The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1903-06-05
KANSAS CITY'S
FIGHT FOR Life
UNSUITABLE RIVER STOUTLY
HOLDING ITS OWN AND LIT
TIE HOPE IN SIGHT.
CITY IS uTTtRlY HELPLESS
PRACTICALLY AT THE MERCY
OF THE FIRST FIRE THAT
BREAKS OUT.
CITY IS uTTtRiY ftlflfss
NUMBER or The Dad NOT KNOWN
DANGER NOW Is THAT FOUNDA-
TONS OF BUILDINGS MAY
BE UNDERMINED.

Kansas City. June 3.-With gas and
electric lights cXtinguished, the water
works shut down and the city prac-
tically at the mercy of the first fire
that shall break out; with railroad
transportation feeble and uncertain,
Kansas City may, if the waters do not
reCede within the mex two or three
days, be compelled to fight for her
very life. The skies are dark and
lowering-the rain is falling heavily
nor stormy weather is sweeping up
from the west, and the Unsuitable river
is stOutly holding its own. 1t is prac-
tically stationary now. but what the
food has it keeps. and there is no GER
tain promise Of when it will recede.
Chief Conner Of the weather bureau
says that while the outlook was for
continued rains, it would necessitate
a very heavy fall if the present high
water is to continue. However, wheth-
er this will come or not is something
he cannot tell.
The first authentic information from
Kansas City, Kan, was received last
night. In that district
10000 People Are Homeless.
A number which cannot be estimated
have been drowned, and the property
loss is heavy. The situation there is 2
parallel to the situation here, appar-
emily no better-and no worse. There
is no great probability that there will
be further loss of life if the river does
not rise very suddenly. All through
the wholesale district and in the east
and west bottoms there are people
still in hOuseS-many of them anxious
to be taken away-a gOodly number of
them content to remain where they
are, with all the chances of the flood.
The police have done wonders in
resculng people. and have probably
brought $50 of them safely to high
ground since sunrise yesterday. 1t is
utterly impossible to form any esti-
mate Of the dead in Kansas city. There
have been manifold stories of how
boats; laden with people have been
seen to sink-there have been reports
without end Of bodies seen floating by
on w~reckage-of men who have tried
to drive wagons laden with their
household goods
Against Certain Death
IN the swift current and gone down in
the food. The majority of these
stories lack proof, however, and even
If true, the proof may never be had.
There Is no possible was of getting at
the names of the dead, and no chance
OF forming any estimate that can
confidently be termed accurate. 1t IS
likely, however, that the number of
fatalities in Kansas City, Mo-, will ap-
proach fifty.
Down in the wholesale district peo-
pie at dusk were waving white cloths
to attract attention. The condition of
some of these is pitiable. They AVE
been held prisoners for two days,
threatened with death by drowning;
at one time by fire, and for the most
part without food, and for twenty-four
hours without drinking water. Every
effort is being made, and they will all
be saved to-day, unless the water rises
more, and this seems improbable.
The financial damage is about as
great now as it is likely to become, un-
less the water rises much higher than
at present.
The Great Danger
is that foundations may be under
mined and buildings with their con-
tents toppled over into the food. How.
ever, the situation is no worse than it
was yesterday morning, and buildings
that have withstood the flood all day
have an excellent chance of holding
out for some time against anything
the river might bring against them.
here has been no suffering in the
city beyond that sustained by the peo-
pie driven from their homes. There
has been excellent work done by the
local relief committees, and those in
control of this work are confident that
the city will be able to care for ito
own without calling upon the balance
of the state. Every demand has
promptly been met thus far, and the
only danger seems to be in a long
continued stage of high water. Then,
necessarily, the demand will exceed
the ability Of Kansas City to snupply.
Floods Are Abating.
Kansas City, June 3. - Dispatches
from scores of towns in Kansas last
night report the foods abating, though
rain is still falling in some places.
Improvement in Nebraska,
Lincoln, Neb., June 3. = The flood
situation is greatly improved in Lin
coin. The water in the western low
lands is between five and six feet be
low the high water point of Saturday,
and some of the drowned-out residents
have moved back to their homes not.
the intermittent showers
yesterday. A short distance
outside of Lincoln conditions are still