The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-30
CAUSE FOR ALARM
Little Arkansas River Is Bank
Full and Still Rising
, DANGER FROM FLOODING
Big Force Of Men Protected
Bridges and LeveeS Last Night

Up to midnight last night mucn didTin
was felt that the portion of the city south
of Murdoch avenue and west of Main
street would be flooded from the Little
Arkansas river breaking over the levee,
and the danger is not over by any means.
The river broke through the levee just
east Of the Greiffenstein bridge yester-
day afternoon and began backing up
into the park. A big gang of men were
put to work last night strengthening the
levees and building new ones to prevent
the recurrence of the flood in the north
park.
Yesterday afternoon the Little Arkansas
river at the Greiffenstein bridge rose at
the rate of foot an hour for several
hours, and the last report from the river
at l O'Clock this morning indicates that
it is still rising. Reports from up the
river indicate that it will rise a foot or
more today.
1t was reported here last night that
at Valley Center and Sedgwick the Little
Arkansas river was higher at O'Clock
last night than in any year since 1856.
The high bridge south of Sedgwick is re-
ported unfit for use and one south of
Valley Center is covered with water The
Zig steel bridge west of that point is re
garded as dangerous and force of men
are constantly on guard to keep drift
from catching There is thirteen feet of
wate- in the Little Arkansas river at
Valley Center and still rising three inches
an hour was the report received last
night
Early yesterday morning the river be
gan rising slowly and the park commits
sioners Immediately set a large force of
men at work along the river banks pre-
pairing for the big rise which was report
ed coming, and it was well that they did.
Yesterday telephone messages received
here stated that the people along the
river at Buhler and Burton were ns0yinS
out on notices from above that heavy
rains had fallen and an unprecedented
volume of water was coming down. Some
have moved to higher ground between
this city and Sedgwick.
The Eagle received a number of mes
sages yesterday from points along the
Little river and every one stated that
the river was the highest it had been in
recent years and was still rising. Last
night another heavy rain fell to the north
end west All the ravines and creeks
are full and the back water is covering
the fields near the rivers. At a number
Of points the bridges are submerged and
I the water is washing about the piers and
abutments. The approaches of a number
of bridges have been washed away.
Until last night the river here did not
l,o 50
high as last year and there was not much
driftwood. The river is higher now than
last year and but for the work of con
siderable number of men the water would
have broken through in a number of
places. The water is touching the string
ers of the Greinenstein bridge. Men are
guarding all of the city bridges to keep
the driftwood from catching on the piles
The street car company had men out all
day yesterday and last night.
The dam has been strengthened and
there is little danger of it going out but
oil are afraid that the water will cut
through some place on the south bank
and a few minutes would be enough to
start a flood down over the city. The
river yesterday was half a foot above
the level of the land adjacent to it and
is only held by the levees which are
water soaked and weak. They have been
protected as far as possible. Should the
river rise as much as is reported to the
north. business houses would do wal to
get their goods out of Easements. II will
require but a five-inch rise to let the
water go over the levee in a number of
places.
There is little danger from the Big
river going over its banks at present. 1t
is a little early for the June rise and the
rain water has never been known to
send it out of it's banks.
Nearly every train was late yesterday
from half an hour to three OF four.
TheSe were no washouts reported but the
water is over the track in a number of
PAGES and the track is so soft that the
engineers viii not run on schedule. The
Missouri Pacific. Frisco and Santa Fe
trains north and west are suffering the
most, as it was in that section that the
heaviest rains fen.
Yesterday both the Bell and Independ-
ent Telephone companies announced that
they were not doing business with Salina
or Abilene. Both of these towns are I'M
der water as well as Marion. An Eagle
reporter talked with man in Marion
yesterday who was standing in three feet