Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-06-04
WORST III HISTORY.
kxw and Missouri Rivers Are Away
Above Highest Previous Mark.

:"
Above Highest Previous Mark.
Kansas city. June 2. With the
waters OF the Raw and Missouri -is-
ers nearly four feet sacTa the disas
trous level OF 1881 and their swollen
tide spread oFsF three square rifles of
the city and its Suburbs. Kansas City
is tn tie worst food Of its history In
the valley OF the Eaw, or Kansas river,
between this city and Kansas City.
Kan. q report says number Of lsses
have been lost. One repo-s says four
teen and another fifty, but in the midst
or decentralization Of trafFic and ordi-
nary means OF communication. IL is
impossible TO verify these reports
Twelve bodies were counted as
they foated past during the day. In
nearly every instance they were ly-
ing across pieces Of wreckage The
financial loss has been increasing al
day and bids fair 10 continue. II win
rzn into the millions
Loss viii Reach Millions
The heaviest loas Is al Armourdale.
where the losses 10 the packing indus
try ard others is placed conservative
~ az s. 800 900 Argentine, another
suhrr:a. h@s suffered losses estimated
al sse0,00g. Other losses which can
not TOW be estimated. viii increase
the total very materially.
Armourdsie. with . population Of
is 600 people is deserted. and its site
marked only By the toys of buildings
and number Of 5res. Screen fires.
believed 10 be chiefly box cars burr,
ing, could be seen from the bluffs last
night There is some danger skat the
nalnes will spread TO the partially
submerged buildings, adding greatly
to the alresdy heavy loss. The FIRE
started BY the intrusion Of the water
into a lime house All bridges OYER
the Kaw river are down and the only
communication with Armourdale IS BY
boat
Trains Are All Tied Up.
Kansas City is without water
supply, The food having disabled the
pumping station. and the utmost care
liz being taken that no fires break out
lyven a small fire il Is feared would
start cOnEzgration Only one street
car line .n the city is running Tie
city is blockaded with trains unable TO
get out Not a train has gone out ex-
cert to the east. and ii Is said there is
little proGpect OF an Improvement in
the situation for several days.
Hundreds Of rescaes, some OF them
made by the narrowest OF margins, oc-
Cured
Two-thirGs Of Argentine. . railway
and manufacturing town OF the south
bank Of the Kansas river six miles
from here Is inundated by Il to 90
feet of water and probably 100000
damage has been done.
Homeless and Destitute.
Probably 5000 OF the $500 inhab-
itants are homeless and 5000 are des-
titute Three bridges have been swept
away, all the railway tracks and fac
tories are under water and business is
suspended.
The current OF the river has left the
old channel and has moved south. TAX
ing all the buildings in its path. The
Santa Re track is under water all the
way to Holiday, eight miles from Ar
gentine up the Kansas river valley.
The Turner bridge, three miles above
Argentine. went ont AZ 1880 O'Clock
yesterday morning ItS wreckage
lodged against the county bridge at
Argentine, which succumbed az noon
The Belt Line steel railroad bridge,
Just below the county bridge, fell I'm
medfately af.erward. Then in ssc-
cession the Twenty-fourth street
bridge and the county bridge at Fifth
street
Were Carried Away.
The railroad bridge was valued at
$75. 900 and the other four at SIS 900
ee.h 1919. .he h-sssa Ice. e. x GEO
Five hundred frame dwellings are IN
der water. and with further rise
many will be sweep. away.
The river is full of wreckage and
crowds OF people lined the banks yes
terday, watching the procession Of
houses. cars, trees and other debris
that foated down
The loss of the bridges and the sus-
pension of street car travel and tele-
phone service have almost isolated
Argentine. There would have been a
famine yesterday but for the discovery
Of two refrigerator car loads of meat
ia the railroad yards and the gen
erosity of contractors who sent
Wagon load of Bread
from Kansas City for free distribution.
The people IN the flooded district had
ample warning. but, ciinging to their
houses. hoping for q fall OF the water.
until they could escape only by boat
or raft.
Late yesterday afternoon the walls
OF building AT the foot Of Fifth
street fell with CRASH. 1t is impossi-
Bile to tell what building 1t was.
AT 9 o'closk last night seven fires
were burning in the railroad yards, al