The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-06-02
FLOODS CAUSE DEsoLATIoN At
KANSAS CITY.
FEAR OF FAMINE ADDED
Food Supplies Running Short in Iso-
lated city-Thieves Loot.
ing Ruined Homes.

Kansas City, Mo, June It'll,
desolate aspect of the flood situation
here showed 40 improvement thi!
morning except that the fires which
it was feared last night would spread
were put out by the rain and the foot
itself.
So far as rail communication was
concerned, the city was almost ar
island. The only communication, ane
that very uncertain, was by a road
running southeast.
Business all over the city was sus
pended. Manufacturing plants on
high ground were compelled to shut
down, owing to the almost total shut.
ting off Of the water supply. Nc
street cars running, nor were
any railread trains going to or from
the city, northwest or south. The
blockade at the outlet to the south
east was SO severe that traffic in that
direction was practically at a stand
still.
Great anxiety is felt for the safety
of the people of Kansas City, Kan.
There has been no communication
with that city and exhaustive efforts
to get word from there this morning
failed of any result. Five reporters
who crossed the Kaw yesterday be-
fore the flood had become so serious
have not been heard from since.
Wires Are Down.
Telegraph and telephone wires
north, south and west were down and
there were only a few wires in shape
to do business east. n
The river gauge this morning show
ed thirty-five feet, having risen from
BOZ during the night. This is nearly
nine feet higher than the previous
high record in 1881. There was eight
feet OF water in the union depot. A
great swirling lake dotted with float.
ing cottages, trees, telegraph poles
and other wreckage., covers the low
lands as far as the eye can reach
Similar floating objects came rush
ing down the Missouri river, some OF
them possibly from Topeka.
The committees having in charge
the work of relief and rescue we're
busy early and a special meeting OF
the city council was held during the
forenoon.
Thousands of refugees at the con-
vention hall made their breakfast
from the rations issued by the relief
committee. The police have been
ordered to shoot on sight any one
caught plundering. The number OF
lost in this city cannot be learn
for some time and probably never
will be known definitely. However,
there seems to be ample v%erification
of reports which account for the loss
OF more than a dozen lives in the bot
Keen Anxiety Felt.
The keenest anxiety is felt over the
situation at Kansas City, Kan. One
rumor circulated during the night was
scores of people had persisted in
city, but owing to the fact that
there has been absolutely no communi-
cation with that place, there is a gen.
eral dispositici to discredit this and
other sensational reports.
That there has been some loss of life
there is regarded as probable. At
} o'clock this morning it was reported
police headquarters that there
vas no further loss during the night
far as known. All along the bank
u the river wagons containing ropes
we're stationed during the morning
n order that any emergency could
,e promptly met. Early in the morn
ng it was announced that there we're
number of people on the Milwaukee
and it was decided to send
ferry boat to their rescue.
An additional call was made from
hotel situated at the intersection
+ Fourteenth and Genesee streets,
There a number of people were re-
to be held in the upper stories
+ the building. The ferryboat was
rdered to take them off at the earliest
moment.
Word came from the stockyards {
lat there were twenty or thirty peo-
Ie caught by the flood in that dis
let. They were said to be in no i'm {
lediate danger, however, and will
IL all probability be taken off
sfore tomorrow or late this. after
ION. :