The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-17
ARE IN BAD SHAPE
Roads North Of Topeka Show
, Effect Of Flood.
Bridges Moved and Holes in the
Highways.
ARE DAMAGED.
Robert Turner'S Garden Land
Washed Away.
Farms Injured More Than in
Flood of Five Years Ago.


AS the result of an inspection made
Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Wilkerson
has decided that the flood damage in
North Topeka was light, compared
with the damage done to the farm
properties in the north bottoms.
Sheriff Wilkerson started out with
the intention of driving east toCalhoun
Bluffs by way Of Three Bridges. the
| Soldier creek crossing, but found that
he could not cross the wagon bridge at
that point for two excellent reasons.
First. the bridge had been moved about
two feet from it's foundations, and Sec
| ond, the cross-ourrent had washed a
| deep hole at each end of the structure.
Therefore he returned to Kansas ave-
| nue., and crossed the park bridge, which
| is intact except at the south end, where
| a ten-foot section of the structure has
| caved in. and rests at an angle of 45
| degrees. BY a strong effort his horse
climbed this steep incline, and the
| bridge was crossed. Turning east at
| the school house, the sheriff made a
two mile circuit over what were once
| roads, and passed the home of Robert
Turner, a well known truck farmer
| who lives opposite Oakland. A quarter
of a mile east Of Turner's, the sheriff
| gave it up, after successfully surround
ing one deep crevasse and encounterfng
second which he could not sound with
a buggy whip, and turned back. stop
ping at Turner's house. Here he dis
covered that the river was still eating
up Turner's valuable garden land.
While the river was then falling, large
chunks of real estate was falling with
1t. The row of sturdy willow trees
which held this curve against the
mighty flood Of 1903, were all washed
down stream. and with them nearly
four acres of Turner's asparagus crop
and the land wherein it stood. Monday
afternoon Turner tore down one of his
barns and piled the lumber. Two weeks
ago this barn was nearly $50 feet from
the river. When he tore 1t down, he
did so at the risk of his life, as one
end was hanging over the water, ana
the bank was crumbling rapidly. Iur-
ner's entire crop was practically des-
troyed. He had, besides several other
varieties of vegetables, IA acres of as
paragus.
The current from the main river
refused to take the turn at this point,
and swept in full force across his
farm until it was turned PACK TO tne
river bed by Calhoun Bluffs. more
than a mile further northeast.
Dead Mans dulch," the patch of
timber on the river bank half a mile
east of Three Bridges. has been re-
duced from a ten-acre forest to
small patch of the sturdier trees the
spot where two murdered men were
found, is evidently on its way to the
gulf Although the railroad along this
part Of the river he1d intact on &C
count of the excellent ballast, the
wagon roads and fields on each side
are a dangerous auagmlre; seemingly
solid places on the road are but
crusts, with bottomless mud be-
meath.
By back-tracking a mile north and
then turning east again, the snerln
drove on, again encountering the signs
of the main current, which struck
Calhoun Bluffs with great force just
east of the old Laurent farm. The
water in this district is draining slow
w. and shows that 1t had reached a
depth of about feet in some places.
Hedge rows and fences. were washed
miles from the river. Indian creek.
which. skirts the bluffs could not
carry off the water, and the current
was forced back in a southeasterly
direction until it escaped around the
corner of the bluffs, four miles from
trict, drift wood and alfalfa which had
been washed out of the ground. 1T
tered the top wire of the fences which
were still standing.
From the few farmers who had re-
turned to their homes, the sheriff
erty had exceeded that Of 1903, par
ticularly on the river edge.
This was real washer" said
Robert Turner. Five years ago 1t
flooded my place, but did little damage
to the bank. This time. 1 have seen
within three days, a greater amount
of green timber-trees of all sizes
floating down this river than 1 ever
saw in former floods. / had row of
willows to hold the bank together
here. They were good stout trees. The
water is now 20 feet deep where they
stood. and it hurries one to throw a
stone from the bank to their former
location"
The repair of the bottoms roads
will be a serious item for the county
commissioners to consider. Washouts
which take in everything from fence
to fence are a common occurrence.
Drainage bitches have been filled and
diverted across roads, and all small
culverts are unsafe. The Kansas ave-
nue. bridge at Garfield park can be
easily repaired, and the commissioners
have arranged for. the work. The
Central avenue bridge was repaired
temporarily Monday.
RA0TucD nullDnu Mfc1C