The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-08
KANSAS CITY SITUATION
Is VERY BAD AND MUCH
DAMAGE HAS RESULTED
Sufferers in the Flooded Districts Are
Being Assisted BY Willing Clti-
zens of Towns In Other
Parts OF Kansas.

Kansas City, July 7.-Swollen by un-
precedented rains and by melted SHOWS
from the mountains, brought down
through the Missouri valley, the rivers
have left their banks and caused damag-
ing floods In many parts of Missouri and
Kansas.
The results of the flood up to late
hour tonight were as follows: Train No.
8 of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
railroad Ahich left Kansas City at 9:2s
a m. for Denver, met with a wreck at
Pomona, Kan. OF the 10 coaches which
made up the train, four-a baggage car
and three day coaches-left the track and
rolled into Is feet of water. The roadbed
was covered with water and the train
was proceeding slowly when the tracks
spread and overturned the coaches.
Communication with the town was in
terrupted, although railway officials de-
MED that any one was killed or injured.
A telephone message tonight reports two
people injured. They are:
Laura ST. Clair Boston, back wrenched
and right arm wrenched at shoulder.
Mamie st. Clair, Boston, minor bruises
and cuts.
These are sisters, en- route from Boston
to Perry, Okla. Miss Mamie st. Clair
Is an elderly woman, and it was while
trying to assist her that the other woman
was hurt.
Relief Train Sent.
Pomona is almost completely inundated,
the Marois Des Cygnes river at that point
being three miles wide A relief train
was sent from ottawa tonight with food
and other supplies for the passengers,
who wers said to have had to climb on
top of the coaches for refuge from the
rising water
1t appears that the train, which had
been detoured from the main line over
the Emporia branch, was running along
smoothly through the water when 1t be-
gan to sink on the undermined tracks.
The coaches sank so gradually that the
passengers and crow were enabled to
get into the Pullman cars before the
other coaches finally toppled over and
sank from view. People from the sur
rounding country, attracted by the cries
of 800 marooned passengers, Immediately
went about the work of rescuing them.
Rats were hastily constructed and the
boats available were pushed out, but by
this time the current was 30 swift around
the train that only the most venturesome
were able to reach the passengers
1t was after dark before rescue by
means of a pontoon bridge was effected
Boat trips of from two to three miles
were made to farm houses and the pas
sengers were all finally taken to safety
They probably will have to remain at
fba fa
side.
Situation Is Gloomy.
In Kansas City the situation Is
threatening. In the bottoms in the
western section, where are located the
stock yards, wholesale warehouses; and
manufacturing plants, the waters from
the confluence of the Missouri and Kan
sas rivers tonight are tapping the dan
ger line and precautions were taken
against further rise. In what are
known as the eastern bottoms, author
tiles hope to avert damage by the clos
ing of sewer flood gates and the opera
tion of gigantic electrical pump.
At Ch1licothe, Mo-, on the Grand river,
six men were swept from a bridge
this afternoon and were seen floating
down the stream. Whether they
reached shore was not learned. Hun
dreds of people at this place have been
I0rC6u TO leave their nOTneS. 1NeSiuenlS
in the unaffected districts have started
to bake bread by the Wholesale for the
sufferers and relief train loaded with
supplies has been sent from surround
ing points. Boats and supplies were
rushed there from nearby points, but
with little prospect of crossing the two
miles of water between the marooned
residents and dry land. Many women
and children are among those held
drowned, having been carried away by
the current in the main street
From as far down the Missouri as
Jefferson City reports of crop damage
in the river bottoms are reaching here
and the inevitable further rise in that
region will swell the total. Most OF
the wheat In the low lands has been
harvested, but the corn crops in some
of the rich bottom fields will probably
be total loss.
Worst Flood in History.
st. Louis, July 7.-Northwest Missouri
is experiencing the worst food in it's his
tory Two persons are known to be dead
in Pattonsburg, a town of 1000 Four
others are missing The dead are:
George Palmer, harness maker and
Harrison Walker, section man, Pattons-
burg
The missing are d. Bowner and wife;
E. c. Nelson, a grocery clerk, and man
named Scott.
During the morning call for aid was
sent from Pattonsburg, which was report
ed under to 10 feet of water Helief
trains found that most of the people had
sought refuge in a MILL school and upper
stories of business houses. Six men swept
from railroad track hung to fence
all night until rescued In a boat. large
number of women and children have been
moved to the hills, where tents have been
provided.
Tonight the river was reported rising.
A dispatch at 1 o'clock this morning
from Santa Rosa, Mo-, stated that the
st. Joseph relief train ID marooned be-