The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-01
DAY OF SUFFERING
AND SORROW At TOPEKA:
MANY HEROIC DEEDS
Continued From Page One.

however. by their actions they showed the
material of which true American manhood
Is made.
Women and children were given the pre-
cedence in the work OF rescue As the re-
suit. there are scores of families on this
side OF the river this morning with no head.
Anxious wives forgot to be thankful for
their own rescue on account Of this all-con-
Stunning anxiety for the husbands and faith
ers left on the other side Of the swirling
water.
On the bulletin windows Of the newSa-
pers appear notices signed by twenty or more
women asking that information be sent 10
them OF their husbands as soon as their fate
Is known.
Disliked to Leave
Homes in Time.
E. L. Cowdrey and his brother are among
those who escaped from the Hood yesterday
afternoon. When asked by an Associated
Press correspondent for story of his ex.
perience. Mr.. Cowdrey said:
''Oh. It was terrible. 1 can't describe it.
1t seems like l have lived in horrible
nightmare for the last two days
EARLY on Thursday We saw that the
water would be high. but with the usual
persistence of people who dislike to leave
their own homes, We put off the time as
long as possible: 1t came near being our
undoing.
Friday the whole OF North Topeka, It
seemed. OVERLOOKED within an hour The
dreadful water came creeping up faster
than the people could get out. We were
forced to leave in such hurry that We
could not even take blanket. l am salts
fed that our house is destroyed. as it was
in the direct path of the fire.
Hundreds Left
With Only Clothes.
'All have in the world is the clothing
that 1 am now wearing. Hundreds are
in as bad a condition az we are"
Mr. Cowdrey was unable to make an ee-
Innate Of the loss Of life, as far as his
own observation went He left the danger
Gus locality before the fire was at Its height
and is, therefore. not prepared to give any
more Information about the fire than what
is already secured.
H. ]. Henry. hardware merchant. first
sent his father and mother to safety and
then undertook to remain and keep their
property out OF the hands of looters. He
managed to escape when the Hood came by
riding trusty horse. which took him to a
place Of safety. AS far as Mr.. Henry knows
at noon to-day. his stock of hardware had
been swept away with the building and en-
tire establishment.
This road has kept 1t. passenger train
running by using thousands Of sacks of
sand and rock on its river division east OF
here. Five hundred men are engaged at one
place. fighting the encroaching waters.
Mothers Long Vigil
Ends in Death.
A Mrs Anderson and her year-old baby
have been for three days in tree in plain
sight OF the people. who were powerless to
rescue them The mother clasped her child
close in her arms and managed to brace
herself against a tree in a reasonably secure
pc sltion.
had a thrilling experience. He took boat
Friday night and made his way to House
in the hope of making some rescues. A
woman and her baby, names unknown, were
in the house. and Parsons took them into
his boat.
They had proceeded only a short distance
when the boat capsized. Parsons contrived
to get himself and the others up into tree,
and there they remained until 8 o'clock.
When rescued their hold on the tree was
very uncertain, but both hands they used
In holding to the tree and their feet In the
baby.s dress to keep the little one from fall
ing. They were rescued to-day and brought
to a place Of safety. but will probably not
srrvive