Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-06-01
One Hundred and Fifty PepOIe Are
Known to be Drowned,
DIED IN THE SANCTUARY.
Many Perisbed In n Church 60 Fires
Are out and waters Heeedibg
Buildings collapse


all over eastern Kansas beats are be-
ing rushed here for the rescue Of the
sufferers. The north end Of the Mellan
bridge, the only way Of reaching North
Topeka is entirely submerged, and an
efforts viii be made to strenth wire
cable across the bridge. All Of the pom
toon bridges to the north, side were
washed out early this morning, and the
only possible chance Of reaching the
then was by boats.
Shortly after daylight nine boats ar
rived from Ottawa on Il special train,
and they were put into active service at
once. Soon after reports Of drowning
began to come in. A boat containing
eight men was swept away in the swift
courrent at about Z o'clock, and, as FAR
as known all were drowned A boat
two men was capsized, The
boats were too frail to live in the swirl
ing waters,
The river remained stationary after
having fallen seven inches, Heavy
rains We're reported from up the
stream however, and II was feared that
another rise would set in,
Eighty-seyen people are high and dry
in the Page elevator, II the building
holds together they viii be rescued.
DROWNED IN CHURCH.
In the r street colored Baptist church
nearly a hundred people have been
since yesterday Many Of
them have doubtless fallen from eX-
haustlon before this and drowned, The
building stands intact, however and
those who are left alive may be res
Cucd.
North Topeka is a scene OF utmost
desOluation, Not square foot Of land
can be seen in any direction There
Is but a small chance Of any Of the
residences being left standing at the
end Of the food period,
Sherry, Oakland and the region about
the reform school, north Of North To-
peka. are all under the rushing waters,
but the situation Is favorable in these
places compares with that North
Topeka Is undergoing.
FIRES PUT OUT.
Nearly all the fires have been put out
by the heavy rain which fell all night.
The sky was overcast and the rain bid
fair to continue all day.
A man who has just returned from
the scene OF the food says he could see
as many as ten persons hanging from
trees near the Sardou avenue bridge
"a - ut 1 n o.
and Charles Walden. Santa Fe EN-
ployes, started out in boat early to-
day to rescue a Russian whom they
saw on top on a house not far from
the bank Of the river They got the
Russian In the boat, which Immediately
capsi2ed The three found resting
places In trees, where they remain at
this time, Another party is trying to
rescue the three,
WATERS RECEDING,
At 8 o'clock the water had recedcd
exactly one and a half inches an hour.
Before this rise Of an inch had been
reported. The gauge went up and
down all the afternoon until 3 o'clock,
when a fan set in At 4 o'clock the
water had left the first floor Of the
Rock Island general offices, but was
yet six feet deep Just outside the
building. II was then that a gang Of
telegraph linemcn succeeded in get
ting q heavy wire cable stretched
ic,oss the top Of the pontoon bridge
a lorge hand dipper was ATTACHED
to this and used TO take large luant-
ties Of provisions to those who were
not yet rescued,
Tho first food victim to be rescued
by means OF the cable was the Rev.
a. y. Peterson, pastor Of the North To-
reka English church. Mr.. Pearson
said. eve spent three days on the top
Of our house. We were fairly warmly
but had only two lOaves Of
bread for our family Of four during
that time. All day Saturday and today
We had nothing TO eat, our situation
was desperate and extremely uncom-
Portable. but we at no time lost faith
In the ultimate ability OF our friends TO
rescue US. Yesterday my wife and chill
dren were rescued Today my turn
came, and | cannot begin to tell how
thankful ] am
". n. leopard and wife, aged peo-
pie we've rescued at 4 o'clock They
were so nuiab that they could not feel.
and had to be knocked down into the
wator before the men could reach them.
Thcy were standing close together In
the attic Of a house. and so severe had
been their experience that their minds
gave way under the strain. They can
rot recover.
A Mrs. Anderson and her year.old
bapy have been for three days In a
tree IN plain sight Of the people, who
were powerless 10 rescue them. The
mother clasped her child close TO her
arms and managed to brace herself
against limb Ia a reasonably secure
position. For three days she kept up
the battle for life. 81 o'clock her
rescue was very near. but she lost con
soiousness. Both mother and child fell
Into the water and were drowned, be-
Ing Immediately drawn under by the
current.
Harvey Parsons, a local newspaper
man, had a thrilling experience. lie
.ook a boat Friday night and made his
way TO house IN the hope of making
some rescues. a woman and her baby.
names unknown, were IN the house,
md Parsons took them into his boat.
They had only preceded a short dis
lance when the boat oapsized. Parsons
-ontrived 10 get himself and the others
az into a tree, and there they remained
until o'clock this afternoon, when res
rued They were brought to a place OF
safety. but will probably not recover
Fourteen people had entered a strand
I'd street car. but soon had TO seek the
ioof Standfg in this uncertain posi-
ton for q hours, their condition was
desperate until they were taken OF
AZ AS with the aid Of the big cable
b, l.. Wise, former city engineer was
dragged from the hayloft Of 2 barn.
lie was unconscious and numb from
cold, but soon revived. His story OF the
beginning OF the flood II dramatic.
RESCUED FROM TREES,
By aid Of the small steam and gaso-
line launches 40 men In south Garfield
park were rescued. They had perched
themselves In trees They had had
nothing 10 eat for &c hours. These men
were In fenced grove. where they
,ould not keep a close watch OF the sit
lation. All they could see was the
angry water rushing about among the
trunks Of the trees. One Of the men