The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-31
Lives Lost by Scores and Perhaps by inc Hundreds.
 Others Arc Beyond All Aid.


 their homes. Every public building In the city is sheItering scores of homeless | people Y | The Rock Island has received a report that the river Is falling at Manhattan. onsetting this comes report that watersoout has started a foot rise down the Blue River
 Flood conditions are getting worse at Lawrence. Over five hundred people in the north part of town are homeless. The large flour mill belonging to Con- gressman J. D. Bowerock was destroyed at loss of $150000. Several miles of railroad track are washed out. Commu- nication with Salina, which was lost. was established for short time today by way of Denver. A despatch from there says the flood conditions have improved. big rise in the Smoke Hill River last night caused many more to leave their homes and hundreds are now encamped on the hills east of town. Most of the busi- ness houses are closed.
 Hays City has been on an island since Tuesday. No trains have been running there this week. The town is small and the stock of provisions is getting very low. People are suffering greatly. The outlook in Council Grove is appalling On smaller scale the situation there is much the same as that of North Topeka been to death in fire started by slackening lime. Reports received from there late today say there Is small prospect of the water failing for another twenty-four hours
 Four hundred houses burned and the whole of North Topeka will go As near as can be learned about 15o persons are dead Most of these were burned to death. Burning houses are floating about | setting n lou, ,,f the burning buildings contain ten feet of water. The current Is so strong that no boat can approach any of the burning | buildings. People are gathered on the l tops of houses and will meet death either oy nre or drowning he cries of help | can be diSttnctly heard a mile away. The whole city Is wildly excited because Of the fact that no aid can be extended to the sufferes. The river at North To- peka is five miles wide. No possible esti- mate of the financial loss is obtainable but it can be stated that 1t will reach into the millions.
 | North Topeka was the manufacturing district of the city. Three large flour | mills. three woolen mills and other manu- | featuring enterprises are entirely destroy ed. he water supply of the whole city has been cut of. The water from the | river extends nearly a, mile on the south | side. The Rock Island depot has had to
 
 this side of the river are also homeless, but no loss of life has resulted in South Topeka. The Kansas Avenue bridge is the only one across the river for miles and the approaches to that bridge are flooded by thirty feet of water pontoon bridge Is being erected in an effort to reach the sufferers.
 Seven thousand or more people are on this side of the river, sheltered in the public buildings Topeka is now able to | take care of all the unfortuantes. The work of caring for the refugees is being pushed with the utmost rapidity. From the State House dome as many as eight fires can be counted in different l quarts of North Topeka. The whole cen- | tral portion of the city had been burned I out at 10 o'clock tonight and it is safe to say that by morning not a house in the main part of North Topeka will be left standing. When 1t is stated that North Topeka has 10000 inhabitants the extent of the disaster can be realized. People are clinging to the roofs of l houses and the limbs of trees and many are giving up in despair and dropping into the waters below to be carried away by the swift current. It is death by fire | or drowning to four hundred unless means can be found for the rescue.
 Efforts are being made to contract a steam launch to go to the aid of the suf- | ferers, but whatever is done must be done promptly or the loss of life will be ap- palling.
 A. P. Baldwin. who at great risk of his life. crossed in a boat to the north side returned at 10 o'clock and reports that nothing can possibly be done to save the city from burning. Miss lola Troutman, sister of ex-Lieutenant Governor Trout man, was rescued with her aged father late tonight. They had spent the entire day on the roof of their house and were just about to drop into the water when aid came.
 Chief of Police Gofr. Thomas Page and A. c. Holman. all of prominent families of the north side, are among the vic. tins. Mayor Bergundthal was rescued I by Dr. L. L. Powell In boat after re- maining on a boat all night.
 Congressman Charles Curtis. with his family. left the flooded district this morning but his aged mother refused to go. saying she had seen much worse floods than this This evening two men at the risk of their own lives succeeded in getting the old lady away safely. Mrs. A F. Snyder. with her four children. all stricken with measles. were rescued Many thrilling escapes are told of. A company of militia has taken charge ot the work of rescue and owing to their efforts several hundred people have been saved who otherwise would have per ished.
 The situation of the beleaguered people tonight is desperate In the extreme. Not only are they threatened by fire and wa ter. but through long exposure in the cold, dismal atmosphere. without sufn- cient clothing they would have died ir any event. Delicate women and children have been without food or shelter since early last evening.
 [ All telegraph communication in To peka, the scene of the terrible force tonight, was lost soon af ter o'clock this evening and the only means of communication was g slow working telephone wire secured at 9:4 tonight.
 Several of the rescued told of witness ing the drowning of persons during th' day. The names of the drowned canno be given tonight as 1t Is impossible tt ascertain the correct number of victims VIII Wright, who manned one of thu boats. told of the death of a mother an( child which he witnessed and which s' affected him that he could not continu' his work. His story Is as follows: T was just returning with woman and two children from a house nea
 North and Harrison Streets. As I wa
 coming back in Van Buren Street, wo man with a child climbed out onto th' porch and attempted to get into the boat The small boat I had was filled to its ca
 pacity and 1t would have been impossible
 for me to have done anything if l ha' tried. The woman was swept away fl
 the current before my eyes"