The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-01
Current on Paved
Streets Is Terrific.

A steamboat could scarcely work its way
over to the Armour and Fowler plant from
either the Union Depot or the Kansas side,
although 1t would have to 60 over granite
blocked streets all the way, so dangerous
are the eddies and so terrific is the on
slaught of the waters
To-day's affair is flood on top of Hood.
At noon there was no thought of water get
ting into the depot. AT 1870 a Frisco en-
CINE died" as it entered the depot lines,
right under the Twelfth street viaduct the
flood rising to its fire and quenching' it.
Fifty locomotives were similarly caught.
They ,stand tonight in water well over
their boilers.
There Is not stick of two square miles
of stock yards to be seen except such as
are floating away. The great Live Stock
Exchange building is a breakwater for a
torrent which is fifteen feet I'D Its sides.
The hundreds of wholesale houses for i'm
plements. drugs and groceries every freight
house in the city but two. every house in
the two cities and every ice plant Is in wa
ter from ten TO twenty feet.
At the Union Depot tonight the water
measured eight feet in the ticket office and
is rushing through the windows at a rapid
rate.
No more damage can be done by the
kaw or the Missouri here They have
simply spread all over the flats. and the
bluffs are too steep for an inch. foot or
a yard TO have any appreciate effect.
The drift in the Missouri this afternoon
told the tale 1t changed from logs and
trees 10 houses. hundred went under
the Hannibal bridge in six hours and a
half. The bridge is cut Of on the Clay
County side, the Burlington and Wabash
tracks going under at 1 o'clock and to-
night are out for five miles.
Party of Rescuers
Starts From st. Joseph.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
st. Joseph. Mo-. May 31.-A rescnins party
of fifty men left ST. Joseph at o'clock this
afternoon for North Topeka to assist in
rescuing flood sufferers there. 1t was in
charge of Mayor Borden and Chief of Fire
Department Kane.
Fifty boats, including two steam launches
from Lake Contrary, were taken and the
fremen took ropes, pike poles and pro-
visions.
President ]. c. Let's Of the Commercial
Club, called meeting tonight for s o'clock
tomorrow morning to devise means Of as
sisting the Topeka sufferers. A message
was sent to the Kansas capital offering the
help OF thousand men II necessary.
Mayor Reed of Kansas City telephoned
Chief OF Police Frans at o'clock that help
was badly needed there, and the Chief or
ganized relief party at once. The Grand
Island had a special train in readiness. but
1t was learned that all the bridges across
the Missouri We're gone, and there was no
way Of reaching Kansas City. The advis-
ability of sending the train by way OF st.
Louis is under consideration.
The flood situation in the vicinity of this
city is worse than in 1881. The Grand Island
started train for Kansas City early in the
day and the Burlington ran plug to Leav-
enworth. otherwise railroad traffic is entire
ly suspended.
The entire portion Of the French Bottoms.
rich farming district north Of the city. IS
cut off. The farmers moved their live stock
| and families to places of safety early this
forenoon. The residents of Elwood. Kas..
| a suburb across the river from St. Joseph.
| have become alarmed and are moving out.
! The river is cutting rapidly on the Kansas
side and a rise Of another foot will cause
destruction of life and property. In a num-
Der OF small towns up the river people are
being rescued in boats. the water in the
| streets being from one to three feet deem