Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-06-04
DANGER FROM
DISEASE
Cities in Flooded Districts
Confronted With a Ser
ious Problem.
MUCH SLIME and DIRT
Sewers Have Been Washed Out
and All Sanitary Provisions
Destroyed.


souri, and Kaw rivers are receding at
much faster rate today. A fall in
the Missouri of nearly three feet from
the high point of 35 feet. recorded 48
hours ago, was shown by the govern
ment gauge at Z a. m. The gauge at
that hour registered 1873 feet, which
was a foot and half below the stage
recorded at the same time yesterday.
BY nightfall it is predicted the stage
in the Missouri river will be close to 81
feet. There was a corresponding fall
in the kaw Notwithstanding the rapid
decline, the water about the Union de-
pot, which Is the highest point in the
flooded district is still four feet above
the first floor, while the conditions are
vastly more hopeful. A tremendous un-
dertaking confronts the two cities. AS
the waters recede there is disclosed a
wrecked, slime covered area of five
miles square, 1t is conceded by several
engineers who have Investigated the
situation closely, that the whole of the
terminal system of the railroads in
the bottoms will have to be rebuilt, to-
gether with bridges that alone, it is es-
timated cannot be replaced at under
from $5,OOO,OOO to $10,O0O,000 In the
work of rehabilitation, the greatest pre-
caution will be taken to prevent an
epidemic of sickness because Of the ut
ter lack of sanitary measures. Sewers
are washed out and must be entirely
replaced and even the pumping sta
ton, although it may be used tempo
rarily, must ultimately be removed to
higher ground and a complete new
plant constructed. At Convention Hall,
where several hundred refugees have
been housed since last Sunday, the sam
itary conditions have become such that
are making for the fnme-
date removal of the homeless. What
to do with them is a serious problem.
Water was turneu ;" business
district on the Missouri side today for
the first time since Monday but the
flow was inadequate. The railway sys-
tenn is improved greatly today.
EXTREME HEIGHT SUNDAY.
st. Louis, Mo-, June 4.-During the
past "a hours a rise of $40 of foot has
been recorded in the river and at a.
m. the stage registered 32.1 feet. The
extreme height of the flood here Will, 1t
is believed, be reached Sunday morning
in stage of 35 feet, which Is five feet
above danger line. Unless heavy rains
set in this will be the highest point but
should there be more rain, river men
believe all records since 1892 will be
broken and 36 feet be reached and pos
sibly exceeded. Railroad tracks along
the levee have been submerged. Trains
on the Wabash which run to suburban
points have been interfered with and
the station at the foot of Olive street
has been abandoned.
The Burlington tracks between st.
Louis and Hannibal are under water
for a considerable distance but the run
ming of trains has not been materially
affected. Passenger service on all roads
running to Kansas City, west and
northwest are still badly crippled on
account of washouts. At Carondelet
(south st. Louis) the river is four
miles wide, extending on the Illinois
side to the Mobile and Ohio tracks,
which alone serve as a protection TO
thousands of acres of farm lands. In
north st. Louis the stream is three
miles wide. No estimate Of the damage
done can be given until the water sub
sides.
LEyEEs ARE BREAKING.
burlington, Ia. June 4.-By the
breaking of the Hunt levee, south OF
Warsaw. in the lowlands through which
the carthage branch Of the Burlington
rms has been flooded and the train
service cut off. Consequently tnere
are no through trains from Burlington
to St. Louis. The only means OF get
ting to st. Louis from here is via Gales
burg. It is reported that Green Bay
hottom leyee south Of Burlington Is out,
flooding hundreds of acres of fine farm
ing lands. The river here Is eight
miles wide, All the inhabited Islands IN
the Mississippi north and south OF mere
have been deserted and stock taken OIL
nv steamboats,. Both river packet OF
fees here are under water.
SIX BODIES FOUND.
Toneka. Kas, June Ask unidentified
hodies. those Of three men ana three
women. and victims of the north To-
neka flood, were picked up today az
noon by some of the Ottawa rescue
boats out of the Kaw river driftwooo
west of the city. A rope was tieo
around the body of one woman. EVi'
IDENTIFY she had been tied to a tree te
prevent failing into the water. Many
were forced to remain perched on limos
for hours. Sanitary conditions In nortf
Topeka were made worse today py TN
bursting Of several sewers and wate
pipes.
The fall Of the Kaw river during tn
nieht averaged an inch an hour. In
river is now Ave feet below the high
eat recorded point but the water In tn
flooded districts still averages abou
| six feet and a very swift current