The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-03

yards. was added to by the larger amount
| of water from the Little river Early
yesterday morning this water broke over
| the Missouri Pacific tracks and for a
| time it seemed that the whole track would
| be carried away 4 big gang of men were
| sent out with carloads Of rock and before
\ the track became washed away, they had
built dyke along it that prevented wash
ing, and later relied the tracks so that
trains could pass.
The Big Arkansas river fell an inch
Monday evening, and yesterday went
| down another inch Cd TO o'clock, and
| from that time until midnight was sta
tionary. At midnight the river was re-
| ported falling slowly. The river is falling
faster at the Seneca street bridge where
the water line was lowered three inches
| during the day. The high state at the
Douglas avenue bridge is caused from the
great amount of water that is flowing into
the Big river from the smaller stream.
Reports north of this city say that the
Big Arkansas river is rising at the rate
of an inch every five hours, but this
| water is not expected to reach Wichita
until tomorrow, and it is believed that the
river will fall today, so that another rise
will not materially change the situation
at this point unless there come heavy
rains to the north and west.
Little river is falling four TO six inches
per day north of here.
The water is flowing over the levees in
Riverside park in q greater stream than
ever, and those who visited the high
witer at Central avenue came away with
the idea that the river was getting higher
every minute. This was true yesterday
morning, but the rise was only an inch
during the entire afternoon. The water
has broken over the levees in a number
of new places, and has washed out long
stretches which allows the water TO come
through.
The water still stands over the great
territory on the West Side. north of the
Missouri Pacific tracks. and this viii not
go away until the river has fallen foot
or more The damage in this section is
more to growing crops. as many of the
fields viii have to be replanted. The
present crop is almost a total loss. as the
young vegetables have been cavered with
mud and washed out The current in some
There is water in a number of houses
on the West Side, and the owners of this
section and also in the south part Of
town where there was any possibility of
the water reaching the homes have tied
their houses to stakes and trees, so that
if the water does go higher and allows
the foundations to settle or the houses to
float, the buildings will not be carried
away.
The Maple street bridge will have to
have a thorough overhauIing before it
can be used. A few persons crossed il
yesterday, but it was exceedingly danger
Gus. and it would require but few hun
dred pounds to break IL.
The street car bridge on Douglas ave-
nue. was reported endangered yesterday,
and during the morning cars were not
sent across it. Passengers were given
transfers al either end of the bridge, and
cars met them at the other side. The
bridge was strengthened and it is believed
that it is perfectly safe for cars to cross.
The heavy West Side cars were run over
it yesterday afternoon without any per-
ceptible swaying.
George D. Ringland, trustee of Valley
Center township, reported TO the county
commissioners yesterday that two bridges
in that township had been carried away
by the food. The bridge across Little
river between sections 9 and 10, is gone,
and the bridge across Chester Creek, be-
tween sections 13 and II, is partially
gone. Both were wooden bridges, and the
one across Little river was 400 feet long.
The one across Chester creek was smaller
and the exact amount of damage is not
known. This is the first report of the
condition of bridges received by the COM
missioners. but many more is expected
when the food subsidies.