Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-06-09
More than so Persons
Perish in Calamity at
Topeka, Kan.
Suburb Across the River Is
Almost Destroyed by
the Elements.
Residents Cling TO House Roofs
as They Are Swept by
the Torrent.
Fifty Thousand Made Homeless
by Waste Of Waters in
Three States.

Death, wreck and devastation have
marched in the wake of great floods in
Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Many
have been drowned, hundreds placed
In mortal peril and tens of thou
sands driven from their homes by
raging rivers swollen beyond all pre-
vious measure by the rains. Two State
were the centers of the ruin and suffer
ing. To the danger of the rushing
waters which had invaded both bust
ness and residence districts of both
capitals was added the more dreadful
peril of fire. Submerged, the water
works of both cities and a score of les
ser towns in the three States had been
shut down and no protection against
flames had been left to them.
Fire and food are responsible for the
taking of 80 lives in North Topeka, a
suburb of Topeka, Kan, directly
across the Kansas River.
Early Saturday afternoon one or two
of the water logged houses took fire.
With five miles of water all around
there was no means of fighting the
flames a high wind was blowing and
one OF the burning buildings broke
loose from its foundations, and, swept
onward by the swirling current. spread
death anG destruction ON every hand.
Acres of Buildings AbIaze.
Soon the acres upon acres of sub
merged territory were dotted with
burning buildings, some stationary,
some wind blown from point to point
The floating fireships ignited whatever
they touched. These spread the flames
so rapidly that at one time eighty sep
arate fires were counted from the
dome of the capitol.
Al the preceding night and during
the daylight hours the roofs of houses,
factories, and other buildings had been
Ravens of refuge for the men, women
and children who lived and were trap
per in the district. They had not suf
fered for want of food, even though
each house had ten feet of water in
it, and though the rapidity of the cur
rent prevented rescue by boat they all
hoped that in twenty-four hours or so
the food would subside sufficiently TO
allow their escape.
But when death by fire appeared be-
fore their eyes they became panic
stricken. In number of cases they
jumped into the water long before
their arks of refuge were threatened
by the flames, preferring death by
drowning to their chances of being
caught by the fire.
Futile Attempts at Escape.
Futile attempts were made to escape
by every method that ingenuity
spurred on by ne sight of rapidly adj
vancing death could suggest. Rats
were improvistd, on which the women
and children were placed. Men threw
trunks. bureaus. tables and other arti-
cles of furniture into the water, then
jumped on them. and sought to float TO
safety Those who escaped the float
ing fire as general rule, We're of little
value in buffeting the swirling torrent
full of burning driftwood and the de
bris of wrecked houses.
Business in Topeka was practically
at a standstill because of Memorial
day and most of the stores We're closed
the greater part of the day. The flood
and the condition of the sufferers took
the attention of everyone. TO the exclu-
sion Of ali else. An army of men was
engaged in the relief work, and il
would be idle to attempt to place an
estimate on the immense number res
cued
Thousands Given Shelter.
Thousands We're sheltered in the
public buildings and in the Auditorium
1000 homeless people are quartered
Great wagon loads OF clothing and
provisions We're sent and the imme
date needs OF the unfortunateS pro
vided for. In this large number of ref
ugees were Russians, Italians and
many other OF the poorer class of the
city's population. A number of these
were afflicted with contagious dis
eases. The physicians of the city say
that as a result of this an epidemic
of sickness of all kinds may be looked
for.
The county courthouse and the fed
eral building were crowded with PEG
pie OF all classes.
Unprecedented floods have been rag
ing in central and eastern Kansas
northwestern Missouri. eastern Ne
braska and southwestern Iowa, the re
suit Of ten days Of almost continuous
rainfall. Many lives have been los
and il is estimated that no less thar
10000 persons have been driven from
their homes, many of which wer'
washed away. and that the property
loss will run wen up into the million:
OF dollars.
SLEPT FOR TWENTY YEARS.