The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-06-05

recede.
At this time there are %thirty-four
known dead.
Jackson John, who was left on the
roof where his family was rescued from
their home, was zone when rescuers
came back for him.
Mrs. Ida Montgomery, who lived back
OF the Citizens Bank, on Kansas We
nue., drowned in her room Saturday
evening.
Henry L~udington, who lived in Oak
land, was last seen hanging to the
branches OF a tree in North Topeka Sat
urday morning.
Two dead bodies were seen by the
Munsey family, floating past the Mum
sey home.
A woman and baby were seen by
Carl Golf, Jr., son of the Topeka police
chief, TO fall from a house roof, the
bodies being swept away by the current.
Two unknown men were seen by an
Associated Press reporter to fall from
a house top.
An unknown girl died soon after be-
2ng taken TO the hospital after rescue
! from a house on Kansas avenue and
Gordon street Saturday night
An unknown woman who slipped from
a house top and drowned before a boat
which was coming to her aid, could
! reach her.
An unknown family Of seven bodies,
seen by resuer Smith, was floating in
the water in the second story of a west
side house.
An unknown woman and child, were
drowned while crossing to Oakland.
Four We're seen to fall from trees by
wathcers at the Sardou bridge east ap-
proach.
The distress of the sufferers is being
relieved. Thase who are still in North
Topeka are being supplied with food
and they are in practically no danger
unless it b. from sickness.
One of the most distressing features
of the ituation now is the possibility
that there viii be a spread Of contagious
diseases. People Of all classes are hud-
died together in houses not large enough
for them and on all sides they are sur
rounded by water Dctors and medical
relief cannot reach the sufferers to any
| great extent
This afternoon a case of dyphtheria
was reported from the Wooden mills in
North Topeka where a large number Of
i III ouUlllOH ~ Tic uullS l. z
is also a case or two of scarlet fever
among the refugees on the northside.
Hundreds of cases of measles are preva-
lent among the children.
The possibility Of an epidemic is now
the most serious thing the city must
! contend with. The physicians of the
city, under the direction of the city
health board, are making heroic efforts
20 1hna1- tl~nn +nrol -o1o~o;+-
Provisions of all sorts are becoming
scarce in Topeka. No freight trains
! have entered the city for several days,
and as large quantities of groceries
| were destroyed in North Topeka there
| will not be enough for the people to eat
| if the present situation lasts much long
err. It is charged that certain Of the
merchants have formed a combination
for the purpose of controlling the
| prices of provisions.
1t is reported that a local commission
firm bought UP all the potatoes in own
last Saturday and advanced the price
to fifty cents q bushel.
1t will be at least a week before
| freight rains from the east can enter
Topeka n perhaps longer. An effort
will be made to secure a stock Of pro-
visions from the smaller towns south
of here and this may relieve the situa-
ton somewhat.
The ood supply is rapidly becoming &,
! question Of vital Importance.
There was a run on every retail
| grocery and meat store in Kansas City
today. Persons almost over ran the
supply houses in a panicky rush to buy
up enough food to Last until the food
shall subside. There is but one whole
sale grocery store in the city that is
not under water, the Gregory Grocery
Company.
Merchants consider the food situation
an alarming one. Their supply is limit
ed to two or three days On everything
except canned goods.
The supply Of meat is scarcer than
anything else. Indications are that the
supply will not last after tomorrow.
The flood came at the time of the week
sNtssktshe packers hrders were lowest.
AkssIP g9Esvennt q. meat shortage
.EeNhybtsyaenas steamboat
- Exa Ne 8aIilwaukee
N1 aeseatsSfSah meat
The coal situation is no less alarming.
The coal companies have but a few tons
on hand. Today the prices for many
staple articles of o. began rising.
At noon Mayor Reed issued a peremp-
tory order for the closing of all the sa-
looms in Kansas City. Within an hour
the order had been carried into COM
plete effect.
Word was brought to police head
quarters today that a number Of men
were footing houses in the east bottoms.
They had improvised RATS from
boards and by propelling them with
poles were making their way into the
houses through the second story win
dows. As soon as his word was re-
ceived by Chief of Police Hayes he
ordered a detachment of officers to the
place with strict orders that if the story
found to be true the thieves should
be shot down at once.
President Roosevelt telegraphed to-
lo,y <~4~, TI1-o-~1 - TD,-1--o- D4;11 L