The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-06-10
RAIN SWELLS THE
KANSAS FLOODS
CONTINUED DOWNPoUR KEEPS
KAW AND OTHER RIVERS
STEADILY RISING.
TWO LIVES KNOWN
TO HAVE BEEN LOST
Streams Higher Than at Any Time in
Past Twenty Years-Great Dam
age Wrought in Oil Fields-Many
Trains Stalled.

Kansas City, Mo-, June 6.-Further
rains have fallen in southern Kansas
within the past II hours, and the flood
conditions in the valley of the Neosho
and Cottonwood rivers continue to grow
worse. The streams are higher than al
any previous time in 20 years, not ex-
cepting the rise year ago, and they are
still rising The Kaw, which caused the
real damage, from Kansas City west to
Manhattan in the flood of 1903, contin-
ues to come up slowly at Topeka Law
renee and Kansas City, but as yet no
alarm is felt over the result OF the flood
along this stream. Although the Mis-
souri, river at Kansas City is high and
rising slowly, it is believed it will be
able to carry off the great amount OF
water coming this way from the west
through the Kaw. AS the streams
which are the highest are those off the
Kaw watershed, and drain into rivers
south of Kansas City, whatever serious
damage is done must affect southern
Kansas territory and will not do mate
rial damage at Kansas City, Lawrence
and North Topeka, which towns suffered
the brunt of last years food.
In Other States.
Oklahoma and the Indian territory
streams are also high and in some in
stances have already overlooked their
banks. inundating valuable farm lands
and doing more or less damage in the
vicinity of Lawton, Oklahoma City,
Guthrie and Shawnee, Oklahoma, and
around Muskogee, Ardmore and Sapul-
pa, Indian territory. In southwestern
Missouri the Marias Des Cygnes has
done some damage to tracks at Rich
Hill and other points. At Kansas City
and north the Missouri river shows a
small but uniform rise, and a further
rise of a foot is predicted. Missouri
streams, however, with the possible ex-
ception of the Marais Des Cygnes, which
also traverses Kansas, are we'll within
their banks and it is believed will cause
no serious trouble Railway service
throughout the southwest is still demon
allied and dozen or more trains. are
stalled in Kansas The damage already
done by the flood is immense. Hundreds
of thousands of dollars worth of bridges
have been destroyed and growing crops
have been greatly damaged.
Two Lives Lost.
AS far as known but two lives, wom-
| an and child, names unknown, who were
drowned at Florence, have been re-
| ported.
The greatest damage wrought is in
| the great oil fields of southern Kansas
around Chanute and at lola, Florence,
Emporia, Fort Scott and further west
| along the Arkansas at Wichitaa and other
| points.
At Chanute the Neosho is miles wide
and the water is higher than since 1885.
| Dykes built in that vicinity were all
washed out by the food of a few weeks
ago and as a result practically all of the
| oil country is under from two to Is
| feet of water. Scores of oil tanks filled
with oil and many derricks and rigs
have been swept away. Railroad traffic
on all lines in that section has been
| abandoned In some places the NeoshO
| is six miles wide and people are NOV
| ing about in boats.
At lola the Neosho is five miles wide
and a foot higher than it was last year.
All the bottom lands have been flooded
and the loss in cattle drowned and farm
property damaged will exceed that of
1903 The street cars have been stopped
| and the water works and electric light
| plants are practically out of service.
Rock and Elm creeks have backed their
water into town and 100 families along
their banks driven from their homes
were forced to take shelter in the court
house. The river was still rising Satur-
| day and the worst is doubtless yet to
| come
Business at a Standstill.
At Florence business is practically at
standstill, and merchants are remov-
ing their stocks of goods. A passenger
train is tied up at Clements and the pas
sengers were compelled to remain in the
cars all night. Food was brought to
them in boats. The lower part of EN-
poria is deep under water and the river
there is still rising. A rescuing party
headed by Sheriff Newlands has rescued
many persons. The conditions at Fort
Scott remain unchanged, Belltown be-
ing shut off from the main part of the
city, and the food extends as far as
| lola