The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-06-05

| afternoon. Inc rams nave
and the sun was visible for the first
time this week.
The waters of the a river have
fallen eight inche today and tonight
are steadily declining at the rate Of
about one-half incl an hour. In the
Missouri the high stage of 35 feet is
still maintained, but his is due to the
rise which has been coming down the
Missouri proper and has been able TO
offset the fall in the kaw. 1t is the
water of the latter stream. however,
that has caused all the damage in this
city and IN Kansas City, Kas., and
with it at a normal stage business in
Kansas Civ soon will resume usual
conditions.
This city. by a narrow margin, has
| escaped a serious shortage in food, has
faced the peril Of fire, utterly helpless
to avert its consequences. has suffered
millions of dollars of damage to prop
erty and sustained a loss in life that in
all probability, never will be accurate
ly measured, and now there commences
to be promises Of better things.
The situation tonight shows improve
| llISIlI OH dl1IlOSl every size, the waters
are falling, the WaterWOrkS will resume
operations tomorrow. the gas has been
turned into the mains once more and
there is no immediate danger of a SER
ious shortage on food. The city has
cared for its own and is a~bundantly
able to do SO still. out there is not suf-
ficient food On hand to permit the re-
lief committee and the municipal Off
GERS to feel easy over the outlook. The
transportation facilities at the present
time are SO lilimted hat not much
freight can be brought in at a time
and there is danger that the denan
( may Outrun the supply.
Two men lost their lives today in the
/ attempt to save others. j. s. keenan,
was drowned while e~ndeavOring to res
u some people from the Adams house
in Union avenue, and Edward Brooks
lost his life in Liberty street, where his
skiff was overturned by an eddy while
he was e~ndeavoring to get another nan
out Of a building. 4 number of bodies
were seen floating down the stream. but
are believed to be those of people
drowned further up the Kaw. probably
at North Topeka.
Fully fifty people We're brought to
the Twelfth street vioduct during the
day by b%oatInen. None of them had
been in great danger. Many people are
still in the warehouses ~ office build
ings. n will remain there until the
flood subsidies. They are entirely safe
and fairly comfortable.
There is very little probability of
much greater financial damage than
has already been done. There have
| been some reports of the settling of
various large buildings IN the wholesale
district. but they appear TO ave set
tied IN q remarkably ever manner and
expert examination will be required to
prove that they are in a dangerous
condition.
The close of another day brought only
another night of w~retchedness TO the
thousands of refugees at Kansas City.
kaS. Without water, ave for urgent
needs. without beds. the upper part
of the town beng unable to house in
any comfort the hordeS of refugees. to-
night bids fair to be a repetition of
others since the coming of the flood.
The Indebtedness. however. is more
mental han physical. although the dis
comforts are u to herdlng large
bodies of people in buildings not built
for the purpose IN trying to feed an
army without a commisSary depart
menr. ~Leavenworth TO the north. the
only way by which the suburb can be
entered with ~~u~nlies. is the place to
which all turn with hope. Rations suf-
ficient to last several days if carefully
economical We're brought in during the
day and additional bedding. clothing.
medicine and other supplies are expect
ed within the next twenty-four hours.
Much mental discomfort exists be-
cause of the separation of members of
families who had little time for escape
from the flood. Since Sunday. fathers.
mothers. wives. husbands. brothers and
sisters have visited every part of the
town. particularly the places of public
refuge. looking for missing members of
their families.
Something like order was brought out
OF the confusion today in the distribu-
ton OF such food as was at hand. With
the supply n short II became ap-
parent that the distribution must be
made systematic and a central station
for that purpose was opened. From
there the food is sent in proper rOpor
tons TO the various schools, churches
and other camps of the refugees. \
temporary hospital with medical at
PENDANTS has been established. Farmers
sold garden truck in the streets during
the day and 900 sides Of beef We're re-
ceiVed from the Swift Packing House.
This is the entire number OF beeveS
saved at that point.
Merchants of Kansas City. Kas.. have
bought up large quantities Of supplies
which will be shipped into the suburbs
as fast as possible, over the only line
of road open-the electric DAD from
L~eavenworth. has. Street cars in the
suburbs began to u after a fashion
today with power furnished by the
dynamos al L~eavenworth. The ack of
gas is severely felt and oil is scarce.
Flags of distress from partly u
dated buildings in ArTnourdale could be
seen from Kansas City. kaS. during the
day, and many rescues We're effected.
The day brought TO light no facts on
which to base an estimate Of the num-
Der of deaths IN the foo Possibly ten
bodies have been seen floating since
sunday h1Ir estimates made from this
are valueless. as some of the bodies
may nave floated down the kaw from
Topeka, the same bodies drifting in the