The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-06-01
WATERS FLOOD
KANSASC|TY,NO.
Reports Say Many Lives Have
Been Lost
GREAT DANGER FROM FIRES
City Is Without Water Supply, Flood
Having Disabled Pumping sta
tlon The Union Station
Rendered Useless.
BRIDGE GIVES WAY
AND 27 ARE DROWNED.

%S-s->->-~-~f>e-S-&-<-N-s-
: BRIDGE GIVES WAY
= AND 27 ARE DROWNED. =
y Kansas City. Mo-, June IA =
= message to the Times from Kansas y
y City. Kansas, by way of Leaven- =
= worth at o'clock this morning -
= says that twenty-seven men were y
y on the Union Pacific bridge, which =
= spans the Kansas river, when 1t -
y went down, and all OF the men y
y were drowned. 1t is said that y
= many persons saw the helpless =
= men drown.
]-%~-&-~-%%-4-%4-~@%4
Kansas City Kan. May s1.-The waters
OF the Kaw and Missouri rivers are near
ly Tour feet above the disastrous level
OF 1881 and their swollen tide has spread
over twelve square miles of the city and
Its suburbs. Kansas City tonight is en-
during the worst flood of it's history
In the valley of the Kaw or Kansas
river between this city and Kansas city,
Kan, report has 1t that a number of
lives have been lost. One report saws
that fourteen and another fifty, but in the
midst Of Generalization of traffic and
the ordinary means Of communication, 1t
is impossible to verify these reports.
Twelve bodies were counted as they float
ed past during the day.
In nearly every instance they were w.
ing across pieces of wreckage On the
roof Of cabin that came swirling down
could be seen the body of a woman and
her children.
Losses Are Great.
The financial loss has been increasing
all day and bids fair to continue. The
heaviest lost at Armourdale, where the
losses to the packing industry and others
is placed oonservatively at s2,5oo,oOO.
Argentine. another suburb. has suffer-
ed losses estimated at $500, ooO other
losses which cannot now be estimated will
increase the total very materially.
Armourdale, with a population of IS. 900
people. is deserted and its site marked
only by the tops of buildings and a num-
ber of fires.
Seven fires, believed to be chiefly box
cars burning, could be seen from the
bluffs tonight. There is some danger that
submerged buildings, adding greatly to
the already heavy loss. The fire start
ed by the intrusion of the flood into a
lime house.
The refugees from Armourdale for the
most part are huddled together in the
immense auditorium OF the convention
hall.
All Bridges Are Down.
All Bridges over the Kaw river are
down and the only communication with
Armourdale is by boat.
Kansas City tonight is without water
supply, the food having disabled the
pumping station, and the utmost care is
being taken that no fires shall break out.
Only one street car line in the city is
running tonight.
The city is blockaded with trains un-
able to get out. Not train mas gone out
OF the city, except east, today, and 1t
Is said that there is little prospect of an
Improvement In the situation for several
days
The stage of the river at o'clock to-
night was 80 feet inches. The previous
high record was made in 1881, when the
river rose to 26 feet inches. BY tomor-
row morning, according to the prediction
of Superintendent O'Connor of the wealth
er bureau, the level will be 81 feet.
The union station by the rise of the
HOOu lUQdy was TenOefed DTaCUcdlly use
less. At one end the water was three
feet deep. and at the other 1t was foot
higher.
There was a number of rescues, some of
them made by the narrowest of margins,
occurred during the day.
Two-thirds OF Argentine. a railroad and
manufacturing town on the south bank
of the Kansas river. six miles from Kan
sas City, Is inundated by ten to twenty
feet of water, and probably 100000 of
damage has been done.
Forty-hve hundred of the sixty-f1ve hum
dred inhabitants are homeless, and nearly
1900 are destitute. Five bridges have been
swept away, all the railroad tracks and
factories are under water, and business
is suspended Various rumors of loss of
life cannot be verified.
Aged Man Drowned.
William Heisler, rs years of age, Is
known to have been drowned near his
home in the east bottom this afternoon.
In company with his wife he started to
leave his home and both of them were
born down. Mrs. Heisler managed to
grasp piece OF floating sidewalk and
clung to 1t until rescued. Her husband
was unable to fight against the current
and was drowned.
Edward Blanchard city plumbing in
spector, is authority for the statement
that three women are Caught III the
freight house of the Union Pacific rail-
road. He declared that he saw them late
In the afternoon waving their hands and
begging for help. 1t was impossible for
anybody to reach them, .owever, and
they are still imprisoned
Hundreds of men caught in the packing
houses by the rapid rise, telephoned the
police for assistance from upper stories.
The police boats left the Missouri side
at IL o'clock. At 3 o'clock they had not
reached the packing house because at
that hour there were 100 men upon Its
roof and they raised the packing house
flag at half mast and let II float. II was
reported late tonight that all the men
had been taken off.
Among those who are said to have seen
people drowned was Sergeant Coughlin
who Is stationed on the Twelfth street
viaduct. From his station he saw some
distance away woman and three chill
dren afioat on the roof of a small cottage
Suddenly the wreckage gave lurch and
he saw occupants Of the roof no more