The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-07
PERLLS AND HARDSHLPS
CONFRONTED NEWSGA THERER
Staff Correspondent of The Republic Describes the
Flood Stricken Districts and Hazard of Travel From
Kansas City to Topeka and Return. o..

| is orders is orders" At about 3 O'Clock
| the Missouri Pacific announced a train south
! at $50 O'Clock for Ossawatomie and Denver
| We found The conductor. who said he was
| TO take a train out. but he added that he
did not know where he was going There's
! no telling he explained cheerfully, lat a
| time like this"
! Five hours to Ossawator1ie. and rain fall
| ing in sheets there. Ossawatomie is divi-
sion headquarters. \ genial chief Dispatch
| err managed to give US little of his spare
time snatched from his task of directing
| trains of three railroads over an unsafe
| stretch Of single track
| He considered the subject of special en-
CINE with n better grace. and. after much
negotiation finally promised a Locomotives
! and caboose 10 Topeka via Lomax. The
| former. however. was down the road coming
| up from Garnet, but We were given the ca
| hose pending its arrival. At about =
| o'clock along the engine came. and soon we
| Sleeping in a caboose requires practice and
| the art is not acquired in night. Luckily
the engine avoided bitches and washouts
! and reached Topeka bright and early Mon.
| day morning.
CAME TO LEARN .,.
FATE OF HIS MOTHER s4;
| One OF Cur party was Mr.. Morris of
! Chicago. His mother and little sister
| lived in North Topeka and he was interest:
| ed in property there worth $4,000. Conse-
| quently his anxiety was no small matter
| He left US Immediately upon arrival. and
:"
| learn. no
| Though it was 6 a. M, many citizens
| we're ia6oring at the foot OF kansas avenue.
| In South Topeka. endeavoring to build
| pontoon bridge which would establish con-
| necticn over a quarter of a mile of the tor
| rent TO what remained of the Melan bridge
| Probably hundred yards of the pontoons
had been constructed.
But wide gap extended from the end OF
| the pontoons to the south arch of the bridge.
| A Sow which had been hurriedly con-
siructedi was being used to string cable
the cable was secure for the whole distance.
| then the scow was pulled TO and fro hand
| over hand along the cable. 4-G
| The power of the current is difficult to
describe. 1t required the full strength Of
| three men to hold the scow to the cable.
| The pontoons swayed violently. threatening
| to tear loose at any moment. Other work
ers were not allowed in the scow. but as
such We r--ained a place and were ferried
This latter was one of the most interest,"
ing features of the flood. 1t is a heavy. all
solely a wagon bridge. Touching it on the
west had been lighter street railway
! Nolan spans. The result was q doubled
strain upon the wagon bridge.
CURRENT A TORRENT u
IN CITY'S CHIEF STREETS.
North Kansas avenue was a stretch Of
water for almost mile TO the high ground.
AT every intersection street could be seen
the downward rush of the current. which
had an uninterrupted sweep east and west.
Upon, the, tops of two elevators were food
bound prisoners. and others could be seen
in or on the lower structures. Report had
come by skif that some of the buildings
were cracking, especially the cotton mills
and the police station. which jointly shell
tered almost 800. Consequently 1t was with
feyerish energy that the people Of South To-
| peka worked to establish some sure means
| of communication.
To span with pontoons the current at the
| North End of the bridge was well-nigh i'm
| nOSSfblp (DnSpOupQtly herCulaQean
fort two men in 4 rowboat made their way
around with rope. and by this means troll
| ley and pulley arrangement was devised, by
which men and provisions, carried over the
| foaming river. could cross in true lifs-sav-
was the best monument to the efforts Of the
citizens of Topeka 1t was sane and effec-
tive.
The work of rescue and relief had other
centers. A drive through the mud brought
US to the foot of Western avenue, whence
occasion: others were hastily built and their
seams calked from public caldron Of tar.
| Tackling the currents in these not over
seaworthy craft was a dangerous business.
but many volunteers were ready to do IL.
A mile below town the refrsees taken out
by boat were landed Here was pathtic
scene. Bereaved members of families await
ed here the chance Of finding their lost ones.
little regard for appearance n, t Many were
weak. 1t was human nature revealed In the
time of great trial.
the relief headquarters. Here were enacted
on a smaller scale the scenes at the karsas
. City Convention Hall Clothing and food
was on hand for the refugees. regardless Of
\ color or race The ladies of Topeka we're
, serving the needs of the stricken by every
! means in their power. Especially were the
children favored. Kind hands fitted them
with clothing and IL interesting to see
, a dozen or more OF the little ones trying on
!, shoes and jackets. One tiny girl. with iiey:
, skirt new jacket, shoes and stocking,
; pranced up to her mother, disconsolate
, woman whose appearance bespoke the deep
est detection. The daughter displayed her
new attire: Nol2
LITTLE Girl. PROUD
OF HER NEW DRESS.
Mamma. amt It fine?' she said. ysFa
The mothers face did not tighten. Size
had not heard of her husband for three
days. The girl of or ) had forgotten the
8 flood and was conscious only OF her new
clothes.
Such was Topeka. the half-submerged: the
| other half struggling to recover from tho
blow.
, That midnight a Santa Fe train started
| for Kansas CITY. 1t afforded much railroad
: ! travel for 81 Topeka TO E1nporia. 81 miie5S
|. | FInporia 10 Ottawa. IS miles: Ottawa; 10
| Kansas City. by the Missouri Pacific, 81
miles. The direct distance is sixty miles.
| The trip consumed twenty-ole hours which
i was considered fest time under the condl-
: HASTINGS MacADA1x