The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-05
SAN FLOOD OF B44
Col. Johnson Tells of High
Waters Then
OLDEST KANSAN IN STATE
Declares 1t Greater Flood Than
Present One
OLDEST KANSAN IN STATE

Topeka, Kan, June 4.-The Capital
says:
Colonel A. S. johnson, of Topeka, the
oldest native Kansan living in the state.
was a personal witness of the great food
of 1914, and says it was undoubtedly
greater flood than the one that Kansas
has just experienced. Colonel Johnson is
the only person in Topeka who passed
through the flood of 1874 He was at that
time twelve years old and lived with his
father, Rev. Thomas Johnson, at the old
Shawnee Mission in Johnson county.
where Colonel Johnson was born in July,
1872 For a man Of his years Colonel
Johnson is in fine health, has an active
mind and clearly recoIlects the disaster
of 1874
Colonel Johnson gave a Capital reporter
an interesting story yesterday of his rec
objection Of the flood. and said:
Il was but Z years old at the time,
still | remember it well for il was about
the only thing We talked of that year. l
was temporarily across the line in Mis-
souri,, near Glasgow, where the Chicago &
Alton now strikes the Missouri river. 1t
rained steadily for a period of almost six
weeks. 1t would stop for a day or two
and we would hope that it was over.
But there seemed TO be no end to it. The
Missouri river a few miles below the
junction of the Kansas river, was about
twenty miles wide. extending from bluff
to bluff Steamboats, from st. Louis
which carried supplies to the settlements
above passed over the tops of the highest
trees in the bottoms without difficulty.
l have a vivid recollection of ducking
which | received and which turned out
TO be a narrow escape for my life. A
crowd Of about twenty boys were on the
high ground near the water when We saw
a great tree floating slowly down the
river, not far from the shore. The cur
rent was not very swift and we decided to
swim out to it. The whole crowd sue
ceeded in getting on the tree. and we were
travelling down the stream enjoying our
ride imemnsely, when suddenly it keeled
over. ducking us all in the water. The tree
had carried US farther out in the river
and we found ourselves at least a half
mile from land. l remember it was hard
work for me to reach shore. and some Of
the other boys found it difficult also, but
we landed safely.
What impressed me most" said Col
onel Johnson, was the enormous amount
of driftwood in the big river. At times
the stream seemed to be almost filled
with it, and there were so many houses,
barns and some household goods. l do
not believe there was much loss of life.
The country was sparsely settled Of
course: if the valley had been thickly
populated as it is now the loss of property
would have been incaculable and prob
ably there would have been loss OF life
At that time there was nothing to speak
of at Kansas City. Near where the gas
works now stands was Shoto's Landing,
and there wa ssome business done at In
dependence and Westport. but there was
no such place as Westport.
This flood. of course. extended over the
Kaw valley as well as the Missouri val
ley in fact it covered the entire west. 1
afterwards talked with the Indians who
were living in the vicinity of Topeka,
and | know from what they said that
the food was much more extensive than
that we now have. They told me that
the river extended from blum to bluff
reaching almost to Burnett's mound,
southeast of Topeka. and in many places
the river was eight to ten miles wide
After the food there were many things
to show that they had not exaggerated
the story. I do not think that there was
any loss of life for the reason that the
rise in the river was slow and everybody
had opportunity TO move back to higher
land. Neither was there much loss of
property. for the Indians lived in a sim
pie manner and for the most part they
had very few improvements Many of
them had few acres of land in corn
and some of them had a few head Of
horses and cattle, but as compared with
the flood of the present year there was
no loss worth mentioning"
L should say there had been three
great Hoods remarked Colonel John
son with "a smile. In the first one Old
Noah was smart enough to prepare in
advance and got into fine big boat. The
second food was in 1874 and boats were
mighty scarce around here at that time.
The third food. which We are now exper-
fencing. Is the most appalling castrOphe
I have ever known in this section. and
I hope l vii lnever seen another like it
while I live. have the deepest SYM
patty for the unfortunate people who
are suffers. have confidence. however.
that Kansas viii soon recover.
Connected as he was with the first white
settlement which found its way TO the
eastern border OF Kansas territory. and
having borne an important part in the
tremendous activities which settled the
state. Colonel Johnson Is one Of the most
interesting characters in Kansas. He has
a comfortable home at the corner Of
Tenth and Topeka avenue. and has a host
Of warm friends in KANSAS.