The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-10

of water flowing through his store
room
The Union Pacific depot Office force
ters at 9 o'clock.
The Citizens State bank opened at
3 O'Clock as usual Ed Gresser, the
cashier, wore a red rose in his button
hole and was as cheerful and full of
business as a cranberry merchant.
In little wooden building between
Laurent and Gordon on the avenue is
barber shop conducted by a cheerful
little man. He had twenty inches of
water in his shop yesterday, but this
morning he had it cleaned out by $50
and offered to shave the State Journal
reporter when the latter jumped
across small rivulet and entered the
shop. Game? This little barber was
game as pebble. In recounting the
damage done by the flood his shop
might be taken as a fair comparison
nue.. frail wooden structure, poorly
built and with little foundation.
Cheaply furnished and a living room
in the back end. But he was smiling
and cheerful and ready for business
bright and early this morning, unhurt
and undismayed. He had no second
story to move up into. Yet he had
no damage to report. either to person.
al property or building.
The water had run out of North
Topeka today except in the low
places. From noon Tuesday to mid
night the water fell a foot From
midnight to s o'clock Wednesday
morning it fell two feet making
fall of three feet in twenty-four
hours in North Topeka. The river
fell two feet during this time.
Cuts were made in the Santa Fe and
Rock Island tracks and rOadbed at
East Gordon and Laurent streets this
morning in order to let the water out
to the east The road bed of these
roads formed a dam four feet high
and materially retarded the fall of the
water in all that section of the town
to the west.
AS early as O'Clock the women be-
gan to arrive on the scene. They
came across the bridge from this side
in every conceivable kind of vehicle.
The water at Crane street had fallen
to depth of about five inches and
these women would be denied no
longer They wanted to get back to
their homes and help their husbands
in the work of reducing the damage
from the flood to the least possible
minimum. The women entered boats
and buggies at a point just south of
the fire station and were taken to
their houses. They had brooms and
mops. and what was more important,
they had invincible courage.
Cleaning Out Houses.
In every store room and dwelling
house when the water receded to
point where it ran only six inches over
the floors the owners were on hand to
enter and take possession. They
watched the water like an enemy wait
ing to spring upon an adversary. The
flood had come and gone, and North
Topeka people are the victors this time
The defeat of 1903 was lesson on pre-
paration. But no flood can break the
spirit of these people.
The water of the flood is black and
filled with mud and eager to do its
worst to the stores and houses, but the
people in no case allowed the falling
water to get the advantage. In all the
stores along Kansas avenue the owners
and clerks were on duty all night and
at dawn this morning were busy with
mop and broom and hose to sluice their
floors clean.
Entering a dozen of these stores this
morning a reporter found the floors as
clean as Quaker housewives kitchen
after scrubbing day. The men behind
the counters wore overalls and jump
ers and all manner of torn and dirty
clothes. Many wore boots and some
of them were barefoot All of them,
proprietors and clerks, looked like
tramps. But their faces had the ap-
pearance of men returning from hard
won battle. Their stocks of goods were
on display and their stores clean, while
the receding water departed in sullen
streams down the pavement out in
front of the stores like columns of men
retiring beaten from the battlefield.
By 10 o'clock every store from the
bridge to the fire station was ready for
business. Such recuperative powers
can not fail to win admiration.
AS early as 9 o'clock the Adams meat
market on Gordon street opposite the
fire station had been cleaned out and
l -fy fry- rI0 f-o
station floor was covered with nine in
ches of water at this time but the
market was on slightly higher ground.
The dwelling houses along Central
avenue on the west side are on high
ground and many of them were clear
of water at 9 o'clock These houses
suffered but little and the owners took
possession today. The water was four
feet deep on Central avenue Tuesday
and ran in a swift current toward
Morse street.
At 8 o'clock this morning the water
covered Kansas avenue from the fire
station on Gordon street north to the
| was over three feet deep. Most of this
water had disappeared by o'clock this
afternoon and the people were moving
| back into their homes.
| In few places along Kansas avenue
| sections of sidewalk from eight to
| twelve feet wide have been washed out
and slight caveins have occurred in
| front of the easements Aside from
| this no damage at all has been done to
| the streets from the bridge to Gordon.
None of the substantial store buildings
| have been injured in the least, and 1t
| is remarkable how well the old and
wooden structures have withstood the
| current.
| At 9 o'clock a force of men were
cleaning the streets with shovels and
! brooms. These men followed the re-
| ceding water foot by foot as. 1T gave
ground before them and at 10 o'clocR
! Kansas avenue was dry and clean clear
to the fire station on Gordon street
ENTERPRISE? This is more than that. II
! is patriotism. These people live ir
| North Topeka. Their homes and prop
| erty are there. They are winning then