The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-02
KANSAS RIVER FALLING
CONDITIONS AT NORTH Topeka
ARE RAPIDLY IMPROVING.
Death List May Not Exceed Twenty.
Five-Sickness Feared-Dan.
Ger at st. Louis.

hANcAS I'll l., ho., june i.-Vieh SoS
and electric lights extinguished. the water
works shut down. and the city practically
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 next
two three days. be compelled to fight
for her very life. Tonight the skies are
dark and lowering, rain is falling heavily.
more stormy weather is sweeping up from
the West, and the Unsuitable river is stout
ly holding its own. 1t is practically sta
tionary tonight, but what the flood has 1t
keeps, and there Is no certain promise Of
when it will recede. The stage tonight is
sl9. against 35 feet this morning. Chief
Connor. of the Weather Bureau. says that
while the outlook was for continued rains,
it would necessitate a heavy fall If the
present high water Is to continue. and
whether this will come or not is something
he cannot tell
The first reliable information from Kan
sas City. Kan. was received tonight. In
that district 10000 persons are homeless. A
number have been drowned. and the prop
erty loss has been heavy. The situation
there is no better and no worse. There Is
no great probability that there will be
further loss of life. All through the whole
sale district and In the east and west bot
toms there are people still in houses. The
police have done wonders to-day in rescu-
ing people. and have probably brought $50
persons TO the high grounds since sunrise.
Twenty persons were taken from the Mar
tin school and thirty from O'Brien's lodg-
ing houses In the east bottoms. The rest
of them were brought in singly or in small
numbers. Tonight in the east and west
bottoms number of obstinate people are
still clinging to their homes. although the
police have run boats beneath their win
dows and offered to save them. but they
refuse TO leave. and win take their chances
for another day
POSSIBLY FIFTY DEAD.
1t Is impossible to form any estimate OF
the number of 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 wreckage, of
with their household effects against certain
death In the swift current and gone down
in the Hood Most of these stories lack
proof. however. and even II true. the proof
may never be had There is no way of Sc
curing the names OF the Dead and no
chance Of forming any estimate that can
confidently be termed accurate. 1t is likely.
however. the number of fatalities in Kan
sas City. Mo-, will approximate fifty.
Down in the wholesale district people at
dusk tonight were waving white clothing
to attract attention. The condition of some
Of these Is pitiable. They have 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 tomorrow unless the water
rises more. and this seems improbable
The financial damage is about as great
now as 1t Is likely to become, unless the
water rises much higher than at present
The great danger is that foundations may
be undermined.
There has been suffering in the city
beyond that sustained by the people driven
from their homes. There has been excellent
work deEs by the local relief committee.
and those in control of this work are conf
dent that the city will be able to care for
its own.
Tonight the city is in absolute darkness.
save in buildings which have their own
electric light plants. Power for the three
street car lines that have resumed operation
Is furnished by water pumped six squares
from small stream in of the valleys.
In many buildings elevators have been dis
continued Newspapers have been COM
PEELED TO discontinue the use Of their type
setting machines.
In the hotels care is taken TO prevent the
waste Of water. The gas company made
a fight all day to keep gas in the mains.
but this afternoon Secretary Macmillan
said he would be forced to shut down.
The gas company will try TO supply gas
from $50 10 7:S0 O'Clock both morning and
evening for cooking purposes
DIFFICULT RESCUES.
The muddy desolate expansion of the
Missouri's surplus waters known locally as
the east bottoms furnished continuous
moving picture OF difficult rescues to-day.
Lieut.. Harry A Adams. OF the Eighth dis
trict police station. assisted at first by nye
policemen and later by double that num-
Der, working with boats none too safe
themselves, continued throughout the day
70 effect rescues under great difficulties
Probably ssventy-five persons were re-