The Topeka state journal., 1903-05-29
TWO HUNDRED i 1HiijUijirs.ELESS. Hiijiji

tendent Patton of the city railway was
at once notified, and with Manager Hix-
on went down to the bridge in a drench-
ing rain to wait for the crash which
never came. 1t seems that the bridge
broke. but did not give way. and the
big drift came down in pieces At noon
today the street car bridge was ten
inches out of line in several places. and
: big logs were piled up against it. The
/ clearing crew have given up their in
I effectuaI efforts to clear away the
I debris, and the bridge seems to be DOOM
/ ed TO destruction. Chief Wilmarth of
the fire department moved the steamer
I engine to North Topeka last night to be
ready for a break in the water main,
which runs through the street car
bridge. AS near as can be figured the
water at noon today stood at lS feet
above the low water mark, or ofncial
gauge, two feet above the marker at
tached to the railway bridge.
This morning when Patrol Driver
White was busily engaged in rescuing
flood victims from East Crane street,
and was returning to dry land with a
heavy load OF people a man hailed him
and ordered him to take him aboard
The wagon was loaded. and the driver
stopped to parley before making the re-
turn trip. What do you Want2" asked
White Il want you to go back to my
house. and let me get two ladies' hats
which we forgot to bring when we came
out" 4 have a loads' replied White,
''and I can't go back now. Then the
man on the sidewalk became violent,
and cursed the driver rOundly. Who
pays for the feed of that team" he
asked I'VE do. the taxpayers You do
as tell you or I viii report you to the
mayor" White with his load of flood
I sufferers went his way toward dry
T land leaving the profane citizen active
/ ly engaged in making threats.
The Wolff Packing company's plant
I is flooded. No coal can reach them. be-
cause the tracks are flooded two blocks
{ r,In l<n
steam with their last coal at noon, but
most of the firemen had quit and the
/ work fell upon the engineers Some
{ davs ago the meats in the basement
The foundations are we'll laid in Port
/ land cement and are considered safe
against a rise Of several feet.
Only one small corner of the city park
is visible. All the flowers and shrub
j berry are under water. The river has
( backed ~ into the alley west of the
avenue on line with Crane street. and
has covered half the avenue at that
point
The Colored Presbyterian church on
the banks of the river just west of th=
Melan bridge is in danger The cur
rent which has set in near the bank is
in a fair way to undermine the founda
tiOn. The residence adjoining, which
was occupied by Elder p. p. Price be-
fore his death. is totally surrounde'i
by water more than three feet III
depth The basement of the Otto
Keuhne preserving plant is full Of
water. despite the efforts to keep It
pumped out. Nearly six feet of water
covers the Oakland line OF the Topeka
Railway company under the Santa E'e
bridge. Everything between the normal
river and Curtis street in North To-
pelza is under water Soldier creek has
backed up over the avenue at Garfela
park and the park boats are being used
to ferry people over.
NEARLY AN ISLAND.
The river is nearly two feet higher
than it has ever been before Only n
few inches and North Topeka viii be-
come an island and the water viii run
I across to Soldier creek.
Central mills and the s4id-Continent
mills are buslly engaged in pumping
out their Easements. Just at noon the
water, which was still rising, was in a
4 fair way to damage the entire North
Side
The approach to the south end of the
/ Kansas avenue bridge has suffered no
/ harm from the rising water. 1t is SO
/ thoroughly built into the river bank that
there is no probability that it will be
/ damaged But the made ground on the
east side of it is under water and is ap-
parently washing away rapidly. This
however. in no way affects the safety of
the approach.
The bridge is regarded safe There is no
human probability that the high water
will weaken it or undermine any of its
piers which are set deep in the river bed,
Dul Jne WaSnlng out OF an approach
would cut off North Topeka which is
already practically surrounded. There
is some apprehension that in event of
the washing out of the street railway
bridge dam would be constructed
against the Melan arch bridge and the
latter endangered
NORTH TOPEKA IN DANGER
North Topeka is in grave danger"
tsaid City Engineer James F. McCabe
today IF the river rises another foot
4 or two. practically the whole of North
! Topeka viii be submerged 1t is re-
ported to me that the river is cutting
through at the Updegraff farm. west of
! North Topeka. and is likely to form
junction with Soldier creek west of
/ North Topeka. If it does so. the whole
! current OF the Kansas river is likely to
sweep across North Topeka.
Mr. McCahe has men sta toned in what
/ is left of the city park taking the level
! of the river every thirty minutes. It
f was at noon 20 feet above low %ater
and has been rising steadily at the rate
of IL inches per hour.