The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-30
Smaller Streams Now Surround the Whole of North
 Topeka, Kan
HOUSES COLLAPSING AND
 TOWN IS PANIC STRICKEN
River Is Still Rising, and 1t Is Esti- mated That Ten Thousand People
 Will Be Rendered Home
 Iess-country Flooded. ts-i-

Topeka. Kan. May 29.-At 9:0 o'clock tonight the water had surrounded the whole of North Topeka. More than two thousand people are homeless. The river is rising fast and 1t is estimated that py tomorrow fully ten thousand will be homeless. The Union Pacific railroad sta tion is flooded.
 Late this afternoon the Kansas fATer bridges at Maple Hill, Rossville, Silver Lake, Mellevue and St. George were wash ed out The new steel bridge at Willfred is damaged beyound repair and at rope ka the street railway bridge Is useless Several hundred cattle have been drown ed.
 Fifteen inches of water fell in Abeline last night. and more fell today. Business houses are collapsing and the entire town is panic stricken.
 The nolice and fire departments in To- neka are endeavoring to rescue people from the flood on the north side or the river.
 The conditions in Little Russia" the Russian settlement in North TopeKa' is serious. The entire settlement IS uhoer water and a current has started through the district. Several houses already are twisted on their foundations and they probably will collapse.
 Every family has had it's household goods damaged and some have lost every thing. o Al this time nearly 5000 persons are homeless The people south of the Kansas river are trying to take care of the Doou rofuvees The court house, state house, and other buildings have been opened for their reception and a fund started for their relief.
 The Western Union telegraph office in Sa1ina has collapsed and no news can be sent out from there
 At Wamego one hundred persons are homeless
 The Missouri, Kansas and Texas rail- road has not moved a train south of En- roria today. At Nawton the streets were flooded tonight by a cloudburst. A tor nado passed through that county tonight, doing small damage. A tornado struck Strong City tonight. demolishing the high school building and the Baptist church.
 Five Persons Killed.
 Guthrie, o. T., May 29.-Reports of de- structive storms throughout the territory continue to arrive. At Harrison the nooo killed five people, Mrs. Brytes and child, a child of John Alexander and two per sons whose bodies have not yet been re- covered The drowning of several ln- dians is reported from Anadarko. In Gay county a tornado killed Mrs. Isaac Jones, wrecked four postoffces, and near Little Robe demolished farm house.
 At Wellston the storm Is reported to have injured fatally one woman and de- stroyed several buildings. Near Hobart, all but three of a herd of fifty-two cattle were drowned in the flood
 Town Under Water.
 Kansas City, May 2s.-Word at noon from Americus Kas., northwest Of Elm poria, says that the town Is three 1eet under water and that Neosha river IS Tour feet higher than ever known before. Hun- ners have been sent out from Emporia to notify the farmers along the bottoms east of that city that high water wave Is coming At Eureka Kas., the fire de- partment was called to the assistance of persons living in the eastern part of town. Homes were abandoned and household ef- fects were moved to higher ground. Heavy damage to property already has been done At noon Salina was entirely cut off and the Western Union reported that the building next to their telegraph office there had caved in.
 Heavy Fall in Kansas.
 skiddy, Kas.. May 29-Thirteen inches of water has fallen Tn CldTk creek Val ley in the past twelve hours The whole valley Is desolated Many houses in Skiddy were washed away and crops have been ruined Two thousand feet of rail- way tracks in this vicinity were washed out As far as known no lives were lost.
 Six Bridges Collapse.
 Topeka, Kas., May 2s.-Sx bridges across the Kansas river collapsed this afternoon on account of high water.
 Heavy Rain in Tennessee.
 Chattanooga, May 2s.-Tennessee was visited by heavy rains and high wind storms today. A special from Gallatin says:
 One of the worst storms in the history of Gailatin was experienced this after noon. It came in the shape of cloud burst accompanied by a high wind and lasted throughout the afternoon. All the creeks were swollen out of their banks and the lowlands were covered with water. On account of the high water the Galatin ice plant has had to suspend business It is estimated that thousands of dollars of damage done by the flood During the hardest part of the storm lightning set fire to the Sanford house, but owing to the prompt response of the fire department was saved with small damage. From all parts of the state come re- ports of great damage to crops.
 Rivers Rising at Alarming Rate.
 Kansas City, Mo, May 29.-The Kansas and Missouri rivers are rising at an alarm ing rate and tonight the indications are that all previous high water records at this point will be broken during the next two days. Much damage has already been done to property in the lowiands along the two rivers and much appre- hension is felt for the safety Of property in the west bottom district of this city. Superintendent Connor of the weather bu- reau predicts rise of three feet during the next twenty-four hours. At the sttle town of Harlem, inhabitants In the food ed district were rescued tonight from their houses in boats. The embankElent of the Burlington railroad is holding the