The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-06-03
FLOOD AND FIRE DEs TROY A
KANSAS TOWN. @s..
Burning Buildings Floated in the
Flood-Cries tor Help Heard a
Mile Away-A River Five :
Miles Wide-Other
News.

news.
Topeka, May 3o.-Fire has added
to horror of the great flood now pre-
vailing here. -Four hundred hous-
es in North Topeka were burned
this afternoon. and that whole sec
ton is doomed. AS near as can be
learned, $50 people are dead, most
of them being burned to death. A
request for aid has been sent to the
Kansas City FIRE department. It
will be met, but the condition of
the railroad tracks prevents any
fast time.
! The whole central portie n OF
| North Topeka had been burned out
at 10 o'clock tonight, and it is safe
to say by morning not house will
be left standing. When. it is stated
that North Topeka has 10000 in
habitants, the extent Of the disas-
ter can he calculated. The people
are climbing to the roofs of houses
and the Timbs of trees, and many
are giving up in despair and drop
ping into the water below to be car
ried away by the swift current. It
is death by fire or drowning of 200
people unless means can be found
for the rescue. Great 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 pontoon
bridge is also under construction.
Burning houses are floating
about, setting fire to othrs. The
lower stories of the burning build
ings contain 10 feet of water. The
current is SO strong that no boat
can approach any of the burning
bu Idings. Hundreds of people ale
gathered on the tops of houses, and
the cries for help can be distinctly
heard a mile away. The whole city
is wildly excited because Of the
fact that no aid can be extended to
the sufferers.
The river at North Topeka is FIVE
miles wide. No possible estimate
of the financial loss can be stat
ed. It will run into the millions.
North Topeka was the manufactur-
| ing district of the city, Three large
-four mills, three woolen mills and
other manufacturing q establish
ments are entirely destroyed. The
water supply Of the whole city has
been cut off. The water from the
river extends nearly a mile on the
south side. The Rock Island depot
has had to be abandoned, and more
than 500 people on this side of the.
river are also homel IS. but no loss
in South Topeka. The Kansas av-
enue bridge is the only one across
the river for miles, and the ap-
proach to that bridge is flooded
by 30 feet Of water.
Sven thousand or more people
are on this side of The river shelf
cred in public buildings and in the
homes Of citizens. Topeka is now
able to take care Of all the unfor-
tunates. The work Of caring for
the refugees is being puehed with
the most rapidity. Standing on
the state house dome, as many as
SO fires can be counted in different
parts of North Topeka.
A. P. Baldwin, who at great risk
to his life crossed in a boat to the
North Side, returned at ten o'clock
tonight, and reports that nothing
possibly can be done to save the
city from burning.
Oakland, a suburb, five miles
northeast of Topeka, is deserted.
The people began leaving at 2
o'clock this afternoon after having
been warned by the city engineer.
An unconfirmed report from Wa.
mego and Manhattan, west Of To-
peka, says another rise is coming |
down the Republican and Blue
Rivers. If this is true, the situa-
ton here will be greatly intensified.
The fire on the east side of Kansas
avenue in North Topeka is rapidly |
taking the remaining buildings.
The fire is going toward the wind,
and this will serve to check its pro-
gress, but there is so much burning /
floating about that the de-
struction of the remaining houses is |
regarded as certain. It is reported |