The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1903-06-05
KANSAS KANSAS FLOOD
GREATEST FLOOD IN THE HIS.
TORY OF THE CITY.
Millions Of Dollars Loss Will Result
Loss of, Life Is AppaIIing-Eight
Fires Add to the misunderstanding
Houses Suffer Most-Heavy Rains
Cause River to Rise Fast.

Kansas City, Mo-, June 1.-The
greatest flood in the history of Kansas
City, Kan, and the bottoms of Kansas
City, Mo-, prevails here, and millions
OF dollars loss will result. A great
body Of water coming from the west
swelled the Kansas river at Kansas
City, causing most alarming rise.
Waters rushed with terrific force over
the outlying railroad tracks and the
crowded Wholesale districts of the west
bottoms, and finally into the Union de-
pot. Fifteen persons have drowned IN
the west bottoms during the day. Be-
cause of the difficulty of recovering the
bodies Identification of most of the
dead is impossible.
At o'clock Sunday evening eight
distinct fires were burning in the flood
districts between Eleventh and Bluff
streets, three blocks west of the Union
depot. 1t is impossible to reach the
fires. All the fires appeared to be iso-
lated, except one at Eleventh and Bluff
streets, which started in lime ware
house and spread to a fruit ware
house.
At 10 o'clock a mile of big whole
sale houses, elevator and freight de-
pots were entirely surrounded, base
ments that yesterday were partially
submerged were soon brimful, and wa
ter began to reach the first floors.
Within Is minutes the tracks enter
ing the western end of the union de-
pot were entirely submerged, and at II
o'clock the water had risen at such a
rapid rate that the thousands of de-
1ayed passengers were making prepare
lions to leave for the high ground up
town. Trains that have been waiting
in the depot for hours for an oppor-
tunity to start west and south stand
foot deep in water. No trains have
left Kansas City for two days.
Kansas City, Mo.
Kansas City, Mo-, June with
the waters of the Kansas and Mis-.
souri, rivers nearly four feet above
the disastrous level of 1881 and their
swollen tides spread over ~ square
miles of the city and suburbs, Kan
sas City is enduring the worst food OF
its history.
The financial loss has increased all
day and bids fair to continue. The
heaviest loss is at Armourdale, where
the loss to the packing. industry and
Others is placed at 81, $780, O0.> Argen
tine, another suburb, has suffered
losses estimated at 100000.
Seven fires, believed to be chiefly
box cars, could be seen from the bluffs
tonight. There is some danger that
the flames will spread to the partial
ly submerged buildings, adding greatly
to the already heavy loss.
All bridges over the Kansas river
are down, and the only communication
with Armordale is by boat.
Kansas City is without water sup
ply, the flood having disabled the
pumping station, and the utmost care
is being taken that no fires shall break
out.
The stage at o'clock tonight was
80 feet inches. The previous high
record was made in 1881, when the
river rose to rs feet inches.
Flood at Argentine.
Two thirds of Argentine, a railroad
and manufacturing town on the south
bank of the Kaw river, six miles from
Kansas City, is inundated from 10 to 20
feet Of water, and probably 100000
damage has been done. Five bridges
have been swept away, all the rail
road tracks and factories are under
water and business is suspended. For.
ty-five hundred Of the $500 inhabitants
are homeless, and nearly 5000 are
destitute.
= :. At ArmourdeIe.
Three fourths of Ar1hordale was sub
merged under an ocean of water, the
packing houses on the Kansas river
here were entirely surrounded, and Is
feet of water surrounded the Schwarz-
schild' & Sulzberger and Swift plants.
The Kansas City police spent all night
rescuing persons.
At Schwarzschild's plant $50 per-
sons, employees and people in the vi
cfnity who had been driven from their
homes, are imprisoned. They have
been held there since early last even
ing. They are safe frem harm, but