follows:
CHEYENNE, Wyo., June 1.-Hon. j. w.
Bailey Topeka, Kan: Am inexpresslply
shocked at reports OF dresot,ui t,l eaiiamity
thing the federal authorities can DO, or
course ie' "T "TTHfBoDoRE ROOSEVELT
The message reached the governor at Ii
o'clock this morning. Only, one railroad
line can get In or out of Topeka today, and
that is the Santa Fe. by way of Emporia.
A train was sent to Emporia this morning
at 5 o'clock and another will be sent out
at noon. From Emporla the train will try
to go west via ottawa on the Missouri
Pacific.
Some Improvement at Topeka.
At noon the river showed a falling Of
over an inch from the previous hour An
improvised cable has been erected from the
north end of the Kansas river bridge to the
fire station and people are being rapidly
rushed to the south side, where they are
given food and clothing.
The family of r. J. p. Irish, consisting
of five persons, are reported missing. Late
Saturday a neighbor, who has since been
rescued, saw them in trees. No trace of
them has been heard since.
The work of relief is being carried on
nobly. Fraternal aid societies. banks and
other societies are bending every energy to
aid the stricken. city of tents will be
erected on the high grounds. A thousand
have been secured and chances are that
they will be inhabited for at least a month.
A sad feature OF the situation is the
tendency Of thieves to loot buildings. They
20 in by RATS and boats away out in the
suburbs where the homes are abandoned.
The Rock Island officials can give no idea
when they will get their tracks In condi-
tion to permit the passage Of trains. Their
Colorado Flyer. with a number Of passen-
gers, is tied up at this point. The railroad
is serving them with meals. The Union Pa
cine road is In a similar condition, save
that they have no trains tied up at this
point.
The Santa Fe announced today that they
would issue half-month pay checks to those
who desired them. Their usual custom Is
10 pay the 18th of each month.
WASHINGTON, June 1.-Oficial dis
patches to the Postofice department re-
port that the foods have wrought havoc
to the mail service In southern Iowa, Ne
braska and in the neighborhood OF Kansas
City. The following telegram was re-
ceived here late this evening from Super
intendent Taft of the railway mail service
at Kansas City. MO:
Situation worse than yesterday, II such
is possible. Union station and transfer
clerks room under eight feet u water