Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-07
M c. A. Building Corner Sixteenth and Douglas SITS

apparently dangerous, but the cars have
all got through so far, although yesterday
the rails spread under a light engine four
miles up and stalled both the Quincy,
Omaha & Kansas City and Grand Island
trains for four hours.
City as Though Besieged.
The enterprise of the railways and the
speed with which they have afforded relief
is everywhere a matter of comment. Be-
cause less spectacular the gigantic task of
relieving the want and suffering among the
thousands Of homeless refugees and safe
guarding the lives and property of other
citizens has not attracted general pub
lie attention. 1t was no light task un-
trained men were called upon to perform,
but they performed 1t nobly. They were
as IL encompassed by a hostile army come
upon them unawares, with famine threat
ening, no light, no water and Impoverished
internal transportation. They were sur
rounded with opportunities for the lawless
and the natural protectors of the city were
taken up with other work. Within a few
hours the militia were guarding the streets
and managed to prevent even a semblanco
of disorder. a relief committee had been
organized which managed to feed the hun
cry and clothe most of the naked, and
within a few days light and water and
transportation were provided from some
where and the crippled city supplied with
crlitches so perfect as to almost take the
place of genuine limbs. Much has been
said before OF the kansas City spirit
and those outside the limits have been
wont to scoff at It, but this week has
demonstrated it's very real existence and
given the people the right to be proud of
their corporate enterprise and genuine
public spirit ... ..
seems to be no doubt that what remains to
be done will be done expeditiously and in
short time all visible signs of the food
will have been removed forever
Loss Falls on Many.
The most serious matter is the heavy in
4 dividual losses sustained by those little
able to meet them. The freight loss is be-
yond computation and must be paid Sor
by the shippers or commission men dt-
| rectly interested, as the disaster is classed
in law as "the act of God" and conse-
quently not chargeable to the transporta-
ton companies. At the, same time in
isolated cases 1t is possible an EFFORT will
be made to recover some part of the cash
value. One shipper. for example, is al
ready preparing for a possible legal fight.
He had car of sugar in the yards. II was
drawn up as high as possible and was
| never completely under water. Still the
! lower bags were wet the contents dis
solved and escaped the higher bags sank
| down and were in turn affected till all were
gone. The owner claims negligence and
will try to convince a jury that he Is
right. Still, most of the litigation. which
is expected to provoke torrent OF words
| little less costly than the torrent of waters,
will undoubtedly be between the commits
sion men and the shippers, each Of whom
will claim that the damaged property was
| in the hands and under the care OF the
| other. The host of farmers and small
! property owners along the rivers will have
no redress and will have to make good
their own losses, while yet another multi
| tude whose household goods have been de-
stroyed will have to rely on charity or
] their own efforts to re-establish the little
homes which. poor enough before. are now
mere roofs to shield them from the ele-
ments.
Cruising Pig RrOwses on Trees.
The river today is filled with drift There
is more coming down than ever since Sun
day. the falling waters catching that which
was once stranded and carrying II further
/ uoNhs 4uAS 10 lOuBlnB III lnS trees anQ
against the trestle work which constitutes
the approaches to those bridges which still
stand 1t is curious debris. some of IT,
Among it is a pig. which browses con-
! tentedly as it cruises along in ten feet OF
water; a cat and her family OF kittens
which news with dismay as she views the
waters spreading all around her; a dead
COW, or sheep. half house, with the fur
niture still In place In the rooms, little
lSnicI-knacSs. deserted in the hour of trib-
ulation, goods and chattes OF all shapes
al sizes and all values, but Il tells ths
story. IL tells more graphically than mer
can paint the true nature of that terribl,
affiiction from which the city is just re.
covering.
River May Change.
This drift points out a new danger: 4
provides, evidence OF the probable chang,
in the course Of the two streams. Nor
mally the Missouri flows round the blum
at the foot of Main street after emerging
from the Hannibal bridge ana then cut
across TO the opposite shore which /
hugs for miles. Today the chief curren
seems to be to the north OF the Hanniba
bridge and thence TO the south OF tn
Milwaukee structure should this re
main unaltered neither bridge will b
OF any real service and the compare
lively easy task of rebuilding broken trestl
work will have TO be supplanted by the IA
greater one OF constructing new spans {
the old crossings The Kaw. too. is az
parently intent on remaining 20 the ives
of the Missouri Pacific bridge. saved alon
among seventeen companions by the pluc
of the man who weighted II dow
with it's value in locomotives and the
wired Mr.. Gould for permission. Her
too. II present indications fail not. a ne
structure win be necessary and the preser
imperfect ferry arrangements have to |
continued Indefinitely. For this reason
would not be surprtzing II with an the
energy, the railroads ars unable 10 restm
oid-time cOnveniencNs tin wen ON IN q
year However, even this may turn
the ultimate advantage Of The city. as
4 may mean a greater willingness ON q
y | nart OF thn ra..Ilh 10 acnada tn TIM nnnAll