The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-07
HIGHER WATERS.
Rising Rivers Running Crops
Over the State.
Railroad Tracks Washed Ont
and Trains Abandoned.
kAW VALLEY SUFFERS.
From Junction City to Kansas
City Trouble Exists.
Many Are Compelled to Flee to
Higher Ground.

Manhattan, Kan, July 1.-THE flood
conditions here are proving disastrous
to many farmers in the valleys of the
Blue and Kaw rivers. Water is three
feet higher than last months rise. Corn
fields and other growing crops are sub
merged in localities. Farmers are leav-
ing their homes and are moving their
stock to high land. The highest point
was reached by the Blue river last even
ing. but the Kaw rose rapidly until
midnight. It then reached a stage of 21
feet above low water mark, and re-
mains stationary at that figure. The
river has fallen two feet here today
Cedar creek was higher than ever be-
fore. Farmers left their homes in the
night and sought refuge in a school
house.
At Abilene.
The Smoky Hill is 221z feet above
low water mark, f1fty-three inches be-
low last years highest point. Farmers
in the low lands are moving out. as the
river is rising steadily two or three
inches an hour.
| This city is without electric lights
the river having flooded the power
house, situated on its banks mile
south of town. The water will not reach
| y,
ed and much grain will be destroyed.
More rain fell last night.
At SaIina.
| The Smoky Hill is now within three
feet of the highest water mark estab-
| lished last year, when the whole coun-
| try was covered and is rising rapidly.
Dry creek, which runs just west of
| town is out of it's banks and is gradu-
| ally creeping up on the town and the
| Saline, which empties into the Smoky a
few miles east of Salina is also threat
ening and heavy rise is reported.
As the situation stands now hundreds
| of acres are under water and thousands
of dollars worth of damage has been
done. The rivers are rising at a rapid
rate and the worst is probably to come.
The only road that is trying to run
/ trains is the Union Pacific and trains
on this road have been running late.
Last evening a mile of track went out
on the main line west of town and all
trains are now annulled for the time
| being. The water covers the Missouri
Pacific for miles west of here.
The flood of Gypsum City is the
worst the town has evert had. 1t is sit
uated at the junction of two creeks
/ and they overf1owed at the same time.
All the houses in the town except two
are flooded with from two to ten inches
of water.
At Newton.
! AS the result of continued rains the
| last few days and an especially heavy
| QOWnpOur 1ueSQay night, newton naQ
another high water experience last
night. Sand creek, swollen by it's
! tributaries, rose rapidly during the
night and overf1owed its banks. About
! 2 o'clock Wednesday morning the wa
ter swept across the north end of town,
flooding the same territory that was
under water the night of June 2. Many
homes were surrounded with water,
but most of the residents of the flood
ed district stayed in their homes, the
water being two feet lower on the lev
el than during the big flood of last
month. Some of the people in the
| threatened section were taken out in
wagons.
The morning Santa Fe trains for the
south were held here, owing to wash
outs between Wichita and Newton. Lit
| tie river, at Halstead, is reported on a
rampage and out of its banks in places.
At Sedgwick, south of here, it threat
ems flood as it did last month. All
| the small creeks of the county --re
| swollen and scores of bridges are wash
/ ed away.
At Strong City.
| Wednesday the Cottonwood river
rose steadily. About o'clock it broke
over it's banks and flooded the lower
part of the town. About 5 o'clock the
river commenced falling and has been
falling about two sncnes an hour
since. The water was within a few
inches of being as high as last month
Crops on the bottom lands are de-
! stroyed.
At Lecompton.
The river is 20 feet here. The water
is running around the north end of
the bridge and the bottoms on that
side are flooded The Grasshopper is
overfowing it's banks. Farmers west
of here are moving to the hills.
At lola.
The Neosho is up again. Deer
creek a stream four miles north of
the city, which empties into the Neo-
sho, rose four feet in one hour, owing
to one of the heaviest rains that Allen
county has experienced. Over n
inches of rain fell in the last "a hours
The Neosho river rose feet and
during the day up to o'clock rose at
the rate of an inch an hour At
o'clock, however, it increased, and is
now rising at the rate OF two inches
an hour At o'clock last evening il
was IL feet and two inches above low
water mark.
At Burlington.
For the fourth time this year the
Neosho river is flooding the valley
merchants on Neosho street, east of
the creek are moving their goods to
the buildings on higher ground or are
building platforms and Scamolds. The
river is now about nearly to the high
est point reached in last months rec
ord breaking food, and is rising sew
eral inches an hour.
AT Emporia.
For the fourth time this year the
bottoms and driving the lowland
farmers from their homes. At the
same time the Neosho river is boom
ing for the fifth time this year. The
Cottonwood lacks a foot of being as
high as ever known. The farmers liv-