Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-02
Kansas City in Darkness and Loss Of Lif
is Unknown,
BELIEVED THAT OVER FIFTY ARE DEAD
ArmOurdale is Gut Of and Property Loss
is 0onjeoturaL
DEPENDS ON WHETHER BUILDINGS STAND
Work Of Rescue Rapidly Progresses, but
Many are Yet Exposed,
SOME EVEN REFUSE TO LEAVE HOME
Only Hope of No Further Fatalities
IL Cessation of Rains and Rise
of Waters, of which No
Sign Is Apparent
(From a stan Correspondent

CFrom a staff Correspondent.)
KANSAS CITY, Mo-. June 1.-(Special
Telegram. Ozark and wet and cheerless.
with street cars, trains light and water
cut of Kansas City is beginning to view
its wreck after the stupendous catastrophe
which has apparently reached its zenith.
Business Of all kinds is crippled indefinitely,
Armourdale and half a dozen of lesser
towns and villages have been swept from
the map and countless thousands rendered
homeless. The loss of life has been appall-
ing, probably $50 in the two states and
the loss of property so stupendous that
none dare yet even guess at II in detail.
So far the most conservative estimates
place the damage at $5O,000,000 but this Is
mere juggling with figures for till some
semblance of order is restored and men
can get at the half submerged buildings
In the east and west bottoms no one can
measure the disaster But in addition to
property actually swept away there is a
vast loss of time and wages to be reckoned
with and the sums spent in relief and pro-
lection to be accounted for.
Tonight Kansas City is as the abode of
the dead. men huddle over candles as IL to
guard each feeble ray OF light since even
their uncertain glimmer may soon be taken
from them by the exhaustion of the supply.
They shield, too, each precious drop OF
water, which is selling at 10 cents a pail or
81 a barrel. They watch each scrap of
food, fearing a famine before communion
ton. with the world is reopened They
tramp the streets, unable TO ride, since
nature has conquered man and the Missouri
has retaken the land wrested from 1t In the
past. For years a gradual process of re-
clamation has gone on. till the main chan
mel has been about cut in half. For years
uhnd L., ~.
but the pride which comes before a fall.
Now the elements have combined against
him and humbled him everlastingly
Rivers Changing Courses. 3e
Indeed indications are not wanting to-
night that the punishment is TO be as
lasting as its first sting was severe. for
with the Kaw and. the Missouri, said by
river men to be changing their courses
Should this come to be true the Kaw will
flow through the center of what once was
Armourdale and the Missouri will cross the
network of tracks which skirt it's bank
west of the city, NominaIly this in itself
would be great disaster but now II IA
viewed with equanimity, for seventeen OF
| the eighteen bridges which span the
streams are down. Armourdale is no more
and it will be as easy to reconstruct on
| new ground as on old.
| burned themselves out and the flood has
been stationary since this afternoon, but
even with these signs of hope the general
situation could hardly be worse. Standing
| on the bluffs skirting the town a scene of
! desolation meets the eye. Away in the
distance, through a haze of driving rain,
| is Kansas City. Kan, cut or since yes
terday from all communication with this
| city. To the left is the tall tower OF the
| Armourdale elevator, which alone marks
| the site of the submerged suburb Dotted
| about here and there, on gaunt spider-lilse
] pillars of iron, is all that remains OF sew
enteen bridges; in the foreground are half
burned houses, the tops of box cars and
passenger coaches and the occasional fun.
mel Of a hopelessly compressed locomotive.
About II surges the great sea Of water
| tearing along in impatient haste, battering
| each surviving lone mast with huge bulks
of timber, masses of united houses. car
casses of stricken beasts and all manner
| OF debris, as II striving to remove even
the last vestige Of mans handiwork
People are Optimistic,
Still, in spite OF It all. and this is perhaps
] the most remarkable feature OF the whole
| tragic situation, the entire city is ami
mated by an intense spirit of optimism.
| There is no lack Of information. Everyone
fully realizes the disaster and is prepared
for the worst. Everyone realizes that It
must be weeks. II not years. before the
wheels Of industry grind as before, but no
one is discouraged. The men one meets on
the streets and these the refugees, who
crowd the churches and Convention hall
go about silently with heads turned away
It is true, but proudly. and as II to say
I'VE are citizens Of no mean city, we will
overcome"
1t is this spirit OF optimism which is the
ominous light patch in an otherwise
murky sky, which has bred that brother
hood OF affiiction TO which thousands owe
their comfort. In the churches and con
vention hall are some TOO families rescued
with their lives alone, who depend often
on charity for the very clothes which
cover their nakedness. They are being
cared for by the citizens at large, guarded
by the militia, fed by Fifts prepared by
volunteers from the walters union and
nursed and attended by those trained 10
these arts. who. like others, give their
services free, and as II is in these the
greater things Is II also in the less.
With the street cars shut down, the man
with the buggy is twice blessed. Blessed
both I'm its use and in the aid II lends 20
others with short water. Householders
are sharing each drop. With candles at
premium they are lending their light TO
their neighbors and may come soon TO the
, dividing OF food. So proud are these peo-
|. pie in their affiiction that they have cast
/ aside all thought OF outside aid They
have resolved to stand together and re-
J build alone what the waters have destroyed
II was for this reason that Governor
Dockery today withdrew his prOclama-
tion asking help for the stricken city but
/ a few hours after its issuance
Details of the Disaster.
KANSAS CITY Mo-. June with gas
and electric lights extingulshed, the water
I works shut down and the city practically
! at the mercy Of the first fire that shall
, breFk out; with railroad transportation
feel lie and uncertain, Kansas City may, II
the waters DO not receds within the next