Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-06-04
HUNDREDS
At Topeka, kAs.
Suburb of 5000 Residents
Completely Surrounded
BY Water.
FIRE FIEND ADDS ITS HORRORS
Lime in Submerged Lumber Yards
Starts a Fire Which Destroys
Floating Houses-Financial Loss ls
Great

Topeka. Kas., May 81. 2 a. m-The
fire horror connected with the food,
which Topeka has undergone the past
eighteen hours, resulting in the death
or not less than $50 to 200 people, and
the burning of more than 400 houses.
may be checked by a rain which start.
ed at midnight and which is still fall.
ing.
Absolutely no reliable estimate Of
the lives lost can be made, for the
reason that the flooded district can
not be traversed. 1t is at least 200,
and may be larger than this. The ex-
tent OF the damage is hard to get at.
People were cooped up In their houses
and could not escape from the fire or
food
Burning houses are floating about,
setting fire to others. The lower
story of 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 tops of houses and
will meet death either from fire or
drowning. The cries for help can be
distinctly heard mile away. The
whole city is wildly excited because
OF the fact that no aid can be extend
ed to the sufferers. The river at North
Topeka is five miles wide No pos
sible estimate of the financial loss is
obtainable, but II can be stated that
1t will reach into the millions.
North Topeka was the manufacture
ing district of the city. Three large
flour mills. three wooden mills and
other manufacturing enterprises are
entirely destroyed. The water sup
ply of the whole city has been cut of.
The water from the river extends
nearly mile ON the south side. The
Rock Island depot has had to be
abandoned. and more than FIVE hun
dred people on 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. A pontoon
bridge is being erected in an effort to
reach the suffers.
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 unfortu-
mates. The work OF caring for the
most rapidity.
Standing on the state house dome,
as many as eighty fires can be count
ed in different parts of North Topeka.
The whole central portion of the city
had been burned out at 10 o'clock to-
night. and it is safe to say that by
morning not a house in the main part
of North Topeka will be left standing.
When II Is stated that North Topeka
has ten thousand inhabitants the ex
tent Of the disaster can be realized.
People are clinging to the roofs
OF 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.
II Is death by fire or drowning to four
hundred unless means can be found
for the rescue. Great efforts are being
made to construct steam launch to
go to the aid of the sufferers, but
whatever is done must be done
promptly or the loss Of life will be
appalling.
Topeka, Kas. June There is
ground for hope that the worst has
passed. So slowly as to be almost i'm
perceptible, the FIVE mile stream of
the Kansas river is settling back into
Its rightful channel. With ITS or 200
lives lost. millions Of dollars of prop
erty destroyed, hundreds Of pistol
shots as signals of distress, blendid
with the agonizing cries Of unwilling
inhabitants of tree tops and roofs OF
houses, and the waters creeping up
ward and then slowly subsiding and
alternately changing hope to despair.
the capital city passed the most me-
morable Sabbath day of its existence.
To all this discomforting condition OF
affairs was added the presence Of
cold dismal rain.
Briefly stated. the present condition
of the food Is this:
10 to 200 people drowned.
Eight thousand people without
homes.
Four million dollars, loss of property
destroyed
Identified dead five,
People missing 200.
Houses burned result of fire in lnm-
Der from Stacking lime probably 200.
Banks collapsed two
Wholesale grocery stores flooded
two.
Big business blocks almost ready
to crumble. fifty.
Wholesale commission houses de-
serted six.
Rock Island trains containing $50
passengers held here by water.
City water works plant useless.