Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-07-07
Half of ArmOurdale is Under Wa
ter From Overflow of the
Kaw River.
FAMILIES IN LOWLANDS MOVE.
Wichita Worse Flooded Than Ever
Before in Its IlistOy-PeOple
Forced to Vacate Homes.

Kansas City. July lone half of
Armourdale, the packing house town in
the suburbs Of the Kansas side, is under
water, from the overflow of the Kaw
river. The water is stlll rising at
rapid rate and conditions approaching
the great flood Of 1908 are feared. The
lowlands of Argentine and Rosedale,
other suburbs, also are flooded, and
hudreds OF laboring people have left
their homes.
West Of Kansas city along the Kaw
that stream Is bankfull and doing great
damage at North Topeka, Lawrence
and at other points, and It's tributaries
are rising There has been almost In
cessant rain In this part of the south
west for five days and for "A month past
heavy rains have fallen internationally.
All last night steady down-pour OF
rain fell here and in many parts Of
Kansas, ana today II continued.
The first rise In the Kaw came at
Armourdale at midnight, when water
began running through a large dyke
built across a new channel made by the
flood last year. Families in the low
lands began to move and when later
breaks appeared at three other places
there was a general movement toward
ter still on the rise and gradually
spreading over the town until one-half
OF the place was under from one to FIVE
feet Of water. Today the water had
reached the live stock exchange and
drove the occupants from the basement
floor.
Forecaster O'Connor. however, while
predicting that the kaw would continue
to rise for another "a hours said that
there hardly would be a repetition or
last years disastrous flood. He Is con
fident that the Missouri river VIII be
able to carry off the excess water WITH
out any great damage resulting.
Railway traffic west Of here Is badly
| demoralized
WICHITA's WORST FLOOD,
Wichita. Kan, July Wichita Is
| flooded today worse than ever before
| IN It's history. The dikes at several
| places along the Little river gave way
| before the rush OF water, and II poured
| down Waco avenue, one of the principal
resident streets, In raging torrent, be-
| coming waste deep on Main street
| the Baltimore hotel was flooded and the
water is flowing swiftly within two
| blocks OF Douglas avenue, the main
| business street People living within
seven blocks Of the Little river have
been forced to yacate their homes,
THE KAW is RISING
Topeka, Kan, July 7,--At the Kaw
| river guage today the water Is above
! the 22-foot mark and rising slowly. In
| North Topeka the water Is running
through the principal streets knee-deen
and the town Is deserted All last night
constant stream OF humanity poured
across the big Melan bridge to higher
ground on the south side The well
10 do class OF people stacked their
| household goods I'm the upper stories OF
| their homes and fled,
The poorer classes, driving their live
stock before them, carried what Of their
| goods they could upon their shoulders.
| The merchants and millmen worked all
| night getting their stock 10 safe quar-
ters. Boats are being used,
In Topeka proper the water IL three
blocks IN town from the river cham
mel. Trains ON the Union Pacific, Santa
| Fe and Rock Island are abandoned east
and west of Topeka.
The house OF Casg Woods. a park
policeman In Riverside park, was
washed away, and Mrs. Woods and her
two children drowned.
Hundreds OF wagons were engaged
buslly all day today removing house,
hold goods from the suburbs OF Kansas
city, Kan. along the Kaw, while IN
the west bottoms near the Missouri
Kansas line thousands OF dollars worth
Of goods were either removed from tho
district or placed upon upper floors.
over 5000 people 1ed from Armourdale
many Of whom were forced TO leave
their belongings Communication be.
tween Armourdale and Argentine 1.
shut of except by boat. and only few
boats are being used because Of tht
swift current Water In the packing
houses caused an almost total suspen
sion In those plants and packers stopped
buying stock.