Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-01

out to their relief. They were brought to safety.
 At 1 o'clock the number of drowned people was known to be at least 15O, and a large number were yet missing.
 From all over eastern Kansas boats are being rushed here for the rescue of the sufferers. The north end of the Melan bridge, the only way of reach ing both Topekas, has gone out and an effort will be made to stretch a wire cable across the bridge.
 All of the pontoon bridges on the north side were washed out, and the only possible chance of reaching the survivors then was by boats.
 Shortly after daylight nine boats ar rived from Ottawa on a special train, and they were put into active service at once.
 Soon after reports of drowning be- gan to come in. A boat containing eight men was swept away in the swift current about o'clock, and as far as known all were drowned. A boat containing two men was capsized. The boats were too frail to live in the swirling water.
 More boats arrived from Emporia at 10 o'clock, and hurry messages have been sent to other towns for more. The river remained stationary after having fallen seven inches.
 Eighty seven people are high and dry in the Page elevator. If the building holds together they will be rescued. In the B street colored Baptist church nearly a hundred people have been standing since yesterday. The building stands intact, and those who are left alive may be rescued. AS seen from high place on North Tyler street near the Rock Island bridge the stream ap- peared to be widening. The bridge had not gone out, as reported, but 1t was getting very shaky. The current was running with an incredible swiftness. Small boats have no chance at all, and many of them have been already swamped. Even if they could success fully traverse the whirling, eddying stream for a mile they would be al- most sure to be overturned by striking against houses and other wreckage.
 North Topeka is a scene of utmost desolation. Not square foot of land
 
 Sherry, Oakland and the region about the Reform school north of North Topeka are all under the rush. ing waters.
 The plan of trying to cross the river near what remains of the Kansas ave- nue bridge has been abandoned. Boats will be taken in wagons to a point near Auburndale, a suburb two and half miles southwest. They will then be launched and allowed to float with the current to points where people are to be rescued.
 It was soon recognized that rowboats would be of no use in battling with the currents. Messages were sent to the superintendent of the Rock Island at St. Joseph and to Mayor Bergund- thai.
 Topeka wants three to six steam launches and twelve or eighteen clink- CT built boats, with men to handle, sent here by special train at once to rescue people in North Topeka"
 The train sent with the boats was to feel its way as far as possible on the submerged tracks, and then the boats would be launched.
 Boats were received here on a num- Der of special trains run by the Mis- souri Pacific and Santa Fe over cir cuftous routes, but the current in the river seemed to be growing more pow erful every minute, and they were powerIess to cope with it. Meanwhile the beleaguered ones were being en- couragd as far as possible to hold on a little longer in the hope that rescue would soon be effected. The eighty five people in the Page elevator in North Topeka were in desperate straits for food, having had nothing to eat since last Friday. Two boat loads of provisions were started to them: They had not yet reached the elevator after struggling in a hard battle with the waters for over an hour.
 E. L., Bailey and E. H. Alexander performed some of the most heroic work of the night. At 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 to the south shore one of the women fainted from fatigue and fright, and this all but swamped the boat.
 The most prominent men of the town donned oilskins and, submerged in wa ter up to their breasts, worked for hours in the cold water.
 The next thing looked forward to with agoniEing anticipation was the ar rival of the steam launches. E. l.. Cowdry and his brother are among those who escaped from the flood.
 H. J. Henry, a hardware merchant, first sent his father and mother to safe ty and then undertook to remain and keep their property out of the hands of looters. He managed to escape when the flood came by riding trusty horse. His stock of hardware had been swept away with the building and entire es- tablishment.
 Chief of Police. Golf and his family are among those not yet accounted for. Isaac Standen succeeded in reaching the B Street Baptist church with 500 pounds of provisions. He was two hours in making the trip of not much