The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-06

Councilman John c. Light and family of
G1eensburg. were at the park and at
counted for.
Two silk sisters of West jeanette
Alfred Zeipp, aged years. of West
May Bird. Manor hotel, jeanette.
John Miller. II years old, Lewisburg.
The people are still too excited to talk
of the flood and it is with difficulty Il
complete death and injured list can be
compiled All the residents claim that
more bodies went down in the flood, but
the rumOrs were so numerous that they
can't all be run down
Several persons are reported as miss
ing from their homes along the stream
and many anxious parents almost frantic
searching for their lost children. Up until
an early hour this morning children have
been found, but few are SUI missing
who may be drowned.
Stories of thrilling rescues are heard on
all sides and many acts Of bravery are
reported, the heroes being persons who
risked their lives to save others One man
whose name could not be learned. was seen
by several persons making a great eff ort
to rescue a woman, presumably his wife
shortly after the flood hit the waiting
room. The man was In an apparently
his struggles to get to the woman he lost
his hold and both We're swept away with
the torrent and probably lost.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
A rescuing party was organized by
DIR. NJ. F. Freshwater and K. Joseph
Hoffman, Immediately after the wall of
water had passed. DR.. F'reshwater
stated this morning that they had res
cued fully $50 persons who had been
thrown into the streams by their houses
being overturned. Many houses were
seen by them floating down the stream
upside down, sideways and in every pos
sible manner.
Mrs. -Schrader. one of the victims, was
asleep in her home at the time the flood
started. When Mrs Schrader aWolke
she tried TO get out of her home. AS
she opened the door in view of the score
OF people who were watching the water
old as she was. saw her peril and rush.
ed to the second floor of her house. Then
her house was swept from its founda-
tions and taken down with the swirling
current.
When the house was floating in mid
stream nearly opposite the Pennsylvania
railroad station persons who were
watching the floating residence sudden
~ saw the shingles of the root fly off.
With a piece of board the frenzied wo-
man. with death staring her in the face,
was trying to get out on the top of the
roof in the hope Of having herself.
Her strength failed her, however. and
with uplifted hands and in all proba-
bility a prayer on her lips, Mrs. Schra-
der went to her watery grave. Shortly
after the house was broken up by others
hitting It and the body of the drowned
woman was seen to float out in the
stream. but despite all efforts to rescue
her body she went down with the other
debris.
Four of the members of the family of
William Nigga. Polish coal miner.
were drowned in the flood.
At the time of the flood the father was
visiting a neighbor. He attempted to
reach his home to rescue his family but
failed The house was swept down the
stream at a swift rate. As the house
was rushing on 1t was struck by heavy
timbers and the occupants. seven in
number were hurled into the water.
Three of Nigga children were rescued,
but Mrs. Nigga. with Polly, aged Z, Jo-
sephine, aged 8 and the baby named
Frank, years old, were drowned. Their
bodies have not been found
Midway between the Pennsylvania
railroad station and the Penns ylvania
culvert along the Brush creek bank
stood the house of Frederick Dieckhe-
man. a two-story frame structure. The
family barely escaped to the second
story and finally to the garnet. Here
they tried to save some of the people
who hoated by them but all their efforts
went for nauEht
Fortunately this house withheld the
force of the current and all the mem
bers of the household were saved.
Lying down in the debris at the
Pennsylvania culvert is the body OF
James WestWOOd SO years of age. a bar
tender, who worked at the Weunie
hotel jeanette. When the water mum
dated the cellar Of the Westwood house
the husband and father went into the
yard, and he has not been seen since.
The body of Geo. Wightman, who was
killed by lightning, was today fished
out of the water by his companions.
SECOND DAM GOES OUT.
Almost together with the dam al
Oakford Park, the Fort Pitt dam
about half a mile north of this place
gave way, carrying wide destruction
along the valley of Bull creek. which
empties into the larger stream of Brush
creek in the lower part of jeanette. The
Fort Pitt dam serves to supply the Forl
Pitt gas works a that point. It was
rebuilt about eight years ago, when 4
was torn down in the same manner as
yesterday. To add to the alaFm caused
by the disaster in Oakford Park, it wa
reported this morning that the big res
ervoir of the Westncrland Water com.
pany at Radabaugh. about mile from
this town. was likely to give way anu
that the people in the vicinity had taken
fright and fed to the uplands. The