The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-06-06
NORTH Topeka IS
COVERED IN SAND
Great Heaps of Rivers Deposit
on Every Side
THE DEAD NOW NUMBER 78
People Working In the Flooded Dis
tricts Fear That Many More VIII
Be Found Drowned as the
Flood Reeedes.
THE DEAD NOW NUMBER 78

Topeka, Kan, June 5.-The dead in the
this number 3s are reported dead on good
authority.
A boatman this afternoon reported that
seven bodies had been found near the
north end of Harrison street. The unfor-
tunates were: Mrs. Jessie Shaw and four
children; a man and woman. named
Shunkwerter. all from Sherry.
The body of a man named Edwards was
picked up by a party near Soldier creek.
Other bodies found today were those of
Mrs. Nellie Watson, Mrs. Minnie Prayers
and George Mcdonald These were caught
in the wreckage. People working In the
flooded district fear that many more will
be found drowned as the flood recedes
and that the list of dead will not be far
from 100.
Thirty or more people are now classed
as missing. Without doubt some of the
bodies will never be recovered.
The water has now receded over six
feet and is going down at a rate of an
inch every hour. Good work is now be-
ing done to secure what property is left.
Damage Is Great.
In the part of town north and west OF
the Rock Island bridge the damage is
very great. The houses were mostly
small and II, the full force of the cur
rent.
The yards were swept clean of out
buildings and many of the houses turned
quarter of the way around and partial
ly slipped from their foundations. Fur
ther east the outbuildings are nearly all
gone but the houses are still standing.
few blocks west of the Kansas river
some of the outbuildings are still standing
and over town are scores and scores
of outbuildings in all sorts of positions.
The small houses which were In the full
force Of the current, are about the only
ones which were wrecked from their
foundation.
City Covered With Sand.
The greater part of North Topeka is
a great waste of sand piled up over the
Streets house floors, railroad tracks and
everything, burying the city from a mere
coating to a depth of TWO or three, and
some places four feet All over the west
part Of the city the sand banks are every
where. The Union Pacific and the Rock
Island tracks are covered with 1t In
places to depth Of three feet, and In
the ties. Door yards are piled high with
sand. On some of the houses 1t reaches
to the windows, and Is banked up against
the DOORS At others 1t Is piled In the
dooryard and a big dish In the sand
bank is left near this where the current
swirled around. The sand is all over the
city. Along Gordon street, where all the
boatmen were wary and careful while the
water was at its height, there are great
sand banks along each side,
The middle of the street Is still almost
clear of sand, but on each side where the
current was not so swift there are banks
filling many of the yards up to the
porches. The sand is not level but Is in
great waves and piles and banks. There
are tons and tons of 1t, and the water is
slowly sweeping out and leaving 1t there,
an immense weight, unproductiye and
barren.
Generous responses are being made to
the appeals for aid.
From all over the country kilograms are
being received authorizing the officers to
draw on organizations for funds The To-
peka Water company hopes to resume
service tonight.