Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-06-01
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.
Floods in the West.

the south, an island this morning, and
its main wholesale and manufacturing
centers are several feet under a raging
sea of water, which is increasing with
every passing hour. The city is sur
rounded northwest by food, its water
supply is cut of, its lights are out and it
street car lines are dead 1t has prac
tically no communication with the out
side world by rail. Fire is raging above
the food, in many places, in the ives
bottoms, and no means exist for fighting
it. No communication in an any way il
possible with Kansas City, Kansas, Ar
mourdale, Argentine or Harlem. The
last three are wiped off the map and thu
Kaw river has made itself new channe
and is running II miles an hour and p
feet where Armourdale was last Friday
All that is left of Argentine where tn,
great smelters were, is the high bluff
toward the west. The top of the SAINTS
Fe roundhouse is all that indicates where
six thousand persons lived ten days ago
Freight cars on the tracks are completely
submerged and just the tops of the brake
wheels may be seen showing the depth
of the waters. Every bridge has gone
out of the Kaw river between here anC
Kansas City, Kansas, and no commnni
cation by wire, telephoneor of any other
way can be had with that place.
Armourdale is off the map entirely
the three story buildings which have
heretofore marked the site went down
in the food yesterday and the river has
cut new channel where the town was,
carrying on its turbulent bosom all that
was once a city. The great packing
houses of Scharxschild and Sulzberger,
Swift and Cudahy, H. n. Straight, the
Morris rendering works, and all the rest
are showing the tops oftheirupper stories
as islands in the flood and the immense
structures are crumbling at their base
and may go soon. Tens of thousands
of tons of meat are ruined. The entire
west bottoms of Kansas City Mo-, are
flooded. The water is up to the second
story windows beyond the Union depot
and is ten feet high in the waiting rooms
of that structure which yet withstands
the food. Not train has gone into OF
out of it since early Sunday. Fire is
sweeping up long lines of box cars there
and several other buildings have been
burned. Harlem has gone; the build.
ings foated down on the stream Sunday
and the site of it is buried in the
Missouri. The stock yards are wiped
out and no one can estimate the loss o.
live stock, but ithas been great Worse
than all else there has been loss of life.
How many human beings have persisted
in the food it is impossible to estimate.
The Missouri river stood at 80 feet this
morning, having risen four feet and five
inches during the night. Rain fell dur
ing the night and a cold drizzle con-
tinues. Hundreds of cars and
buildings have been washed away.
Late last evening a house con.
tanning woman and several children
passed down the river. They were
screaming frantically for assistance, but
the horror stricken witnesses who lined
the banks Of the river were powerless to
lend aid. The house struck one of the
abutments of the bridge and was
smashed. No signs of the human
freight were afterwards visible. Eight
thousand persons in Kansas City, KS,
are on the verge of starvation. There is
not loaf of bread nor pound Of steak
in the city and unless speedy relief is
forthcoming the situation will be appall-
ing. Thousands of persons line the
streets endeavoring to purchase some
thing to eat. Thousands of dead
animals are floating down the stream to-
day. Two thieves were shot while tax
ing loot from a store in North Topeka
this morning. Armed men started out
in boats to suppress thievery. They
caught negro and white man in the
act and filled them with bullets.
Topeka, KS. June with the first
peep of dawn this morning rescuers be-
gan to work. Hundreds of people had
remained in the tops of trees for thirty
six hours. By the use Of field glasses
some of these could be seen from the
south OF the river. A few had lashed
themselves to the trees by improyised
ropes, probably made from pieces Of their
clothing. Others who were seen in the
trees yesterday were missing today and
the supposition is that they have dropped
into the water during the night. The
first person rescued this morning was a
colored man. He had been exposed to
the cold and rain until thoroughly be-
numbed. The fire, which started in a
lumber yard from slaking,lime, destroyed
two blocks of business buildings which
remained above the water line.
Kansas City, Mo. June.-The Bur-
Iington's big oil tank near the Union de-
pot caught fire this morning, and is still
blazing. There is imminent danger Of
this fire communicating to the big build
ings in the neighborhood. The fourth
street viaduct connecting the uptown
district with the bottoms went out today.
Des Moines, June with the flood
receding at the rate of an inch AN hour,
business is slowing resuming its normal
conditions. 1t will be a week before
this can be accomplished.
Refltting the Cup Defenders.
Bristol, r. l, June 1.-Work was be-
gun today at the Herreshofyards here of
refitting the cup yachts Reliance and
Constitution for the trials next week off
Sandy Hook. The Reliance reached here
this morning from Newport. The
Constitution came yesterday, having left
Glen Cove Immediately after the race