Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-01
In 1881. There was eight feet of water in
the union depot.
A Great Swirlinc Lake.

in 1881. There was eight feet of water In
the union depot.
A Great swirling Lake.
great swirling lake. dotted with float
ing cottages, trees, telegraph poles and
other wreckage, covers the lowlands as far
as the eye can reach.
Similar floating objects came rushing
down the Missouri river, some OF 1t possibly
from Topeka.
The committees having in charge the
work of relief and rescue were busy early,
and a special meeting OF the city council
was held during the forenoon.
Thousands of refugees at the Convention
Hall made their breakfasts from the lid
eral rations issued by the relief committee
The police have been ordered to shoot on
sight any one caught plundering
More Than Dozen Lives Lost.
The number of lives lost in this vicinity
cannot be learned for some time, and prop
ably never will be known definitely. How
ever, there seems to be ample verification
of reports which account for the loss OF
more than a dozen lives in the bottoms.
The keenest anxiety is felt over the situa-
ton at Kansas City, Kan. One rumor CT
culated during the night was that scores
of people had perished in that city, but o~-
ing to the fact that there has been abso-
lutely no communication with that place
since yesterday there is general disposi-
ton to discredit this and other sensational
reports.
That there has been some loss OF lie
there, however, is regarded as probable.
Preparing for Emergency.
At O. clock this morning it was reported
at police headquarters that there had Deeh
no further loss of life during the night, as
far as was known.
All along the bank of the river wagons
containing ropes were stationed during the
morning in order that any emergency could
be promptly met.
Early in the morning 1t was announced
that there were number Of people on the
Milwaukee bridge, and 1t was decided to
send the ferry boat to their rescue.
An additional call was made from hotel
situated at the intersection Of 14th ana
Genesee streets. where a number of people
were reported to be held in the upper
stories of the building.
Ferry Boat to the Rescue.
The ferry boat was also ordered to take
them off at the earliest practicable mo-
ment. Word came up from the stock yards
that there were twenty or thirty people
caught by the flood in that district
They were said to be in no immediate
danger, however, and will not In all PROB
ability be taken off before tomorrow or late
this afternoon.
Word was brought to police headquarters
this morning that a number Of men were
looting houses in the east bottoms. They
had improvised RATS from boards and by
propelling them with poles were making
their way into the houses through the sec
ond-story windows.
AS soon as this word was received by
Chief of Police Hayes he ordered a de-
tachment of officers to the place, with
strict orders that If the story was found
to be true the thieves should be shot down
at once.
Traffic Frustrated.
Never in the history of the west has there
been a more complete prostration of rail-
way traffic than exists at the present to
the west, south and north of Kansas City.
The approaches to the bridge of the Chi
cago, Milwaukee and st. Paul at Sheffield,
ten miles east of Kansas City, went down
this morning, although the bridge proper Is
intact and Is high enough to stand any
possible stage of water.
The fall Of the approaches to this bridge
leaves the Santa Fe bridge at Sibley,
twenty-five miles from here, the only
structure of the kind still standing.
There is no danger of this going down
and unless the water blocks the tracks
leading to 1t this line will manage to keep
up its service to Chicago without Interrupt
ton.