The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-06-05
THE FURY OF
FIRE AND FLOOD.
Forth Topeka, Kansas is Nearly
Wiped Out Of Existence.
MANY PEOPLE BURN TO DEATH
Water Cover Hundreds Who Sunk in its
Depth. No Correct Estimate of the
Death Loss Can be Made.
Rescuers at Work.

Topeka, Kan, May 31.-North To-
peka, where 10000 people were quar-
tered a few hours ago, is now a mass
of ruins, covered with a raging flood.
A fire started yesterday afternoon by
a live wire and quickly spread. At 3
o'clock two blocks of buildings between
Morris and Gordon streets. on the west
side of Kansas avenue. were burning.
AS the buildings were surrounded by
water there was no way of fighting
the flames.
The situation grew more dcplorable
every moment. The current of the
food grew stronger and the flames in
creased. Four hundred houses soon
burned and the whole of North To-
peka was threatened. AS near as can
be learned between $50 and 200 persons
are dead. Most of these were burned
to death.
Reporters who arrived just after
midnight from the river say that the
water is yet rising. An unconfirmed
report from Wamego and Manhattan,
west of. Topeka says another rise is
coming down the Republican and Blue
rivers.
Rire Chief Wilmarth says that the
fire on the east side of Kansas avenue
in North Tokeka is rapidly taking the
remaining buildings.
The fire went toward the wind and
this served to check it's progress, but
much burning wreckage floating about
made the destruction of the remain
ing houses certain.
People on roofs of houses were
heard calling frantically for help.
1t is.said that'two boats"loaded with
people were swamped and that a dozen
or more persons were, drowned.
Thorey, another suburb of Topeka,
located northwest of the city, near the.
reform school was inundated.
The Jackson school house sheltered
100 people. They entered the building
before the water became SO high, and
then could not escape.
Topeka, Kan, June There is
ground for hope hat the worst has
passed. The ive-miles-wide Kansas
river is settlingsback into its rightfnl
channel.
Not a square foot of land can be
seen in any direction. There is but
small chance Of any Of the residences
being left standing at the end of the
flood.
Sherry, Oakland and the region
about the referzs: shapoii are all under
rushing waters.
Leading men have made a careful
examination of the flood and all it's
conditions, and as a result of their in
vestigation they give $50 as the prob
able number of lives lost. A more
conservative estimate places the num-
Der of dead at IT'S. The higher figure
is as apt to be correct as the lower.
1t is merely a matter of guessing.
Members of rescuing parties tell of
seeing people drop from houses, only
to be swept away by the flood, and
others tell of men who, terrified at the
approach of fire, dropped into the
water, where they sank and did not
reappear.
This estimated number Of dead does
not include the large number classed
as missing, who cannot otherwise be
accounted for. Neither does it include
those who are supposed to have lost
their lives in the fire. In the latter
class there is absolutely no means of
arriving at even an approximate num-
Der of victims.
The water is 20 high and the current
SO strong that all that can be done
now is to rescue those in the buildings
surrounded by water. 1t will be at
least three days before the correct
number of dead will be known.
The ardor of the work of the heroic
rescuers was not abated in the least
by the conditions that faced them.
For long dreary hours, knee deep il,
water and sometimes in water up to
their necks they worked with might
and main. They can point to 900 or
more rescued mes who otherwise
might have been swept away in the
current.
Large contributions have already
been received for the benefit OF the
sufferers. The amount given by To-
peka citizens alone will aggregate
300, 900. To this is to be added an
immense quantity of clothing, lrovis-
ions and general supplies. Outside
towns have generously offered aid.
Notably among them is Galveston, Eek.
--