The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-08
Almost Impossible to Get Men
to Do the Work.
VOLUNTEERS HELPING.
Ex-MayOr Fellows and Others
Busy on Sunday.
An Example of the Situation as
II Now Exists.

No one who has not taken an active
part in the work of clearing the homes
of North Topeka from mud and sand
to make them habitable can form any
impression of the magnitude of the
work that must be done on the North
side. The task is so stupendous that it
staggers those who do not know
J. J. Schenck, an attorney with offices
in the Columbian building, lives at sos
West Gordon street, in the heart of the
flood district He left before the flood
was at its height with his wife and
little son and found refuge on the
South side. His house is one of the
larger ones and Is we'll built and the
torrent which swept down Gordon street
did not damage it to a perceptible de-
gree. Mr. Schenck went to the North
side last Friday and reached his home
in boat and he then found that every
thing on the lower floor had been prac-
ticaly ruined. He at once made an
effort TO employ men to help clean the
house. but could find no one. On Fri
day he bargained with two men 10
work on Saturday for IS a day each
but they did not appear, and almost
dishearte-.ed he went to work himself.
but his efforts made little inlpressloA
upon The desOlate interior
When Mr. Sehenck entered his home
he found that his bookcases had been
upset and his books were in the mus
and water in the sitting room. He at
once threw the books outdoors. The
library included a set of American En-
cyelopedia, the Century dictionary and
several sets OF standard authors. be-
sides miscellaneous works. Mr.. Scheneh
afterWard picked out his Century die
tionary and he thinks that he can save
it by having it rebound.
+ FRIENDS VOLUNTEER
When Mr.. Schenck's friends heard %
his plight they organized to help him
Early Sunday morning the following
people with shovels on their shoulders
went to North Topeka: Ex-Mayor c. A.
! Fellows and son Louis; i. F. Doran.
lawyer; r. B. WEIGH, ex-cOunty attor-
ney; John F. Switzer, lawyer; John c.
Waters. lawyer; w. w. Harvey. lawyer.
L. ]. Kiene, newspaper man.
When they entered Mr.. Schenck' s
home the floor was covered with mud
from one to two feet in depth. The
water had been seven feet deep in tns
house. and had left a deposit to that
height on the walls and woodwork The
doors ana windows were swollen and
could not be opened. The house con-
talns several closets and pantries down
stairs, and in these everything was
covered with from one tn four inches
Of mud the china cabinet had fallen to
pieces and the silVerWare and china
were IN the mud which covered the
room.
Tx lAISl IniIR 10 ne Gone was to
open the doors and windows. The
hinges of the doors were loosened and
they were then forced open by pound
ing. Some Of the windows were forced
others and in a short time the mir
could circulate through the rooms
SHOVELINCs OUT MUD.
Then began the really arduous work.
The mud had settled on the carpets un-
til it was so solied that it had to be
taken out by shovelfuls and the nine
men, including Mr.. Schenck toiled like
beavers. The piano had fallen on its
back in the sitting room and there was
foot of mud under it. 1t required five
men to lift it. The top came off; the
bottom with the pedals had also been
loosened and when the instrument was
raised the front fell out, revealing the
wires which were covered with mud The
veneer was also off in many places. The
sewing machine which was in the din
ing room was in a similar condition.
] The wooden frame was swollen and
warped. making it entirely useless.
In cleaning out a closet in the dining
room pile Of what was evidently old
clothes was thrown out of the window
/ into the wate= surrounding the house
one Of the party afterward went out
side to make an inventory of the pile
and when he had washed them out he
found that they included Mrs. Schenck' s
fine table linen. several hemstitched
table cloths being among them These
were washed out in the muddy water
and hung up to dry A great deal of
clothing was found and treated in the
same manner. Most of it will be saved.
After several hours work enough mud
] had been taken off the floors to allow
the carpets to be taken up. They were
taken out and dumped into the water on
Gordon street and washed as well as
/ possible under the Circumstance
Among the carpets was a body Brussels
that had been on the floor only three
weeks This seemed to be in the best
condition. After the mud had been
washed off the colors appeared as BRIGHT
and fresh as when it was put down. The
one ingram carpet was badly faded and
I the cOlors had run" This one was an
parently ruined.
After the carpets had been taken IN