The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-04
BIG FLOODS Of BA
Diary of lothian Meeker Tells
Whole Story
RAINED FOR TWO MONTHS
EquaIIed the Flood That Has
Just occurred

This diary extends from lS32 TO 100, and
is now part of the records of the Kansas
State Historical society His mission was
near the present city of Ottawa:
May Z. IS44-Rainy
May BIT rained nearly all day yester-
day. and all of last night. The river rises
all day. and is within four feet of over
rising.
May 15-Raining most of the day. The
river very high. overlooking its banks in
many places.
May 16-Attend prayer meeting at John
Holmes Rained nearly all of last night.
The river rises still higher. Almost all of
the Ottawas leave their houses. many of
which are surrounded by water, and fee
to the hills where they encamp. Some
OF their fences are carried away.
May 20-The rain and high water pre-
vents Brethren Pratt and Barker from
starting home. The rain stopped this
morning and ii clears off after almost
constant rain and high water for the
last nine days. Think l never saw such
wet time before
May 24-Ride home in great shower of
rain. having two streams to swim. The
rain fell nearly all of last night and today.
The river. rising very fast again.
May 25-Raining. Stay at home all day.
May 2S-Much rain night before last.
last night and today. The river continues
high.
May 29-Stin raining.
May 30-NeverNsaw such time of rain.
1t has fallen almost every day in the last
three weeks. The river has overflown its
banks, and the bottoms in many places
have been inundated more or less for
three weeks. and continues all of today
within our dooryard. There has been no
blowing or planting done of any conse-
quence during the rain, so that the fields
not planted then still remain, and much
that was planted has been drowned out
Many of the Indians fear that they will
have no crops at all this year.
May 3l-Yesterday and today have been
clear The river again commenced falling.
About noon left our dooryard. Hope We
shall again have dry weather. Plow corn
all day.
June f-hdln all Jay
June lO-Rain falls all day. The river IS
very high Fear we shall have higher
water tonight or tomorrow than we have
ever known Put things away and pre-
pare for the food.
June 1.-THE river rises higher than we
have ever seen it. The water covers many
of the Indians fields and surrounds their
houses. The Indians who live in the bot
toms nearby. all fed to the hills. Many of
the hogs. we think. will be drowned and
crops and other property will be de-
stroyed. Move our things out of our cell
lar and smokehouse. both of which are
deep with water. River is not quite upon
a level with the bank at our house, but
is still rising and may surround us be-
fore morning.
June PAT sunrise the water began TO
overflow the bank at our house, and con-
tinued to rise rapidly all day. At p. m
it came into the dwelling house, when
we fed to the hills near us. and rain de-
scending in torrents. We pitched our
tent and encamped, all wet. We have
been completely wet all day. having beee
engaged in hunting my cattle and hogs
and driving them to the hills and in gath
ering up things to save them. All the
indians in the country have also fed.
driving and packing as much of their
stock and other property as they could.
Nearly half of my fences are swept away
and the water continues to rise fast.
Doubtless much of the Indians stock and
other property will be lost.
June 13-We laid ourselves down last
night in our tent. all wet II continued
to rain all night The water still Icon
tinues all day TO rise. Our smoke house.
bee house. chicken houses. stable, corn
crib and kitchen. with all that was in
them and also our dooryard, garden,
patch and corn field fences. with the
peach and apple trees are. we think all
SWEPT of. the current being very strong.
Went twice TO the house in small canoe
to save some few articles and apparently
was in danger of losing my life. Many
OF II fowls and hogs. all of the bees.
seven large hives. and perhaps some cat
tie foated of and are probably drowned.
The fences of all the Ottawas. with four
or FIVE exceptions we suppose. are car
RED of and their loss must be very great
in live stock. old corn. present crop.
houses. household property. etc.
June l4-Last evening. near night. our
brother. OSHKOSH. in coming from his house
with a canoe load OF his articles, ran
against tree The canoe upset and all
went down. He chung 10 sapiing ana
cried for help We heard him. but hav
ing no canoe we could render him no
assistance the tree bending and continu-
ally shaking terribly. He. after crying for
a long time for help and not being able TO
hear us for the noise Of the water. gave
up hopes OF living through the night. sung
in Ottawa the hymn commencing with
Father. I Stretch My Hands to Thee.
and prayed for about an hour. and VIC
hear dino more OF him. Before morning.
We obtained canoe and as soon as it was
light. two Of the brethren went. found
him and brought him home. he having
hung to the sapling all night with moth
ing but his shirt on. The river commenced
falling today.
June 1S-The water falls three or four
feet. Visit our house II looks desolate.
indeed. The whole bottom land is still
covered from two 10 six or seven feet
deep. Immediate poverty and starvation
seems 10 stare everyone IN the face. Their
old corn all vashe dsway. suppose from
all that l can learn that there is not
enough corn in the Ottawa country TO
keep them eating ten days. Many OF their
hogs and cattle and horses drowned: their
fences all washed away. and many Of
their houses: most OF their crops washed