The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-06-01

children were taken from the attic OF their
small dwelling.
The parents were obliged to hold the two
younger children constantly in order to
Wecp their heads above water. They wcfe
nearly starved and probably cannot re-
cover.
Miss Annie Noble. operator at the
Union Pacific railroad headquarters in
North Topeka, was forced to leave the
building when the water covered the
floor. With her mother and young sister
the plucky young woman took up house
keeping quarters in an abandoned horse
car. They were included among the res
cued.
Near the Rock Island depot is a passen-
ger train of seven coaches stalled by the
flood. The train came in Friday night
About fifteen passengers are on the train
They have not at any time been in real
danger, but their situation is anything but
pleasant They are well cared for by the
road and most of them have remained on
the cars.
At o'clock this afternoon people were
/ quartered in North Topeka as follows
In B street church 100. In Topeka woolen
mills 100, In Casey's flour mill 81, in an
elevator Sc, in the fire station 81.
Floating Bodies Seen.
At o'clock the first sight of floating
bodies was seen, twelve bodies passing
by the North Topeka fire station. Soon
after this 1t was definitely ascertained
that the following were drowned:
Karl Rupp.
Orvllle Rupp.
Two Rupp girls
f. H. Garnett.
This represents only fractional part
of the heavy loss of life At conserva-
tive estimate two hundred are dead
Where these bodies are nobody can tell.
Until the waters recede, the bodies doubt
less will be found at different places miles
down the stream
A Looter at Work.
During the height of the rescue work
this afternoon, man occupied his time
J in going among the houses remaining In
| North Topeka and looting them.
Police officers started after the fellow
with the ntimation that 1t would go hard
with him when caught. Instances of this
sort are rare. AS the number of rescued
ones increases the supplies FOR their re-
lief grew largely. Offers of help have
been received from outside towns.
e. e. Bailey and E. M Alexander per-
formed some of the most heroic work of
the night. In the darkness about 3
I o'clock this morning. at the greatest risk
of their own lives they succeeded In
reaching one of the burning lumber yards
and rescued a dozen women and children.
, On the way to the south shore one OF
the women tainted from fatigue and
fright, and this all but swamped the
boat.
The men made superhuman efforts and
finally reached the pontoon bridge with
their precious cargo. This is only one of
hundred rescues.
The most prominent men of the town
donned oilskins, and submerged In water
up to their breasts, worked for hours.
Children Given Preference.
Children were given preference in .ae
rescue work and as a result of their ef-
forts many families on this side Of the
river today with no head of families.
The women and children were airnost
frantic in their all-consuming anxiety for
the husbands and fathers left on the
other side with the swirling flood. In the
bulletin windows of the newspapers ap-
pear notices signed by scores of women
asking that information be sent to them
of their husbands as soon as theis fate
was known.
agonizing apprehension was the arrival
of steam launches Their arrival was un-
certain in the extreme. These ar1 only
a few of numerous instances OF distress
| Hundreds who were rich are now poo-.
and the poor people are in greater dis
| tress Many lost absolutely everything
/ they had and savings Of years were taken
| by water.
| Now they only have the titles to the
| Water-covered land.