The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-25

lowing into Blddle creek just beyond
Seventh and Locust streets.
All OF the streets in that territory
were absolutely impossible this morn
ing. Boats and buggies were used 10
get people TO work VINO mad to ger away,
but the ma jOrity OF the Workingmen
remained at tnelr homes TO take care
of their property. Several members of
the police force had rigs and horses and
Kept travelling over the flooded district
to see if help were needed at any places.
Patrolnan Bundy and Abe Henderson
covered the district several times and
both. reported that everybody was safe
ana that none Of the flood bound fam
lilies we're in danger
The water was running very swiftly
through all the streets, especially down
Sixth and Locust streets. where the
water of the whole territory converged
and poured itself into Biddle creek. The
streets at this point were quite badly
damaged.
In reality this territory had two floods
last night. The first came shortly after
midnight Biddle creek jumped its
banks at Locust street and inundated
the thoroughfares for several blocks
around, but receded again very quickly.
About o'clock the Shunganunga
commenced to leave its banks at Wash
ingtOn and Eighth streets and within
an hour had flooded large territory.
1t kept rising steadily until eight CLOCK
and then commenced to TaH- An nouE
later it had fallen at least four lnches,
and the water was being carried away
very rapidly. Unless the tributaries OF
the Shunganunga supply it with more.
water, the people in the eastern part
of Topeka will escape with nothing
more serious than ruined yards ana as
figured streets.
All three of the bridges over the creek
through the flooded territory stood the
heavy current of food water in good
fashion, and no fear is entertained OF
the structures being damaged In an
three instances the water was up to the
floor of the bridge. Members of the
city street force kept the debris and
drift from collecting against the piers
Three Inches of Rain.
The rain, which continued almost
steadily during all of last night,
amounted to 3.21 inches according to
the measurement made by the gov
ernment rain gauge.
The rain was the heaviest from 80
clock to o'clock when about 20
inches fell. The rain was accom-
panied by considera bic wind and some
hail. The wind blew % miles an hour
from the north.
The streets were flooded during the
heaviest doWnpour and were filed
with water from curb to curb. Water
ran several feet deep in low places
and street car traffic was stopped.
An Aged Man Rescued.
The district known as ''Sheepshead
Bay" just south of the VinewoOd rail-
road bridge was flooded to a depth of
three or four feet at o'clock this
morning, and the police were called
upon to rescue an old teamster, George
Clarke, who Is Il years of age. The
old man lives in a little one story
house on the bank of the Shunganunga
about two hundred yards south of the
NineWOOd bridge. A negro family liv
ing u short distance from Clarke's
house, had heard him shouting during
the night, but he had not been heard
from after daylight and they feared he
had tried to wade out and was
drowned. The house was in q strong
cutoff current and was about half sub
merged. The police hauled boat
from the river and launched it in the
creek near the VineWood track. Of
ficer Miller and a reporter rowed to the
house and removed Clarke who was
standing on a table. He escaped by
knocking out the upper sash of the
window on the lower side of the house.
Clarke was Wakened at 10 o'clock
last night by rush of water which
flooded his house. He waded to his
little stable, a few yards distant, and
cut the ropes which held his team.
The horses escaped by swimming
across a low place where there was no
current but the barn was demolished
and swept away in a few minutes.
Clarke waded back to his house, but
the current became stronger and he
dared not attempt to reach dry land.
The first floors of a number of ne
gro dwellings in the vicinity were sub
~ a n OF