The Saint Paul globe., 1904-04-25
KANSAS SUFFERING
FROM HIGH WATERS
Hundreds Rescued i'm Boats at
Fort Scott, and Property
Loss Is Great.

FORT SCOTT, Kan, April 24.-Fort
Scott is experiencing the most serious
food in it's history. Marmaton river
and Mill creek, which runs into the
former stream here, have risen ten
feet in the past twenty four hours, the
result of heavy rains. Several hum
dreds of persons have been rescued
in boats. AS far as known tonight no
lives have been lost The estimated
loss to live stock drowned and property
damaged is 100000.
The two streams began to rise at 10
o'clock last night and today the city
was divided into three sections and
almost completely isolated. Normally,
Mill creek runs into the MarmatOn
river northeast of the city, but be-
cause of the rapid rise they formed
new channel that cut across one end
of the city. Tonight the entire north
ern part of the city is cut off, and
part of the city is inundated. Ten feet
Of water is rushing through the streets
in that part of the city and several
hundred persons in what is known as
BelltoWn have been forced to leave
their homes.
Many Narrow Escapes.
There were several narrow escapes
from drowning. Late today an aged
couple named Lemore, living a mile
north of the city, near the river, were
rescued in boats. They were COM
pletely hemmed in. Rescuers were out
all today under the direction of Fire
Chief Ausman, Mayor Congdon and
Chief of Police Mendenhall, and they
succeeded in saving thousands of dol
lars worth of property as we'll as the
hundreds of inhabitants of that dis
trict. Many who refused to leave Bell
town will still have to be taken away
in boats, as all avenues of escape have
now been cut off.
The gas works is three feet under
water and has closed down. The en-
gine and pumps at the water station
are twenty feet under water. The
Southwestern Wholesale Grocery COM
pany's warehouse is flooded and the
water has reached the office.
Rains Unusually Heavy.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, April 24.-Un-
usually heavy rain and wind storms,
causing more or less damage, prevail
ed in Eastern Missouri and Eastern and
Central Kansas today,with blizzard in
Western Kansas. Splall streams in Kan
sas are over their banks and many tel
ephone and telegraph poles have been
blown down. One drowning is re-
ported. Many trains are late on ac-
| count of washouts.
At Odessa; Mo-, James Pollard, a
young farmer, was drowned while try
ing to ford a usually small rivulet,
xxy1oi ioI, no oh -
torrent by the heavy rain.
In Eastern Kansas nearly three
inches of rain fell at Ottawa, Concor-
dia, Elsmere and other points, causing
the Marmaton, the Big Creek and Mais
des Cygnes rivers to overflow. Several
bridges were washed out, crops sub
merged and much other damage done.
At Lawrence the precipitation amount
ed to 1872 inches. The Kaw is rising
at that point and the ravines are run
ming full, but no serious damage is
feared.
At Ellis, Kan, a cold, driving rain
storm prevailed, followed by a strong
wind and a heavy fall of snow. In the
vicinity of Oakley and Winona, Kan,
| over 200 telegraph poles were blown
down.
Heaviest Rain in City's History.
SEDALIA, Mo-, April 24-An almost
steady rain of thirty-six hours was
followed this evening by two hours
downpour that is said to be the heavi-
est precipitation in the city's history.
Many of the residence streets were
flooded to a depth of two feet and. piles
of building material were swept along
the thoroughfares. Every stream in
the county is out of its banks and sew
eral bridges have been washed out.
Street car traffic was suspended for a
| time. All trains are late and washouts
are reported at different points on the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas. Hundreds
of cellars in the city were flooded.
Heavy Rains in Nebraska.
OMAHA, Neb., April 24.-Heavy
rains have visited the entire state of
Nebraska and Western Iowa for the
past twenty-four hours. A heavy
windstorm struck west of McCook, do
ing considerable damage and taking
down several miles of the Western I'm
ion Telegraph company's poles and
wires.