The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-07

viaduct and thence the, fremen started
stringing wire from pole to pole along
First street out TO the elevator. 1t was a
hard battle against the waters. but 1t tri-
umphed. With the wire strung, 1t was
merely a matter of pulling the boat back
and forth overland along the wire; the
people in the elevator. which was falling
| to pieces. were taken out one by one.
HELD ON TO ROPE
| WITH HIS TEETH.
E. L. Phillips, an attorney. with young
| man named Powell, penetrated the flooded
section in a skiff While rescuing a man
=. and woman from house at Fourteenth
and Liberty streets the boat overturned.
Ropes were thrown to them. Phillips had
| seized the woman when the boat capsized,
and it required one hand to keep her safe.
| His other suddenly was cramped. He man
| aged to seize the rope In his teeth and
| held on with such tenacity that both he
| and the woman We're pulled to the end of
| the L. vaduct, where they We're taken
| from the water.
| Two men in rowboat battled their way
| across the main current of the kaw to a
! box car upon which man stood shouting
| for assistance. He proved to be an aged
soldier. James Kinney. 4 years old. who
had been visiting Mrs. Margaret Sullivan
| at No 9l5 Wyoming street On Sunday
! Kinney had been left alone in the house.
| The rising water fioated the structure away.
| He chung 10 II until 1t threatened to break
to pieces. then jumped into the water and
swan to the box car.
T. r: shrout, an employe Of the Kansas
| City Water Department, with eight other
| men, was instrumental in carrying 400 per-
| sons to safety. Using a sand fiat, which
they propelled with long poles; they, braved
! the currents in Armourdale. through street
! after street. unloading load after load in
| Kansas City, kas.
! CARRIED WOMEN
| OVER A LADDER.
| Tom Holland. fireman, was another of
the leaders in such dangerous work. He pa
trolled the IL viaduct, under which the
| current was pouring, and the complete de-
struction of which was constantly menaced.
AS the waters lose and continued high
those who had remained in the houses along
| Union St Louis and Santa Fe avenues be-
came terrified. Holland had no boat. but
secured a fire extension ladder which he
extended from the viaduct to the windows
building to building, aiding those impris.
Such deeds as these We're legion.
The less spectacular labors of the multi
tude of others who undertook to provide
lodging. food and clothing for the sufferers
after they reached dry land, was great
| The committee appointed by the CONNER
cial Club soon found contributions coming
in at more than gratifying rate. In three
days almost $4,000 was in hand.
The refugees found shelter in private
houses, charitable institutions, churches
and particularly in the boasted Convention
X.
with the cheers of the assembled delegates
of the great parties, place adapted to the
stirring scenes of national politics, was
transformed into giant hospital.
SOCIETY WOMEN
TURNED NURSES.
The St. Louis man can picture the condi.
lions there If he can conceive the entire
floor space of the Coliseum covered with
cots IL he imagines the long lines of prom
enades under the galleries shaped off into
booths In the central space. occupying ths
cots. were hundreds of women and children
and few men. all pale and wan. either IT
!. the grasp OF disease or worn with nerv'
Gus exhaustion.
AS nurses there moved among the cots
many stylishly dressed ladies. Some few
wore the uniform of the professional nurse
but by far the majority were evidently from
the circles of refinement and wealth. The
cial distinctions. and were working shout
der to shoulder with the professional work
ing women in the attempt to relieve the
| stricken.
In the booths food and clothing were dis
pensed. At one place loaves of bread WERE
piled twenty feet high At another, ladie:
shoes. derclothing-,everything which thu
Immediate needs of the refugees demanded
and contribution could supply.
per at Convention Hall Th es' i advanced /,
!, a line to receive the food There was n,
pushing and showing: neither was Their
| laughter nor Weeping. Inc faclal expires
sions of the men and women and childre,
thus forced to accept public charity wa
| one of deep depression and humility.
|, Men there were with hands knotted ant
| hard whose faces. though rugged, were o
. the strong type of the American working
| man; men who until the Kaw drove then
, from home and cut off their employment,
: paid by their labor for all that they an,
, their families needed. Thus thrown upo,
, public charity. they were as keen to tn
humiliation of 1t as men well could be.
; NO APPREHENSION
OF A FOOD FAMINE.
!, No limit was set upon the amount tina
, each could eat. The supper consisted o
, potatoes. bologna sausage. bread. coffe
; and milk. The tables were piled high. an
when the five or six who could stand at tn
table at one time had taken what they de