The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-17
Kansas River Rises Until l P.
NJ. Today.
Since Then There Has Been No
Change.
FALLS AT MANHATTAN.
Both the kaW and Blue Are
Going Down.
No Damage Has Been Done in
Topeka.

The Kansas river is at a standstill
and shows indications of falling before
night. At 1 o'clock today it was at its
highest since which time it has re-
mained practically stationary From
Saturday morning the river continued
rising steadily over Sunday and reach
ed its highest point about noon today.
After 10 O'Clock it raised two inches.
Saturday night the Topeka railway
company commenced experiencing
trouble with water upon its tracks I'M
der the Santa Fe bridge. Sunday morn
ing it became impossible to send more
cars under the bridge, and until this
time the passengers on the Oakland line
are being transferred over stepping
stones to cars on the higher ground on
either side
Reports from up and down the Kan
sas river show that the stream has ex-
perienced a considerable flood over
Sunday and has done damage at its
mouth The telegraphic- reports show
that the James street bridge, connecting
the street car lines between the two
Kansas CityS. went out Sunday morn
ing 1t was a fiimsy structure. Sew
eral streams between Kansas City and
Topeka have been very high during the
past few days. The Blue river has been
high for more than a week. rising Sat
urday to a point IA feet above the high
water mark At p. m. today it was re-
ported to have fallen a few inches, as
had also the Kansas river at Manhat-
tan. where the rise was measured at IA
feet. Both streams were stationary in
the fore part of this afternoon.
At Topeka no damage has been done
by the rising water. The interference
with the traffic on the Oakland street
care line will not be serious unless the
river rises again. The water which first
appeared on the tracks was that of the
undernow, the track being on a level
with the surface of the,river> itself. This
morning the water -trickled across the
road from the river into the tracks An
excavation has been made for the
tracks in order that the cars may pass
under the bridge. The broadened cur
rent of the river has washed through
under the wooden approach on the
north end of the Melsn bridge since
Saturday, but an examination ty the
city engineer has shown that the struc-
ture is withstanding the current satis-
factor:iv.
In reply to an inquiry about the safe
l ty of North Topeka, City Engineer Nc
Cabe said this morning:
North Topeka is absolutely safe from
another flood until the. river rises at
least ten feet above its. present level,
which it shows no signs of doing The
water can not possibly enter the nortn
channel which was cut from the west
side of town. until such a raise in tie
level of the stream has been experienced.
The measurements which members of
my force took during the investigation
of the situation there a week or more
ago showed that the embankment which
the Union Pacific railroad has built for
its right of way is eleven feet above the
level of the new channel The new chan
mel is between > and feet higher than
the surface of the river. In order to do
damage to North Topeka by reentering
the new bed the river would have to cut
through the right of way of the Union
Pacific railroad.
Previous to the flood we never paid
attention to the river when it was in
the condition in which it is now I'm
less it covered the mouth of the old
sewer in the city park a rise did not at
tract our attention The stone coping
on the top of the outlet of the old sewer
has not been covered at any time dur
| ing the recent rises but we are more
timid now than we used to be-"