The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-02
City Without Light and Fire
Protection.
is AT MERCY OF THE FIRE
Thousands Are Homeless and Are Un-
dergoing Great Suffering for Food
and Water-N Names ofthe Dead
Unobtainable as Yet.
fnr Aa,ncintnn preaa.,

s &
KANSAS CITY, MO-, June 1.-With gas
and electric lights extingulshed. the
water works shut down. and the city
practically at the mercy OF the first fire
that shall break out; with railroad trans
portation feeble and uncertain. Kansas
City may. f the waters do not recede
within the next two or three days. be
compelled to fight for her very life, and
tonight the skies are dark and lowering.
the rain is falling heavily, more stormy
weather Is sweeping up from the West,
and the Unsuitable river is stontly hold
ing Its own. 1t Is practically stationary
tonight but what the flood has 1t keeps.
and there Is no certain promise OF When
It will recede. The stage tonight Is 34.9
Chief Connor, Of the Weather Bureau
saws that while the outlook Is for con-
ttnued rains. it would necessitate
very heavy fall If the present high water
is to continue.
The first authentic news from Kan
sas City, Kas., was received tonight In
that city 10000 people are ho1aeless.
Many have been drowned, but the num-
Der cannot be estimated. The property
loss has been heavy. The situation there
Is a parallel to the situation here-appa-
rently no better and no worse. There
is no great proba billty that there Will
be further loss of life, II the river does
not rise very suddenly. All through the
WhOleSale ulSlElCL anu AZ 1tho Cooe oAlo
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 to-day In
rescuing people. and have probably
brought $50 of them safe to the high
fifty of these were brought to the vim
duct at Twelfth Street and the others
were saved In the east and west bottoms
by boats Twenty people We're taken
from the Marine School and four from
o'Briens lodging house in the east bot
toms. The rest Of them were brought IN
sngly,
Tonight in the East and West bot
toms a number of obstinate people arc
still cinging to their homes. Although
the police have run boats beneath their
windows and offered to save them, they
refused to leave and will take their
chances for another night at least,
There Is no possible way Of getting at
the names OF the dead and no chance
of forming any estimate that can conf1-
IDENTIFY be termed accurate, 1t is likely,
however that the number OF fatalities
In Kan,s City, Mo-, will approximate
fifty Down in the wholesale district
people at dusk tonight We're waving
white clothes to attract attention. The
condition of some of these people is
ptiable. They have been held prisoners
for two days, threatened with death BY
drowning and at one time by' fire, For
tie most part they are without food, and
for twenty-four hours were without
bringing water. Every effort is being
made and they will he saved tomorrow
Unless the water rises higher. The f.
nancial damage Is about as great now
as 1t Is likely to become, unless tho
water rises much higher,