The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-03
IS al DANGER LINE
Little River Rose Four Inches
During Tuesday
CUTTING INTO LEVEES
New Ones Have to be Built
Further From Banks
STEALING ABOVE WICHITA
Big River Is Going Down at
This Point
Is FALLING ABOVE WICHITA

danger line. being even higher than before
this spring, but reports from above show
the water to be falling slowly. The Big
Arkansas river is falling slowly. AT Z
o'clock last night the Little Arkansas
river had risen four inches above any
previous record this year. but at mid
night it was reported stationary and two
hours later very slight fall was de-
tected. Yesterday the river assumed a
more serious aspect than so far this year.
1t was found that the water was cutting
away the banks just north Of Eleventh
street on Larimer and the levee was
about 10 fall into the river. At this point
the river makes wide bend l. ne west
and the strong current has c. p into
the south bank. When this Wa. . covered
q large number of men were assferred
from points not so dangerous ard a new
levee was built about twenty feet south
Of the old one. This levee was extended
along the river bank as far as the cutting
was known 10 extend
This second levee was also a protection
from any possible raise which might
break through the old Ievee The water
at Larimer avenue was fully three feet
higher than the surrounding country
and had the bank and levee collapsed
into the river, a great flood would have
poured into the city, as the break was
directly in the line of the current, and
great volumes of water would have
poured down the street. Had any break
occurred, il would have been impossible to
have stopped the water, as the bank had
been undermined for over one hundred
feet and the instant one piece of the bank
had fallen the whole thing would have
fallen into the river, carrying the levee
with ii. With the extra precaution taken
yesterday, it is felt that there is no par
ucular danger at this point.
The greatest danger at the present time
is that the river viii continue near its
present high stage for several days, and
this would certainly bring a food over
q section of this city. The old levees are
thoroughly soaked with water and very,
very weak. The continued pressure IS
likely to break through them at any time.
The new levees, where sand bags were
not used as a base We're nothing more
than soft and damp earth and the water
would seep through them in a short time
Most of the levees have been reinforced
by sand bags and at O'Clock last night
city officials stated that the water was
under control for the present, at least
and that the danger had passed unless the
river continued high.
Last night thirty men were kept busy
h..
possible break and strengthening weak
places. This number of men was hardly
needed except as guards for the levees.
One hundred men were kept at work
throughout the day and when they left
last night everyone felt that the greatest
danger was passed. While the men were
at dinner yesterday several persons whose
property had been covered with water
cut some of the dykes in the north part
OF the city. There was quite a crowd at
work and before they were discovered,
the levees at Thirteenth and Lewellyn,
Thirteenth and Jackson. Fourteenth and
Lewellyn and Fifteenth and Jackson
were cut. Some of the laborers returned
I'm time to catch the fellows at work and
proceeded to iii UP the cut levees and
stop the water.
When they found the men at work the
laborers stopped them, when the vandals
showed fight Chief Burt and other city
officials were sent for, who informed the
vandals that any such work would be the
cause for every man getting to spend a
few days in the city jail. Guards patrolled
the levees from one end to the other last
night
The cutting was all done by property
owners living within the flooded district
and the only reason they gave for such
work. was that they cid not think it fair
for them to be flooded in backing the
water up into their homes with the Ievees
when OTHER sections of the city were high
and dry. They simply wanted the other
parts Of town TO get share of the water.
Not one man seemed 10 think that if the
levees were cut the water would wash
down across their property with current
and without doubt destroy trees. grass
and foundations The amount of water
that would have flowed down Jackson
avenue from Fifteenth street. had it OBJ
tanned a fair Roadway, would have taken
every house on the west side of the street.
and possibly some of the east side. for
the water is three feet higher than the
surrounding country at Fifteenth street
and is only held in check by the bags Of
sand. There are few property owners
who viii suffer considerable loss. but this
could never give them any moral or legal
right to cut the dykes and allow the bal
ance Of the city to be flooded.
John Busenbark telephoned to the Eagle
at s o'clock last nisht that the Little
Arkansas river had fallen four inches dur
ing the afternoon and the water was re-
ceeding slowly. Until midnight this fall
had not been felt in this city. but al .
o'clock a slight fall was noticed in the
guages at Seventeenth and Thirteenth
streets. Reports from different points up
the river stated that the water has fallen
four to six inches. but it is going down
very slowly. and Il would not require such
a very heavy rain to bring it up 10 its
present level o. even higher
Chisholm creek rose steadily all day
yesterday. but at midnight was reported
falling slightly This rise was not caused
from any rains up the creek. but from the
extra amount OF water flowing down be-
side the Santa Fe tracks from q point
near Sullivans dam. Little river has
broken over its banks at this point ana
the water Is flowing toward Chisholm
creek in a stream many feet wide and two
TO FIVE feet deep. This has relieved the
pressure on Little river and has kept
part OF the reported rise from reaching
this city.
The great lake OF water north OF the
Missouri Pacific tracks, near the stock