The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-31

Aa Uif-natf Udo OCCfi tditTA lCE wv hours, and this has had tendency to check the fires in the dwellings. Alb soluteIy no reliable estimate of the lives lost can be made for the reason that the flooded district cannot be tra- versed. It is at least two hundred, and may be larger than this.
 The extent of the damage Is hard to get at. People were cooped up In their houses and could not escape from the fire or flood. If there Is no further rise in the river tonight, lt Is possible for a large number of the beIeagured peo- pie to be rescued.
 Boats have been telegraphed for and a tralnload will arrive in few hours from Ottawa and others from Elm porla. It will be impossible before daylight to make really reliable re- port about the extent of the damage. Almost superhuman efforts have been made to rescue those remaining, but the task has been too great for the facilities at hand.
 Topeka, Kan, May 30.-Reporters who have just arrived from the river say that the water is still rising. An unconfirmed report from Wamego and Manhattan, west of Topeka, says that another rise is coming down the Re publican and Blue rivers. If this be true. the situation here will be greatly intensified. Fire Chief Wilmarth says that the fire on the north side of Kan sas avenue in North Topeka is rapidly taking the remaining buildings. The fire is going toward the wind, and this will serve to check it's progress, but there is so much burning wreckage floating about that the destruction of the remaining houses is regarded as certain.
 People on the roofs of houses are yet heard calling frantically for help. It is said that two boats loaded with peo- pie were swamped and that a dozen or more persons were drowned. Sheery, a near suburb of Topeka, located north west of the city near the Reform school, is now inundated. The Jackson school house shelters 100 people. They entered the building before the water bcame so high, and now they cannot escape. They are now standing on benches, the water covering the floor several feet deep. The Harris elevator also shelters fifty people. The water is now so high that it IS rapidly spread ing out over the country north of To peka.
 At midnight earlier estimates of the probable dead are confirmed by ref ugees coming to the city. In the dark ness and rushing waters no bodies can be recovered, and the dead will not be counted until the flood is abated.
 All energies are concentrated on res cue and relief, and it is impossible at this time to even attempt to make up a list of the missing.
 7ooo PEOPLE IN
 PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
 Seven thousand or more people are on this side of the river sheltered in the pub lie buildings. Topeka is now able to take care of all the unfortunates. The work
 I.of.. cd with the utmost rapidity. From the state house dome as many as eighty fires were counted in different parts of North Topeka. The whole central portion of the city had been burned out at 10 o'clock tonight and 1t is safe to say that by morning not a house in the main part of North Topeka will be left standing. When 1t is stated that North Topeka has ten thousand inhabitants the extent of the disaster can be realized.
 Efforts are being made to construct a steam launch to go to the aid of the suf- ferers, but whatever is done must be done promptly or the loss of life will be appalling.
 A. P. Baldwin, who at great risk of his life crossed in a boat to the north side,
 
 nothing can possibly be done to save the city from burning. Miss lola Troutman, sister of ex-Lieutenant Governor Trout man, was rescued with her aged father tonight. They had spent the entire day on the roof of their house and were just about to drop into the water when aid came.
 LEADING CITIZENS
 AMONG MISSING.
 Chief of Police Golf, Thomas Page and A. c. Holman, all of prominent families of the north side, are among the vic tims. Mayor Bergundthal was rescued by pr. l.. L. Powell in a boat after re- maininR on boat all night. Congressman Charles Curtis with his family left the flooded district this morn ng, but his aged mother refused to go. ssying she had seen much worse floods