Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-06-01
Rail Communication Cut Off and Business PraC-
ticaEIy Suspended.
THE RIVER is THE HIGHEST ON RECORD
Waters Receding at Topeka and Des MOines,
But Situation Still Bad

Kansas City, June 1.-The desolate
aspect of the flood situation here
showed no Improvement this morning,
except that the fires which, it was feared
last night would spread were put out
by the rain. The only rail commune
cation the city has, and that is very
uncertain, is by a road running south
east Business all over the city is
suspended No street cars are run
ming. The river this morning was
nearly nine feet higher than at any
previous high record.
Thousands of refugees at Conven-
ton hall made their breakfasts from
liberal rations issued by the relief
committee. The police have been or
dered to shoot on sight anyone caught
plundering.
Kansas City, Mo-, June 1.-Unpre-
cedented floods are raging in central
and eastern Kansas. northwestern
Missouri. eastern Nebraska and south
western Iowa, the result of ten days
of almost continuous rainfall. The
general situation is considered most
grave, with no immediate relief in
sight. Many lives have been lost, and
it is estimated that no less than o.
600 persons have been driven from
their homes, many of which, were
washed away, and the property loss
will run well up into the millions of
dollars. The greatest damage has beeB
occasioned between Kansas City and
Ellsworth, Kan. 200 miles west. The
chief sufferer is North Topeka.
At Kansas City, Kan, and in the
suburban towns of Armourdale and
Argentine. and at Harlem and Shef-
field, Mo-, near Kansas City, Mo-, an
aggregate OF 10000 persons has been
forced to leave home, and 5000 en-
ployes of the numerous packing houses
and railroad shops in the bottoms are
out of employment. The situation sum-
married. follows:
Homeless: Kansas-North Topeka.
1000: near Emporla, 500; Salina and
vicinity. 5000; Lawrence, 500; Kan
sas City, Armourdale and Argentine.
10000. Missouri-Harlem and Shelf
field, 700. Iowa-Des Moines. 5000;
Ottumwa. 200. Nebraska = Lincoln,
200; Beatrice, 200.
Financial losses: Kansas = North
Topeka. $1,OO0,000: Lawrence. $780,.
600; Concordia. 100000; Abilene and
vicinity, 100000; Salna and vicinity.
s150,000; Solomon. Chapman. Detroit
and Woodbine and intervening cOun-
try. 100000; Des Moines, $50O,000.
The already flooded condition ofcen
trail and eastern Kansas. became acute
by a sudden rise in all streams, which
were swollen by heavy rains. The
rivers along which the main damage
was done are the Kansas, which at
many places, from it's source at Kan
sas City to Manhattan, Kan, dis
tance of 100 miles, has spread out over
miles of land on either side of its orig
inal bed; the Smoky Hill river, south
from Manhattan a distance of anOth-
er 100 miles, touching Junction City,
Abilene, Salina and Ellsworth, flood
ing all these towns and the interven-
ing country; the Blue river, north from
Manhattan; the Missouri river, north
and east of Kansas City, and the Des
Moines river, at Des Moines.
Railway traffic in Kansas is prac-
tically at a standstill, dozens of big
bridges having been washed out be-
tween Kansas City and Ellsworth and
many miles of tracks being under
water.