The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-13
SHUNGANUNGA IN FLOOD
Continued from Page one.)

CONTINUED from Page One.)
The water on East Eighth avenue
| was running over the bridge shortly
before noon. but the bridge is safe. It
| is q strong steel structure. On Tenth
| street the bridge IL much higher and
| is entirely out of water.
| The water on East Fourth street
| reaches west as far as Klein street.
At Branner street a block east the
! water reachd nearly three feet. This
is pretty low section, but although
the water is up in the houses in many
instances all who were in danger were
safely taken to drier places.
In the extreme southeastern portion
of the city the water is up high. At
the ball grounds the tracks of the
city railway company are serving as
a sort of dam to keep the water back.
In some places however. the water
! has leaked through and in many
submerged.
People Not Prepared.
Early this morning the Shunganunga
creek which runs along through Quln-
ton Heights, South Topeka and Fiasr
Topeka, rose rapidly and by O'CLOCK
all the lowlands in these sections OF the
city were under water. In places the
water extended over an area OF half
mile in width. The big rise came after
o'clock and caught all the residents
of these portions entirely unprepared
for the high water.
The greatest trouble this morning
was experienced in South Topeka. II
this part of Topeka the water has over
flowed the entire residence portion, ex-
tending from the hills about hali
block south of the Shunganunga north
to near Seventeenth street, making me
stream nearly half mile wide. On
Van Buren, street and Kansas avenue
the streets are lower than any other
place in this section and the water
has .crept up into most of the houses.
At some places the water reached be-
tween three and four feet In the
houses and in no place in South Topeka
south of Eighteenth street did the wa
ter failed to reach.
Rescuing parties worked all morning
and UP till a late hour this
reported. This stream is usually
three or four inches deep and as a re-
suit the high water found the supply
of boats very meager, only one or
two being seen all morning. The
rescue work was done almost entirely
on horse back On Van Buren, street
| in the vicinity ofTwentieth, the horses
heads and backs could barely be seen
above the crest Of the water.
In Quinton Heights a great deal OF
trouble was experienced. On Lincoln
street the water extended from
Twenty-second street to Twenty-sixth
and was over the bridge at this place.
Residences of Quinton Heights
were under water and the people were
fleeing to the hills south for protec-
ton. At Baughman's ice cream fac
| tory the water was just few inches
below the first floor and flooded the
stables and basement.
Water Came Up Rapidly.
DR.. H W. Roby who lives on the
hill across the Shunganunga at
Twenty-f1rst street and Kansas avenue
says that the high water on the creek
was higher than it has been for Is years
with one exception. The water came
up rapidly after o'clock this morn
ing. 1.-THE people had time to leave
said DR.. Roby, "but only few of
| them went. The water was in prac-
| tically ever house between Seven
teonth street and Twenty-first street
at o'clock this morning"
Took Horses From Fair Grounds.
When the Shunganunga creek was
| rising the horse fanciers moved their
| fine stock and parapherna1ia from the
| fair grounds barns AT the entrance
| to the grounds they met a long string
| of horses and carriages for which a
| to find a place of safety. Better take
| 'em up In the state house DOME" said
the north bound person. * -
Vinewood Boats Arrive.
Albert Patten, general manager Of
the Topeka Railway company, was In
South Topeka early this morning and
after watching the slow work Of res
cuing on horseback, ordered the Vine
wood park boats brought to South To-
peka so that this work could be man
aged with greater dispatch. The boats
arrived in South Topeka about 10
o'clock.
]. c. Sinner, one of the leading bust
-
water Is rising in his feed store and
will cause considerable loss to him. 1T
is the highest flood 1 have ever seen
here" said Mr.. Sinner.
Ellsworth Baughman, Of the Baugh-
man Bros ice cream factory said this
morning: Most of the trouble has al
ready been passed out our way. Tie
water is now going down. 1t got down
into our cellars and stables but 1t
hasn't hurt US as much as one would
think
G. w. Carrier, prominent mer-
chant in Quinton Heights, had his
wagons working all morning carrying
the women and children to places of
safety. The water has crept into his
store but he is not expecting a great
| loss.
The bridges will probably all be
saved, with the exception of the
street car bridge. This has never
been a very strong structure and
should II Wltnstano the hlgn water 1t
would hardly be safe. The Lincoln
street bridge will probably be left in a
weakened condition, as it is only a tile
| bridge. The Topeka avenue bridge is
steel structure and will suffer but
little.
The Missouri Pacific tracks south
| from Seventeenth street were covered
with water from distance of a mile
| and half to a depth from a few
| inches to two feet. The small bridges
of the railroad it was feared would
be swept away every minute and flag
| men were stationed at the approach
| of each of the bridges. The freight
| train which leaves over the Missouri
Pacific at about Z o'clock got away
safely out of the city but all traffic