River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-06-04

OF the Hood are very disastrous. With
rs or 200 lives lost, millions of dol
lars of property destroyed in this
city and North Topeka, hundreds of
pistol shots as signals of distress,
blended with the agonizing cries of
| unwilling inhabitants of tree tops
and roofs of houses, and the waters
creeping upward and then slowly
subsiding and alternately changing
hope to despair, the capital city
passed the memorable Sabbath day
of its existence
A Summary.
Briefly stated the present condition
of the food in Topeka is:
40 to $50.
Eight thousand people without
homes.
Property loss $4,OoO,ooo.
Identified dead, 5.
Floating bodies seen. 20.
People missing, 200.
Houses burned, result of fire in lum-
Der from Stacking lAne, probably 200.
Banks collapsed, 2; wholesale gro
Gerry stores flooded, 2.
Big business blocks almost ready to
crumble, 80.
Wholesale commission houses de-
serted, 6.
City waterworks plant useless.
1t will be at least three days before
the correct number of dead will be
decided upon. Leading men have
made a careful examination of the
flood and all its conditions and as a
result of their investigation they give
$50 as the probable number of Ewes
lost. A more conservative estimate
places the number of dead at IT'S.
The higher number is as apt to be
correct as the lower. The number
of dead is merely a matter of esti-
mate. Twenty members of rescuing
parties tell of how they saw people
drop from houses only to be swept
away by the flood, and others tell OF
men who, terrified at the approach
of the fire, dropped into the water,
where they sank and did not reap
pear. This estimated number of dead
does not include the large number
classed as missing, who cannot other
wise be accounted for. Neither does
it include the number who are sup
posed to have lost their lives in the
North Topeka fires of Saturday
night. In the latter class there is
absolutely no means of arriving at
even an approximate number of vic
TINS.
Rescue Work.
Work of rescuing the victims of the
flood is being pushed forward with
vigor. Better results have character
lied the efforts of the organized forces
since four o'clock Sunday afternoon
than during all the preceding "a hours.
Two little steam launches are now puff
fling up and down the river, picking up
survivors. A larger steamboat is eX-
pected here by special train on the
Rock Island within "a hours. A wire
cable has been stretched across the
Kansas avenue bridge. TO this will be
attached sand dip, and refugees will
be brought across in this manner. If
the flood does not rise further and
those not yet reached can keep their
places a few hours longer, there need
not necessarily be much larger loss
of life.
Aid for the Sufferers
Large contributions have already
been received for the benefit of the suf-
ferers. The amount given by Topeka
citizens alone will aggregate 100000.
To this is to be added an immense
quantity of clothing, provisions and
general supplies. Outside towns have
generously offered aid, notably among
which is Galveston, Tex. The portion
of Topeka not affected by the food is
crowded with refugees, and people
from the surrounding country who
have come to witness the food condi-
tions.
North Topeka is 4 scene of utmost
desolation. Not square foot of land
can be seen in any direction. There is
but small chance of any of the resi-
dences being left standing at the end
of the food period. Sherry, Oakland
and the region about the reform
school north of North Topeka are all
under the rushing waters, but the stu
alton is favorable in these places c.m-
pared with what North Topeka is un-
dergoing.