Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-07
Railroads Follow the Receding Waters
with Repair Gangs,
CCoMPLlSH MUCH UNDER DIFFICULTIES
Trains Handled with Little Delay with
Inadequate TraOkage
LOSS OF BRIDGES THE WORST HANDICAP
People who Formerly DweIt In the
Bottoms Waiting AnxiousIy for
the Time when They
Can Return,
CFrom a stan Correspondent

VI u olAu SOITebpOnusuNJ
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, June 6.--(Special
Telegram. )--Clattering cables, the shrill
sound OF trolley bells, streets busy again
with those who buy and sell. people hurry
ing to and from their business stores
thronged as aforetime with purchasers
might reasonably persuade the casual Wis
itor today that all the suffering Of the
past week was but a nightmare and Kansas
City not sttl In the throes of the greatest
disaster which ever befel II. In the retail
centers there is not the smallest sign OF
the terrible flood and the devastation It
brought in its train. Only down by the
waterside where the receding tide is leav-
ing coat Of Shiny mud spread inches deep
over the land 1t wrested temporarily from
the invader. can the true state OF AFFAIRS
even be imagined Here, however. sorrow
full crowds still gather, speculating on the
havoc wrought and the damage still to be
disclosed.
All along the bluffs crowds gather. hang
ing about throughout the day. crowds made
up for the most part of those rendered
homeless by the waters. Hour by hour
buried landmarks are coming TO light which
are pointed cut with avidty and taken as
evidence that even the mighty Missouri,
reinforced by Its glster, the Kaw. is not
all powerful. Hour by hour houses and
factories. railroad tracks and rolling stock,
streets and alleys are appearing once more;
but all, or nearly ALL terribly altered by
the events of the last week, and as each
appears large forces OF men are being hur-
ried into start the work of reconstruction
and hasten the day when business may be
resumed and those driven forth by the
waters enter in again on the land to pos.
sess it. 1t is almost pathetic to see how
90 acpaN 4.
perils. they have so lately escaped. Two
colored girls stood talking at the foot of
Reservoir. street this morning. One had
dwelt in little cabin on the west bottoms
The other was her hostess.
ITS all down thar" said the homeless one
pointing quivering finger at the still
turbulent torrent .'aIl ] had in the world,
all but this' and she glanced at the cheap
cotton dress she was wearing.
We'll, you won't go back" interjected
the other anxiously.
/ "Sho'," was the astonishing reply, that's
war z'long. sho' I'll go back. soons +
can I b'long thar. Thar was bon. sho'
| I'll go back"
Sufferers Will Brave More FIoOds.
And the little negro girl is not alone in
! her determination, indeed IL IL not too
much to say that almost all who were
| driven out will be back in the bottoms Just
! as soon as their old houses are rendered
1 habitable again or new ones built for their
| accommodation. The general idea that
what has happened once cannot happen
again is one of sthe most curious features
OF the eituation, It is as curious in it's way
j as the optimism which kept many at home
In spite of warnings and made II necessary
to rescue others in spite of protests stil
1t will take many days yet before Il is
possible for these houses to be reoccupied
/ for in addition 20, the mud there is a mass
| OF tangled debris to be moved which now
blocks the streets, rendering access to the
bottoms difficult and in some instances
dangerous
TO fully appreciate the havoc wrought It
is necessary to visit the shore line OF the
Hood and for this purpose a pass Is neces-
sary. as police and soldiers guard all ap-
proaches to keep looters and other dan
gerous characters from the waters edge.
The affected area is indeed practically
under martial law, as the whole city has
been, to some extent, since the disaster
came. These passes, issued by the chief
of police and the colonel commanding the
Third Missouri National Guard, are all.
potent. and. armed with them. It Is easy
to see all that is to be seen
At the foot Of Ninth street, above the
Union depot. now Just free again. is az
curious a collection as ever junk dealer
gathered for the satisfaction OF his patrons
It is piled up there feet deep. its outer
edge still washing around in the faliinr
waters. There is lumber from broken
houses. fragments of demolished railway
rolling stock, the remnan nts OF lesser build.
ings still retaining some sembiance OF
their former shape. dead animals. bottles
@Ir@
ture. the remains OF saloon with its ba,
fixtures and liquors still in their original
packages. There is a little of every imag
Unable thing and much of II is valuable
What is true OF Ninth street is true alsc
Of every other point along the edge of thos,
high lands which marked the shores Of
Mondays food. 1t is 20 protect thi,
stranded property, as much as TO safe
guard the stores and houses forcibIy en-
tered by the food and now open No al
comers that extra precautions are beins
taken by the authorities, and extra car,
taken to scrutinize every pass before IN,
holder is allowed to enter the stricken dIs
trict.
Cudahys Lose RI.OOO,OOO.
Although work has begun toward re
building and repairing, the loss is ever
vet beyond all estimate. II is probabl.
that no one ever will know Just how mucl
has gone down or how many lives hav,
I been taken. In Kansas City. Mo, abou
100 buildings OF all sizes were inundated
Some Of these we're little damaged. other,
were washed away altogether. and In al
OF them more or less destruction has beer
wrought Probably the packing companies
will. after the railway companies, be tn,
heaviest individual losers. although the,
have been able to do more than most I,
protect their property. At the beginning
of the week they each estimated thei
loss at $3.50 900. but now these figures ar,
being gradually increased as more dehnit,
information is obtained. Jack Cudahy, 70
example. told a friend yesterday that hi
firm would be just a cool million out o
pocket by reason OF the iood. while Ar
! mour. Swift and the rest are inclined 70