Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-06-01
DEVASTATING FLOODS IN KANSAS
DESTROY UNTOLD WEALTH AND LIFE
Railroad Traffic Stopped Through SunOwer State Suffering
Intense but First Reports Greatly Exaggerated.

anG lowed Missouri valleys in the
past forty-eight hours. and rain is fall
ing over the greater part of Kansas,
Iowa. Missouri and Nebraska this
morning
Situation at Topeka.
TOPEKA, Kans.. June 1.--At 5
olock this morning the Kaw river is
almost at a standstill, with slight
tendency towards falling. There is
no rising water from above. The rain
has fallen without cessation for the
last seventy-two hours, but at no time
has it been in, the nature of a cloud
burst. Boats have crossed from the
south side to North Topeka with
abundance of provisions. A number
of people have been pulled across the
stricken district over wire cable
where the Melin bridge stood 1t is
now believed that the number of lives
lost in the flood here will not exceed
twenty. No lives were lost in the fires
and only eight buildings were de-
stroyed by fire. Early reports were
unayoidably exaggerated The burn
ing lumber piles gave the impression
that the whole north part of the city
was going, and no one was found who
placed his estimate of the loss OF life
under the hundreds With the smoke
cleared away, the kaw falling and
communication by boat less difficult,
additional light on the subject was re-
ceived this morning, and the reduction
in the estimated loss of life followed.
About 200 people are still at North
Topeka. $50 OF them being in the up
per story of the woolen mill. They
are well fed, but are extremely un.
comfortable.
The following is the list of known
dead: Henry Jordan, colored Mr..
Ward, an aged man. Arthur Stitt,
|
| five-year old son of Mr.. Garrett, child
OF Mrs. Storey. Miss Louise Zahaven,
Mrs. Jackson, a widow; Henry Lud-
dington, Mrs. Ida Montgomery, Earl
and Amelia Rutt both children; An
drew Pretzel.
The property loss, from best esti-
mates now possible, will amount to
approximately $l,000,00O The whole
Of North Topeka is still under water
seven feet deep. While the two hun
dred people penned up in the second
stories of houses have plenty of food,
they are in great need of drinking wa
ter. which is being supplied as rapidly
as possible in barrels and cans.
The great fear at present is that
some buildings in North Topeka may
collapse because of their foundation
being undermined by the water
At noon today the river showed a
falling of over an inch from the pre-
vious hour. The family Of T. J. p.
Irish, consisting of five persons. are
reported missing. The work Of relief
is being carried on nobly. A sad fea.
ture Of the situation is the tendency
of thieves to loot buildings. They &c
in by RATS and boats away out in the
l cuburhc uyhara fbo boronc ora o1,c,,
doned
President Roosevelt telegraphed to
day from Cheyenne to Governor Bail
ey Offering the assistance OF the fed
eral authorities IL needed as follows
Cheyenne, Wyo., June /: Hon. J. w
Bailey, Topeka Kans.-Am inexpres
sibly shocked at reports Of the dread
full calamity that has befallen Topeka
II there is anything the federal auth
critics can do Of course let me know
THEODORE HROOSEvELT.
| The message reached the governor
at IL o'clock this morning.
Terrible But unestimated.
| ST JOSEPH, Mo, June LA tel
phone message from Kansas City
kans., says 200 people were drowned
at that place Sunday afternoon BY th,
crashing of four bridges across III,
kaw river by big tank Of the stand
ard Oil company. The tank, whicl
had been surrounded by the ragin,
water broke loose and swept agains
the bridges. upon which there wer,
many people watching the food Tn,
bridges, with the exception of that o
the Mssouri-Pacifc railroad, wer,
crushed like kindling wood and 20,
people were destroyed. The food hal
rendered 10000 people In Kansas Cit,
homeless.