Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-30

Continued from First Page.)
the mood on the north side of the river
The condition there is alarming. Rain is
still falling.
Roads in had Condition.
Our system is in a deplorable condition.
four our trains at Mcfarland and one at Wich,
ita. Another train is tied somewhere on
the Herrington branch The wires are
to Topeka Is working. At Durham the Cot
tonwood river flooded the depot and ran
the agent out; At Keats q olo1dburst at
water. Our ridge at Fairbury, Neb., Is
out of line, as Is the bridge at Manhattan.
The Union Pacific system is in little bet
ter condition. At Calhoun Bluffs, east of
Topeka, the tracks are covered. The water
is over the first floors of the business
houses at St, Mary's. The floor of the Kaw
river bridge at Rossville is, covered, The
tracks of the Union Pacific west of Topeka
are under two feet of water in many places
between here and Waldo. The Santa Fe is
unable to pass Lakeview on the main line.
The Union Pacific railroad embankment
is all that is keeping the Kaw river from
sweeping North Topeka, but despite the use
of sacks of sand, the dyke is weakening.
The river threatens to enter the old chan
mel north of Topeka and make an island
of that part of the city. The river has not
used this channel for forty years and 1t is
crowded with residences The people living
there have been warned and are preparing
to move.
The water already is flowing down many
streets near the river in North Topeka.
Many Killed in Oklahoma.
GUTHRIE, okl., May 2s.-Reports of de-
thA tor
continue to arrive. At Harrison the flood
killed Ave people, Mrs. Bryles and child,
a child of John Alexander and two per-
sons whose bodies have not yet been re-
covered. The drowning of several Indians
is reported from Anadarko.
In Gay county a tornado killed Mrs.
Isaac Jones, wrecked four postofices and
near Little Robe completely demolished a
farm residence.
At Wellston the storm is reported to
have fatally injured one woman and de-
stroyed several buildings Near Hobart
all but three of a herd of ffty-two cattle
belonging to Charles Smith. dairyman,
were drowned in the flood.
thirteen Inches in Twelve Hours.
s<IDDY, Kan, May 2s.-Thirteen inches
of water has fallen in ClArk's Creek valley
is desolated. Many houses in Skiddy were
washed away and crops have been ruined.
Two thousand feet OF railway tracks in this
vicinity were washed out AS far as known
no lives were lost -..
Skiddy is a town of 200 persons In Morris
county, central Kansas, in a rich farming
district
ABILENE. Kan, May 2s-Ths food
waters from Mud creek, swollen by a
twelve hours rain, swept through this city
last night doing damage estimated al
400, 900. Chapman, Solomon, Talmage
nearby towns. Jared equally as bad as Abb
lene and the loss TO the county is tremend-
Gus. Abilene has no water, lights. post
once service or newspapers. No lives have
been lost as far as known.
The water in the principal streets OF Abb,
lene was four feet deep. A three-story
brick building containing the stores oi
Minick & Taylor. Lloyd's, Mrs. Ciark's
the Allen Commercial college and seYera
ofices, collapsed in a heap. 1t had beer
weakened by the high water. and severa
other buildings are in a dangerous eondi
| ton.
The press rooms of the three newspaper
ana the basement of Cases department
store are under water. The Union Pacific
Santa Fe and Rock Island tracks enterinI
the city have been washed away. and 2Ot
houses are submerged, scores OF families
having ned to higher ground
Rice, Johnston a Nicolay's lumber yarC
caught fre from lime and was destroyed
Loss, $4,000, On the Smoky Hill bottoms
10000 acres are under water and personi
are being rescued In boats.
Predicts Highest I'm Years.
| KANSAS CITY. May 2s.-The Kansas anS
Missouri rivers are rising here at an alarm
| ing rate and tonight the indications ar,
that all previous high water records a
this point will be broken during the mex
| forty-eight hours. Much damage has al
ready been done TO property in the low
lands along the two rivers and much ap
prehension is felt for the safety of property
! in the west bottoms district OF this city
/ The Kansas river Is rising al the rate Of Al
inch an hour and the heavy and almos
continual rain of today and tonight ha
added to the gravity Of the local situation
Superintendent COnhor of the kansa