Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-08
RIVERS ON A RAMPAGE
Heavy Rains Continue to
Overflow Kansas Streams.
UNION DEPOT FLOODED
TRADE AND TRAFFIC ABANDON
ED AT KANSAS CITY, KANs.
Damage Not Expected to Attain
Tremendous Losses of Last years
Flood-Conditions Elsewhere

KANSAS CITY July Sat 10 o CLOCK TINS
morning the sun came out at Kansas lily
and west as far as Topeka, and ram 'h''
has fellen for several hours ceased Al
Abeline and Manhattan Kan. however
rain. which b. gan at 4 O'Clock TINS morn
ing continues and the Smoky Hill. AT the
former place. and the kaw, at Manhattan
began to rise again.
All Of the west bottoms on the Missouri
side. including he union depot ana the
great wholesale district of Kansas lily
will have been covered with water BEFORE
the day has closed.
A break in the Kaw river near Armour
dale. Kan. late last night. sending cur
rent of water into the bottoms that III 81
inundated the outer railroad yards and
finally crept North, flooded cellars III the
wholesale houses and spread out toward
the union depot
Less Damage Than Last Year.
The water rose slowly and while 1t UNI
doubtedly will do great damage. 1t Is not
believed the tremendous losses OF last year
will be duplicated. This Will be so De-
cause the water is not expected to reach 50
high a stage last year. and because Hei
chants had taken warning from their eA
perienCes of a year ago. and removed thei'
goods to higher ground or to upper sto-
ries
This morning Il heavy rain storm started
in at Kansas City and west to Topeka,
which will send the Kaw still higher
Late Yesterday the Kaw at Armourdaie
had become stationary. West OF here at
Lawrence and Topeka. it was reported taIl-
ing at midnight and while a two and one
baIf-foot rise was predicted for some time
TO-DAY as a result of the tributaries IN
Kansas pouring their waters in the kaw,
it was believed that this would come very
SLOWLY. and be carried off without entering
the west bottoms, where such disastrous re-
suits followed last years overflow. Inc
water became stationary, it was stated by
Observer Common. because it was spreading
out above here and no great damage might
be looked for
Steel Bridges Form Dam.
At midnight, however. the large steel
bridges of the Union Pacific and Missouri
Pacific railroads near the stock yards and
directly across the Kaw from Armour
dale formed a dam. against which great
quantity of lumber and wreckage formed
The water. finally detected by these bar
rierS forced its way into the west bot
toms through the railroads. Soon all
railroad traffic south and west was stop
ped. and as the water began to creep
further north toward the great wholesale
houses a number of men were set to work
removing goods and what property could
be taken away.
This morning the Kaw river had reach
ed a height of pa feet, rise of one foot
and ten inches in twenty-four hours up
to that time The high mark reached in
June. 1908. was thirty-seven feet. The
water rose gradually and was four feet
deep at St Louis avenue and Hickory
street. within three blocks of the high
est point in the bottoms, namely, the
union depot.
Precautions at Union Depot.
At the union station every precaution
was taken to protect the baggage, ex-
press packages and other movable prop
erty.
The Belt Line bridge. the Rock Islan
bridge and the new Metropolitan street
railway bridge at James street. connect
ing the bottoms with Kansas City. Kan.
were damaged severely during the night
but are still intact. They are new steel
structures and 1T is believed will be
saved. Six hundred men are working to
protect their approaches.
In Convention Hall on the Missouri side
which had been opened to the people
driven from Armourdale and Argentine
temporary cots and bedding were ar
ranged for the homeless and Preparations
started to feed them
In Kansas City. Kan. also hundreds were
cared Iof, IN churches, public buildings and
III many private homes. on the Kansas
SIDE. Mayor Gilbert ordered all saloons
closed and sent an appeal to Secretary of
ar lait To direct the commander at Fort
I-edEenWorth to issue rations to the thou
sands of destitute
Stock Yards Business Suspended.
To-Day all business was suspended at the
stock yards where the water had covered
the pens to a depth of five feet. and flood
ed the basement Of the livestock exchange
AT the packing plants at Armourdale water
stood two feet deep in the offices of Swift.
packing house, and like conditions prevail
at the plants of Rudy Brothers, Nelson
Morris. Cudahy and Schwarzchild & Sulz
berger, Most of the stock on hand hac
been removed to places of safety
Practically no trains came in from III,
west Today. but those to the east, the Chi
cage and Alton, the Missouri Pacific the
Santa Re and the Rock Island. moved with
out trouble. Many west bound passengers
are stalled here. \ few trains on each o.
the western roads were sent west by cir
cuitous routes over their roads going souti
as far as Joplin. Besides telegraphng Sec
rotary Taft for help. Mayor Gilbert wireC
Senator Long and Representative Bower
SOCK asking them to assist in securing aiC
from the government.
Action on First Danger Sign.
With the first signs of danger in the ives
bottoms. hurried messages were sent 70
wagons and idle men on the streets wer,
pressed into service removing goods from
the threatened district Soon string o
vehicles began moving to and from tn
bottoms. Chief Hayes sent twenty add
toual patrolmen to asst the regular de
tail
In the business district there are severa
squatters settlements. Many bushes
houses had water in Easements and stock
were moved to second floors.
Today water began running into the bar
Der shop in the basement OF the Blossom
-.l..