The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-16
dixie IS BROKEN
Soldier Greek Breaks Bounds
and Floods Bottoms.
Reform School Surrounded by
Water Today.
STOPS THE MACHINERY
Water Is Ten Feet Deep in the
Boiler Room.
Enough Provisions to Last Till
Monday.
RAILROADS TROUBLED
Trains Are Run Over the Santa
Fe Tracks.
No Danger Apprehended From
the River.
Union Pacific Tracks Are WASH
ed Out.
Union Pacific Tracks Are WASH
ed Out.

at 2 O'Clock this afternoon Soldier
creek was falling and the indications
Rre that the worst is over unless there
should be another rise from tOday's
rain.
1t appears that the most serious in
undation and the one which caused
the greatest number of people to leave
their homes occurred along the lower
and upper Silver Lake roads.
Mrs. Frank Gilbert, living one-half
mile south of the Union Pacific sta
tion at Menoken, was reached by long
distance telephone this afternoon
I'VE know of nine families she said,
Giving right in our neighborhood
who have been driven from their
homes. Two of the families are with
US, one named Lyle and the other
Langhart. On the upper Silver Lake
road we heard that there are a whole
lot of people in Mr.. Lang's house. He
is farmer living up there on quite
an elevation. We heard this over the
telephone I should judge that there
are probably one hundred people
altogether out of their homes along
here on account of the food
The reform school north of town is
surrounded by water and communica-
tion with Topeka is cut off entirely ex-
cept by telephone.
The dixie along Soldier creek, south
OF the school, broke last evening and a
section twenty feet in width was swept
away by the torrent of water which
covered over the farming land adjacent.
The roads leading from the school to
the city are covered by water for a
/ depth from three to four feet though
the school buildings with the exception
of the boiler and engine house
stand on high ground and are not both
cred by the overflow from the creek.
Water from the creek commenced pour
ing into the engine house and boiler
room at o'clock yesterday morning
and at o'clock this morning the wa
ter stood feet deep in the engine house
and ten feet deep in the boiler room.
All of the machinery in the shops of
the school of course has been forced to
stop running since all of the power is
received from the engine house. All
of the tillable land Immediately to the
north and south of the reform-school is
covered by water and the branch of
the Rock Island which runs to Holton is
out in the vicinity of the institution.
I think that we will not suffer any
Inconvenience from the high water
said Superintendent Charles this morn
ing I'VE have enough provisions to
last until Monday and 1 expect that the
water will go down enough by that
time to permit US to go to the city for
additional supplies
The western portion of Shorey is un-
der water two feet. All of this water
has made its appearance since early
this morning. There was no high wa
ter in Shorey last evening at ALL Re
ports received from there this morning
state that the water is still rising slow
Iy. The farm of Frank Rude is entirely
under water.
Silver Lake has not experienced any
bad effects of the storm. East of Sill
yer Lake, Soldier creek has gone out
of its banks and done some damage to
I...E
sit is reported at 10 o'clock this morn
Ing that the creek has gone down in
that vicinity about one foot. The Union
Pacific track between Menoken and
kiro has been washed out.
Fighting Back the Water.
Unless an immediate cessation of the
recent heavy deluges of rain occurs,
North Topeka and the territory north
west may be subjected to a damaging
flood from Soldier creek and its con-
tributary streams by night.
A battle between men and elements
began at daybreak this morning at the
foot of Van Buren street to prevent the
rampaging creek from breaking over
the banks at that point. 1t is at this
place that real danger lies.
All night long nervous watchers kept
out of their beds and made frequent
visits to Soldier creek where it crosses
Van Buren, street and Central avenue.
Early this morning the south approach
TO the Central avenue bridge gave way,
and the stone abutment caved into the
water.
About 25 feet of water was sweeping
down the bed of the creek at noon. Since
8 o'clock on Friday night it has been
rising and falling alternately, never
more than four or five inches however
either way.
At o'clock this morning the water
line was not more than eight inches be-
low the top of the dixie built at the foot
of Van Buren street over to Central
avenue. Four or five families had been
driven from their homes, the water hav-
ing entered their houses. Street Com
missioner Ramsey and City Engineer
McCabe were notified to come i1nmed-
lately and see what could be done. They
gathered together a force of fifty men
from the neighborhood, and kept adding
to the force all morning. The bulk of
the men were placed on Van Buren,
street with picks and shovels to REIN
force and heighten the dyke. They
worked with a royal good will. even
though they were but temporarily inn
pressed city employees. They were
working directly to prevent an inunda-
lion of their homes, and naturally with
extraordinary vigor.
Saving a Bridge.
Another force of men were nut at