The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-25
Fifteen Men Thrown Into River
and Six Drown.
FLOOD CONDITIONS
Are the Worst Experienced
There in Years.
Santa Fe Is Heavy Loser From
High Water.


Texas & Pacific railway bridge has just
gone down. Fifteen men we're thrown
into the river, six being drowned.
The worst flood conditions in years
prevail in Dallas today. Trinity river
rose from % feet at 10 p. m. Sunday to
as at o'clock this morning and is
still rising.
One man is known to have been
drowned and the dwelling of one family
was washed away. The name of the
man drowned has not yet been learned
The village of West Dallas, across
Trinity river, is partially inundated
and hundreds of families are being
forced to seek higher places. The COM
merce street bridge that spans Trinity
river, has been partially washed away
and there is no travel between the city
proper and suburbs on the west banks
of the stream.
Street car bridges are under water
and traffic over these lines has been
suspended.
this city and FIT. Worth has been dis
continued. In the city proper there is
likely to be much distress as the water
and light companies have been closed
down, their plants having been flooded.
A section of the Santa F'e railway
bridge has gone down and traffic over
this line has been temporarily discon-
tinued. The financial loss will be heavy
People living along the river below the
city were not prepared for the sudden
rise 1t came without warning ana
during the early hours of the morning
there were many narrow escapes from
drowning.
owners of live stock were forced to
remove their animals from the river
bottom. A number of cattle and
- hyv
This section of the city is peopled by
the poor classes and there is already
much distress among them. The Nell
lie Maruin, a river steamer was caught
under the Commerce street bridge
about IL o'clock today and lost her
pilot house.
At 10 O'Clock today the Trinity riv-
er had become a raging flood. Hun
dreds of people have been caught In
the lowlands and are being taken OH
in boats. 1t is reported that number
have been drowned, but it is impos-
sible to verify this. From the banks
of the stream men can be seen cling
ing to trees and roofs of houses. They
are being rescued as rapidly as pos
sible. The city is without water. The
Continental Gin company's plant
caught fire early today and lines of
hose were laid to the nearby stream
and water pumped from there. The
fire was extinguished after damage
amounting to several thousand dollara
had been done.
Railroads All Tied Up.
Muskogee, Okla, May 25.-Not a
railroad in Oklahoma is in operation
as a result of heavy rains and cloud
bursts that have occurred in various
parts of the state during the past three
days. The last road to suspend opera
tions was the Missouri. Kansas &
Texas, which was forced to quit when
hrid % n at E,11-
faula went down. To add to the dis
aster, the main supplying natural gas
to the Indian territory part of the
state was carried away with the
Clarksville bridge and the supply of
gas for Muskogee and several other
cities in the southeast part of the state
has been entirely cut off. Officials of
the gas company say it will be week
before repairs can be made. so the gas
supply can again be carried.
AS natural gas is used for light and
heat, business will be suspended in a
measure. Elevators have been forced
to stop running and hotels and res
taurants have been put out of busi-
ness.
During the past ten hours there has
~been a rainfall of 20 inches in this sec
tion of the state.
The Canadian river rose ten feet
during the past IL hours and the Ar
kansas eight feet. The entire country
is under water message was re-
ceived at the Midland Valley offices
here from jerks, Okla, saying the
was needed. The railroad is power
less to send aid. as much track and a
bridge went out early. jerks is SO
miles north of Muskogee and is located
in extremely low country. 1t is fear
ed that number of persons have
perished.
People Moving Out.
Tulsa, Okla, May 25.-As a result OF
an almost incessant downpour of rain
In Oklahoma for the past three days,
the Arkansas river has risen thirteen
feet and is still steadily rising. The
river had reached the highest point
In fourteen years. Parts of West Tulsa
and jerks, fourteen miles south or
here, are inundated and the inhabit-
ants are moving from their homes
West Guthrie Inundated.
0uthrie. Okla, May 25.-Au West
Guthrie is inundated with from seven
to ten feet of water rushing through
the streets. The Cottonwood river is
within four feet of the high water
mark registered on May 6, 1897, and is
still rising.
Highest Ever Known.
Waco, Tex, May 25-The Brazos riv-
er is higher here by two feet than ever
known. Thousands of acres of land
have been overf1owed and the damage
to crops is heavy. People living in the
~" JANUS idNo ueeH urlVen from their
homes. Five inches of rainfall in ten
hours. Railroads have been washed
out badly. Tributaries of the Brazos
river are extremely high and crops
along these streams have been dam
aged.
Pipe Line Broke in River.
Tulsa, Okla, May 25-The Arkan-
sas river at Tulsa after reaching its
height shortly after midnight last
night, began at noon today to recede
slowly. Reports from surrounding
towns also tell of a fall in thS