Gilpin observer., 1903-06-04
10000 ARE HOMELESS
WORST OF THE FLOOD is NOW AT
KANSAS CITY.
Gas, Electric Light and Water Plants
Are Shut Down-Work Of Rescue
Progresses Rapidly, but Many Are
Yet Exposed-No Relief in Sight.


Yet Exposed-No Relief in Sight.
Kansas City, June 2.-With gas and
electric lights extinguished, the water.
works shut down. and the city practic-
ally at the mercy OF the first fire that
shall break out, with railroad trans
portation feeble and uncertain. Kan
sas City may, If the waters do not re-
cede within the next two or three
days, be compelled to fight for her
very life. The rain Is falling heavily.
more stormy weather is sweeping up
from the west, and the Unsuitable river
Is holding its own. 1t is practically
stationary. but what the flood has. II
keeps, and there is no certain promise
of when it will recede.
The first authentic information from
Kansas City. Kan, was received last
night. In that district 10000 people
are homeless. A number, which can
not be estimated, have been drowned.
and the property loss has been heavy.
The situation there is a parallel to the
situation here-apparently no better
and no worse. There is no great prob
ability that there will be further loss
of life, If the river does not rise very
suddenly. All through the wholesale
district and in the east and west bot
toms there are still people in houses
many of them anxious to be taken
away, a goodly number of them con-
tent to remain where they are with all
the chances of the food. The police
have done wonders In rescuing people
and have probably brought $50 of
them safe to the high ground. It is
utterly impossible to form any esti-
mate OF the number of dead in Kansas
City. There have been manifold stor-
les of boats laden with people having
been seen to sink. there are reports
without end of bodies floating by on
wreckage. of men who have tried to
drive wagons laden with their house
hold effects against certain death in
the swift current and gone down in
the food. The majority of these stor-
les lack proof. however. and even If
true. the proof may never be had.
There is no possible way of getting
at the names of the dead and no
chance of forming any estimate that
can confidently be termed accurate.
Dead May Number Fifty.
1t is likely. however, that the mum,
ber OF fatalities in Kansas City, Mo-,
will approximate fifty. Down In the
wholesale district people were waving
white cloths to attract attention. The
condition of some of these is pitiable.
They have been held prisoners for two
days, threatened with death by drown
ing. at one time by fire. and for the
most part without food. Every effort
is being made and they all will be
saved before tonight. unless the water
rises more, and this seems improbable
Financial damage is about as great
now as it is likely to become, unless
the water rises much higher than at
present. The great danger is that
foundations will be undermined and
buildings with their contents toppled
over into the food.
There has been no suffering in the
city beyond that sustained by the peo-
pie driven from their homes. There
has been excellent work done by the
relief committees and those in control
of this work are confident that the city
out calling on the balance of the state.
Every demand has promptly been met
thus far and the only danger seems to
be in a long-continued stage of high
water
At Argentine, Kan, where the Santa
Te yards and buildings and two-thirds
of the dwelling houses are under
water and $500 people homeless. a
number of houses were washed away.
Many hundreds of freight cars stand
submerged. and the boxes break loose
from the trucks and float away. The
cars now moving down the Missouri
river are from the Argentine yards.
Not one inhabitant of Argentine is
missing. No further damage can be
done there. except that more houses
will be carried away.
The principal property loss at Ar
mourdale is due to inability to operate
the big plants there. The three pack.
ing plants-Swift's Cudahy's and the
Schwarzschild G Sulzberger plant
are firmly built and will not give way
TO the force of the current.
Reports From Kansas City, Kan.
Several boats arrived here from
Kansas City. Kan. The situation there
Is almost identical with that on this
side of the river. The streets are
thronged with refugees. all the
churches are filed with people who
have been driven from their homes.
and crowds of them are In the public
buildings. where they are being cared
for by the city. 1t is estimated that
10000 people who formerly lived In
Armourdale and on the west bottoms
have been driven from their homes.
A number of people have been
drowned. but an accurate estimate. Of
their number is not possible. However