The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-25
A CIOudburst Raised the Mar
matOn Twenty Feet.
STREAM A MILE WIDE
Railroads Suffer Severe Loss by
Washed Out Tracks.
MCPHERSON lis "TOuched Up''
by a Whirling Wind.
Ellis Has a Blizzard Of Snow
and Cutting SIeet.

Fort Scott, Kan, April 25.-This
place is experiencing its greatest food
since 1862 The town is divided into
three sections and is almost isolated.
The two rivers that unite northeast
Of here came together west Of the city
Saturday night and Sunday afternoon
the entire northern part was cut on by
the Marmaton river, while the territory
lying between 1t and Mil creek is in
undated Ten feet Of water is swiftly
rushing through that part.
Hundreds Of people barely escaped
with their lives, leaving their homes to
be washed away
The two streams have risen twenty
feet since 10 o'clock Saturday night
The Inhabitants in what is known as
Belltown, about LOCO, were rescued Sat
urday night in boats. So far as has
been learned, no lives have been lost,
but the loss to live stock and other
property will aggregate $4,000
The bottoms northwest and east OF
the city are all from five to ten feet
under water and the wholesale district
/ Is completely surrounded. The loss to
farm property viii be great. Starting
at the Missouri, Kansas a Texas rail-
way depot, the flooded district extends
\ for miles as far as the eye can reach
All the railroads are tiled up" The
| Katy" depot is surrounded and at
. clock Sunday afternoon the water
I laCkeQ only a rev. 1nCleS OF nOOdlnE
the waiting rooms The Missouri Pa
cific depot also is threatened, but as it
1 is little higher there is hardly a prob
4 ability that the water will reach there.
Trains on the Missouri Pacific ar
rived from the east Sunday. but are
4 unable to get out. Trains from the
west are unable to enter the city. The
Katy tracks. both east and south Of
the yards, are all under water. Katy
trains are being detoured by way of
the St Louis & San Francisco tracks
to Parsons and by. the same way from
Parsons The Missouri Pacific and
| Katy bridges over the NTarmaton
are threatened. "A solid train Of coal
has been placed on each OF them to
save them from destruction.
The street bridge that divides the
north and the south part of town is
/ threatened and is liable to go at any
time. 1t also is being weighted down
/ and roped- The Frisco road is the only
one that IS running trains into the city.
1 The afternoon passenger trains from
Kansas City arrived on time, but IL
was necessary to detour the train by
| way of Columbus to reach Springfield.
/ The northbound Frisco train was late
| 1t left for Kansas City, but trouble is
reported ahead and it is probable that
it will not reach its destination
| Washouts are reported fifteen miles
south of here on the main line Of the
Frisco.
The gasworlzs is under three feet Of
water and has closed down. There has
/ been no gas since Saturday night. The
electric light power house is still safe.
! The street car plant is in operation.
but it can reach the east part Of town
only by transfer Wall street, running
1 east and west, is flooded To reach the
/ Frisco depot persons are compelled to
pay toll to be taken across in lumber
wagons. The engine and pumps at the
water station are twenty feet under
| water and the plants supply IS threat
ened with exhaustion.
The Southwestern Wholesale Groc-
/ Ior-r rraTnhnuCa is flooded
and the water has reached the office
The hardware store of Spafford &
/ Spencer is also flooded The water is
| within an inch of business houses on
East Wall street and merchants are
I moving their stock to higher places
Two culvert bridges on the east side
were washed out and there is no ap-
proach to that part of town. Recol-
llectiOHs of the Kansas City Hood serv-
ed as a warning and last night 900
people were rescued from Belltown,
! which is the district lying between the
two rivers This morning every ave-
nue. of escape is cut off for those who
refused to go last night
The Missouri Pacific shops are from
three to six feet under water Near
them the Marmaton river changed its
tcourse and the rapids are running
through the shops and joining Mil
creek at that point. There IS water in
the office at the shops for the first
time in the history of the town
Farmers in the lowlands of the OUT
living district reported LlE loss Ok
much stock. Late Sunday afternoon
the parents Of DR.. McLemore, living
a mile north of the city. near the
river, were rescued in boats They
were completely hemmed in Several
fine race horses were taken from the
barn when the water was up to their
sides. There were several narrow es-
capes from drowning Rescuers were
working all night and all day, under
the direction of Fire Chief Ausman,
Mayor Congdon and Chief Of Police
ArendenhalI, and they succeeded in
saving thousands of dollars worth OF
property. The plant Of the Fort Scott
= Brick company is six feet under water
: and all the machinery will probably be
ruined
{ 1t has rained incessantly since 3
: / O'Clock Saturday night, the estimate
: being a precipitation Of eight inchef
Heavy rains south Of here swelled tn
3 tributaries to the two streams that
r meet here. It is still raining and there
. is stfu great danger to property and
r all those who have lost their homes
t In Belltown many houses have been
= washed away and the largest buildings
= are threatened. The water is not re-
= ceding and unless it stops raining in a
few hours much misery win be ex-
[ perienced.
E Waterspout at Garnett-
o Garnett, kan. April 25.-The storm
/, here was very destructive The rain
= was. general over this part OF the state,
iauountfne to almost the proportions OF