The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-01
FLOOD THE WORST
THAT HAS EVER DESCENDED UPON
KANSAS CITY.
IN LIFE AND IN PROPERTY
THE LOSS THAT 1T HAS INFLICTED
is HEAVY.

crease the Financial LOss-Esti-
mates of the Damage-BOdies De-
serted Floating Upon the Current.
Hallway Traffic Abandoned PeO-
pie Forced to Flee from LOwIands.
Bridges Swept Away.
Kansas City. Mo-, May 31.-With the
waters of the Kaw and Missouri rivers
nearly four feet above the disastrous
level of 1881, and their swollen tide
spread over twelve square miles of the
| city and its suburbs, Kansas City to-
night is in the worst flood of its his
tory.
In the valley of the Kaw, or Kansas,
river between this city and Kansas
City, Kan, a report has it that a num-
Der of lives have been lost. One re-
| port says fourteen and another fifty.
Twelve bodies were counted as they
foated past during the day.
The financial loss has been increas-
ing all day, and bids fair to continue.
The heaviest loss is at Armourdale,
where the losses to the packing indus
try and others is placed conservatively
| at 81, 500,00 Argentine, another sub
urb. has suffered losses estimated at
$500, 900. Other losses, which cannot now
be estimated, will increase the total
very materially.
Armourdale, with a population of 49,
900 people, is deserted. and it's site
marked only by the tops of buildings
| and a number of fires.
Fires Had Broken Out.
Seven fires, believed to be chiefly
box cars burning, could be seen from
the bluffs tonight. There is some
| danger that the flames will spread to
the partially submerged buildings, add
| ing greatly to the already heavy loss.
The fire started from the flowing of
the flood into lime house.
The refugees from Armourdale for
! the most part are huddled together in
the immense auditorium of the con-
| vention hall, although several hum
bred found refuge with friends in more
| fortunate parts of the city.
| All bridges over the Kaw river are
down, and the only communication
with Armourdale is by boat.
| INdtAooS 0iLS lO-lll5uL 10 WlIlOQI d
water supply, the flood having disabled
the pumping station, and the utmost
! care is being taken that no fires break
! out. Even a small fire. it is feared
would start a conf1agration.
| Only one street car line in the city
is running tonight, owing to the dis
abling of the power plants by the
! flood.
| The railroad yards are blockaded
with trains unable to get out. Not a
| train has gone out of the city, except
| to the east, to-day, and it is said that
| there is little prospect of an improve
ment in the situation for several days
Far Above the Record Mark.
| The stage of the river at o'clock
tonight was thirty feet and seven
| inches. The previous high record was
made in 1881, when the river rose to
twenty-six feet three inches. By to-
morrow morning, according to the pre-
! diction of Supt. OConnor of the
Weather Bureau, the level will be thir-
! ty-one feet.
The Union Passenger Station by the
rise of the flood to-day was rendered
practically useless. At one end the
water was three feet deep and at the
other four feet. In the baggage room
baggage was fastened to tackle and
suspended in the air out of the reach
of the water.
Numerous rescues, some of them
made by the narrowest of margins, oc-
CURED during the day. Two-thirds of
| Argentine, a railroad and manufactur-
| ing town on the south bank of the
| Kansas river, six miles from Kansas
| City, is inundated by ten to twenty
| feet of water and probably $500, 900
| damage has been done. Forty-five hun
bred of $500 inhabitants are homeless
and nearly 5000 are destitute. Five
bridges have been swept away, all the
railroad tracks and factories are I'M
! der water and business is suspended.
Knocked Bridges Away.
| The Turner bridge, three miles above
/ Argentine, went out at 1890 o'clock
| this morning. It's wreckage lodged
against the county bridge at Argen-
I
/ belt line steel railroad bridge just be-
/ low the county bridge fell Immediately
| afterward. Then, in succession, the
! Twenty-fourth street bridge and the
county bridge at Fifth street were car
ried away. The railroad bridge was
valued at $4,000 and the other four at
| $25. 900 each, making the bridge loss
! Sis, 900.
Five hundred frame dwelling houses
are under water, and with a further
rise many viii be swept away.
The Santa Fe shops and the Argen-
tine smelter stand in deep water. The
! 1000 employees of the Santa Fe are idle,
also men in the acid works, and, in
| deed. all the workers of Argentine.
The losses of the bridges and the
suspension of street car travel and tel
ephone service have almost isolated
| Argentine the wagon road 70 Kansas
City being nearly impossible for heavy
vehicles. There would have been a
/ famine there to-day, but for the dis
oovery OF two refrigerator carloads OF
meat In the railroad yards and the
generosity OF a contractor, who sent
wagon load % bread from Kansas City
for free distribution. Many Of the
destitute are negroes. who have not
! even saved sufficient clothing.