The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-01
Falling Waters Show a Sad
State of Affairs
Along the Smoky, Republican
and Cottonwood Rivers.
HUNDREDS HOMELESS.
Florence, Abilene and Salina
We're Storm Centers.
EmpOria and the NeoshO Valley
in Bad Shape.
Reports Of Missing Come from
All Sections.
HUNDREDS HOMELESS.

Emporia, Kan, June 1.-The flood sit
uation in the vicinity Of Emporia is
appalling. The probable loss of life, live
stock and property cannot be estimated.
The NeoshO river north Of town is now
falling. The Cottonwood. south Of town
is four inches higher now than It has
ever been before.
The river bottoms are covered for
miles In every direction and the distress
among those who failed to get out in
time Is terrible. Rescuing parties are
out In every direction trying to get to
them and to save some live stock. At
the junction Of the two rivers, a few
miles south Of here. the water can be
seen in every direction for miles. From
Nava Station to Florence. west of here.
the whole country is covered with wa
ter at least four feet deep. At Elmdale
water is four feet deep in the hotel and
coming in at the windows in nearly all
the dwellings.
Refugees are camped along the hills
west Of here, watching their homes hoat
aWay with the flood. while others are
still out Of reach. Telegraph and tele-
phone wires ere IN a crippled condition
west OF here and communication has
been practically shut off by wire.
Many OF the families who were com
PEELED 10 leave have moved to the sec
ond story A drizzling rain has been fall
ING here all day Sunday and at Florence.
.Lne temperature has taken a decided drop
at both points Until O'Clock SATURDAY.
evening all trains were tied rp here and II
Is Just within thespast few hours that they
have been able to move. The trains that
were neid at Newton began coming in at
ana by o'clock all Of them had passed.
between here. and Kansas City at present.
and all trains are being run over that IJp
70 the present time no information has
been received from the farmers who were
Waterbound at the junction Of the rivers
except tnat tney are panic stricken and
are fleeing for their lives as fast as they
can.
"a telephone message from Hartford
states that the NeoshO river Is steadily
rising there and that the whole town Is
practically under water. Houses are float
ing away and the Inhabitants are rnovins,
as fast as possible to higher ground. THE
Ne0sh0 river north OF here lis falling fast
Many Of the bridges throughout the coun-
era have been at work all day irving to
save them from floating debris. All the
tributary streams are helping to swell The
AT LINDsBORG.
Lindsborgs kan. June LIT is be-
Ieved the worst Of the Smoky Hill river
Hood is over here. The waters are re-
ceding The baclxwater which threat
ened much damage is flowing back into
the river. AT Marquette the river is
lower than here and things are slowly
resuming their normal condition. The
Hood is the worst since white people
have lived here. 1t is higher than in
1867 and 1885. In several places the river
was five miles wide yesterday. The view
from the top of the Bethany college
building was majestic.
The damage to growing crops win be
very great, but not as great as was at
first expected. The flood came so hur-
riedly and IS receding so fast that much
VIII be saved. Hundreds Of acres under
water yesterday look fresh and green
again today
Mcpherson is out Of sugar and butter.
Ldndsborg has no butter and no pota-
toes. Provisions Of other kinds will
soon be scarce.
The railroad tracks are in bad shape.
Great stretches are washed away. So
far the railroad bridges are intact. A
ulis5ourl Pacific passenger train Is still
q half mile this side Of Bridgeport. Fiji
~ people are on the train. A rescuing
party spent half the day in getting two
boats TO them through the syift current.
They found the train on safe ground
with provisions for a week. Ali the pas
Eengers were in good health. Every one
preferred the train to the risk of the
boat ride through the swift current and
30 no one was rescued.
AT SOLOMON
solomon, Kan. June AT z O'clock
Saturday the Smoky Hill, Solomon and
Saline rivers were running q stream
- ------H 49, -AoA1- -AA1 A1yA ia 9-Lc CA
Main street to the Wescott ranch on
the south, with a steady rise since 2
o'clock Saturday afternoon. The Smoky
Iiin is estimated to be IS feet above the
regular river level During the last two
weeks Solomon has had a siege of high
water that has surpassed everything
heretofore known. The lower parts Of
the town are flooded. It is absolutely
impossible to tell the amount of dam
age done by the nigh water. The farm
have suffered the loss of