New-York tribune., 1903-06-01
KANSAS CITYS DEAD.
T7geI7,e Bodies Counted-LOsses ET-
ceed Three billions.

Kansas City Mo-. May 31--With the waters
of the Kaw and Missouri rivers nearly four rect
above the disastrous level of 1881. and their
swollen tide spread over twelve square miles OF |
the CITY and its suburbs. Kansas City tonight is
in the worst flood of its history
In the valley of the Kaw. or Kansas. River. De-
tween this city and Kansas City. Kan. twelve
bodies were counted as they foated past during
the dav. In nearly every instance they were ly-
ing across pieces of wrecHage. on the roof of a
cabin that came swirlins down could be seen
the body of woman and her child One report
saws that there have been fifty deaths. but owing
to the decentralization of traffic and of the ordi-
nary means of communication it is impossible
to verify this Numerous rescues some of them
made by the narrowest of margins, occurred
ARMoURDALE's GREAT LOSS.
Tho financial loss has been increasing all day
and bids fair to continue. The heaviest loss is
at Armourdale. where the losses to the packing
industry and others placed conservatfveiy
at S25OOOO0 Argentine another suburb mas
suffered losses estimated at S1oo'Voo- oSher
losses. which cannot be estimated, VIII IN
crease the total materially
Armourdale. with population of sixteen thou
sand people, deserted ana iss site marked onis
by the tops of buildings and a number OF hres-
SEVEN FIRES IN THE CITY
Seven fires, believed be chiefly box cars
| burning, could be seen from the bluffs to-nlgh'-
There is some danger that the flames will spread
~ the partially submerged buildings. adding
started from the flowing of the flood into
Iimehouse-
The refugees from Armourdale for the most
part are huddled together in the immense auui-
toriun of the Convention Hall, although seVerai
hundred found refuge with friends in more fort
innate parts of the city
Tvo-frirds Of Argentine is under water More
than fifteen hundred people in this SUBURB iou"N
safety in the higher parts of the town
All bridges over the Kaw River are down. ana
communication with Armourdale is by
boat
PTTNPING STATION DISABLED
Kansas CITY tonight is without water sup
n1v the flood having disabled the pumping sta
tior. and the utmost care is being taken that no
,, breax ont. Even small fire. it is
feared would start confiagration- oniy oi'7
..-ootcar line In the city is running tonight
.,.u - the disabling Of the power plants by
the flood
The railroad yards are biockaoeo With ''o'H'
unable TO get out Not train has gone OUT o'
tho citv except to the East to-day, and II Is saio
there is little prospect of an Improvement IN tne
situation for several days
Tho stage of the river at O'Clock tonight
ms 2o feet inches The previous high record
was made in 1881. when the river rose TO % rect
| . inches. BY tomorrow morning, according TO
| ~. nrediction of Superintendent O'Connor, Of
| the Weather Bureau, the level will be 81 feet
The Union Passenger Station. by the rise OF
| the food to-day rendered practically use
] less At one end the water three feet deep
| and at the other four feet. In the baggage
room baggage was fastened to tackle and sus
| pended In the air out of reach or the water
FORTY FIVE HUNDRED HOMELESS
Two-thirds of Argentine railroad ana manu-
featuring town on the south bank OF the kansas
| 80 si rouas from Kansas City. is inundated
! bv ten to twenty feet of water ana prooaD''
| s5oo ooo damage has been done Forty-n'e
| hundred of the sixty-hve hundred lnhaoilan'S
are homeless and nearly three thousand are
| destitute Five bridges have been swept ava
all the railroad tracks and factories are uiue'
| water and business is suspended various ru-
| o-s or loss of life cannot be verified, but an
unknown negro woman is believed to have been
| crowned She was clinging to log which
| .,-,c,s the accumulated wreckage at bridge
| and was carried under.
MANY BRIDGES SWEPT AWAY.
The Santa Fe Railroads loss is very heavy
| bu+ can scarcely be estimated until the HOOD
| obatas The railroad has one hundred miles OF
| +rack in the Argentine yards. and several miles
Of freight stand submerged some cars
| have broken loose from their trucks and fioated
| down the river The current has left the old
| channel and has moved south, taking all the
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