The Topeka state journal., 1908-06-08

up the river west of Kansas avenue is
| in danger of great loss if the river
| rises any higher. Over a million ties
are piled in the yards surrounding this
plant and the water is flowing through
these yards in a dozen places. If the
current was stronger ties would be
floating away today by the hundreds.
AS it is there is danger every minute
of great loss Should these ties begin
to be carried away by the current they
would float down Gordon and Laurent
streets and be a menace to boats and
even houses in the strong current.
The first water to enter North To-
peka came from the break in the Sol
dier creek levee at Garfield park The
first break was repaired, but within an
hour another and larger break let
10 foot stream of water through the
park and into Garfield street This was
at 2:3o this morning. At 10 O'Clock the
backwater from the river passed up
the bed of Soldier creek and flooded
nearly all of North Topeka north of
Gordon street. At this hour the back
water was Joined by the stream from
the river which run over the banks at
the tie treating plant and came down
every street from Gordon north to Gar
field.
Rock Island Tracks Covered.
Not a foot Of Rock Island railroad
| is visible for two miles west of the
| round house. The tracks are all COW
cred at depth, ranging from two feet
on the main line at the water tank and
signal tower, to nearly IL feet on the
i northmost side track. One freight car
was caught on this outside track. 1t
refuses to float, but the top is ress rnan
a foot above water. The small check
ing house just east of the signal tower
turned turtle last night. The base of
the signal tower is built of cement.
and the operator still manages the
block signals, although the rods are
| under water.
! A large force of yard employees are
| engaged in trying to dislodge the
rapidly growing drift against the rail-
| road bridge. AS the water just touches
the main girders OF the bridge. there IS
| difficulty in dislodging the logs and
! debris. W
| Water in Turner Hall.
Turner hall, at the foot of Harrison
street, is deserted today. having about
| three feet of water over the fIoors. All
| the houses north sofs.the first alley
north of First street are surrounded
by water, and the residents. mostly
negroes, are wading out with their
furniture. Some of the little motor
boats. which are very effective in the
| backwaters, were used this morning
to remove people ~and household
| goods from places west of City park
One of these boats brought In q cargo
/ of chickens-among them a setting
hen who refused to- lump her job.
! On the North sideAthe Otto Keuhne
| Preserving company will be a heavy
loser, and the Union Pacific tie plant
| was flooded before noon, although not
: to a sufficient depth to float any ex-
cept the lose ties, which were, not
piled. The destruction of the tie plant
| would not only be a great loss to. tho
company, but the masses of floaring
ties would endanger everything in
North Topeka.
Washout at Lake View.
The Santa Fe road is tied up at two
/ places on the main line between To-
peka and Kansas City. At a pornt be-
| tween Lawrence and Lake View there
| is a considerable area or the track
under water. Also at Tecumseh the
| track is covered with backwater.
| No trains are being run east for the
| time being. Superintendent c. T. Nc
Lellan is on the ground waiting for
some change in the condition of the
| Kaw before he valves the tie up.
| Should the river rise further, the
| Santa Fe trains will be detoured from
Lawrence where they are now stopped
over the Lawrence-Ottawa branch and
| then via the Emporia cutot 70 EN-
poria from which place the trains will
back into Topeka.
| No 5, which is due in Topeka at
1920, has been stopped at Lawrence
and should the river show rurtner
rise at this point. No. will be detour-
ed in the manner indicated.
| This will seriouslyinterfere with the
mails from the east, as both the Rock
Island and Union Pacific have been
running their trains over the Santa Fe.
Bridge Held Down With Iron.
The Santa Fe trains from north OF
the river on the st. Joseph branch are
running on time thus far today. The
bridge over the Kaw is being held in
place by carloads of scrap iron which
are being backed over the bridge.
Levee Would Have Held River.
Councilman H. B. Howard of the
Third ward says that if the county
commissioners had not refused the
proposition to extend the levee built by
the city half mile further west on the
north bank of the Kansas river there
might have been no water in North To-
peka except back water.
There is a low place in the river bank
near the Union Pacific tracks about a
mile and a half west of North Topeka.
This is where the water always breaks
through and when it does it washes out
the U. p tracks and sweeps down into
North Topeka.
Mr. Howard says that when the city
built a Ievee along the north bank to