The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-07-15
Sweeps Over a Large Section
of the City.
TWO PERSONS ARE DROWNED
Water Several Inches Deep i'm
the Municipal Building.
The Property Damage Is Esti-
mated at Two Millions.

oamage of at least 100000 were
the revised facts known at noon today
IN connection with last nights flood.
The Dead:
FRANK HILL
years
The Missing:
Zoe Wallace.
Albert Clay.
The injured all of whom were taken
to the county hospital are:
Mrs j. G. Stafford, cut and
Mary Higgins. cut and bruised.
Fred Emerson, dislocated shoulder.
Lulu Turner cut and bruised.
Rudolph Rian, police officer nearly
man.
While the foregoing list of casual
ties is believed to be practically COM
pete, accurate figures on property
Damage still are incomplete and may
run considerably higher. Individual
estimates vary greatly and run as
nigh as 100000. Practically the
entire wholesale and warehouse dis
trlcts were flooded and exact figures
or this loss cannot be given until the
easements have been unwatered and
inventories taken.
However. semi-official figures com
piled at noon today include damage
items as follows:
City streets and sewers $50O,OO0
stocks in wholesale district, at least
$1,0O0,O00. Tramway business and
residence property 100000; total $2,
100000
The Denver chamber of commerce
and the United Charities have taken
charge of raising a relief fund to give
aid to the flood sufferers of whom
more than five hundred are homeless.
A pathetic incident became known to-
day in connection with the death of
Mrs. Lydia Bic4ford, S5 years old. The
n live a1n In Ia
shack aLst night Joseph Bickford, a
son visited his mothers home, shortly
after the flood broke, raped loudly
and receiving no response turned tic
reScuing other unfortunates, thinking
hi smother had been rescued, by
neighbors. Earl ytoday Bickford hav-
ing found no trace of his mother re-
turned to the little home in front of
which the coroner's wagon was stand
ing, the aged woman having been
drowned.
The body of Frank Hill was found
buried in sand in the Denver and Rio
Grand sand Yards having been washed
several blocks by the torrent. Stories
of thrilling escapes and heroic res
cues were told today.
Wall of Water.
Denver, Colo, July ia wall of
water 25 feet high, carrying death and
destruction with it, swept down Cher |
ry creek here last night, ripped open
the concrete walls and in a twinkling
o
Two persons are known to have been |
drowned.
Mayor Henry ]. Arnold, who is di- |
recting the relief work stated that the |
property damag1 will reach at least |
two million dollars and it is probable
that the damage will reach an even /
greater sum. Anything like an ac- !
curate estimate of the damage will be |
Mayor Arnold. Thus far we have |
learned of only two deaths from
drowning, but there may be several
more"
An infant boy was drowned when
his mother. terror stricken and up to
her waist in water, dropped the babe
and the little body was swept Gown
the stream.
The second known death was that
OF year old Christopher Jenson. The
boy was standing on the bank watch
ing the rushing water when the bank
caved in and he was carried to his
death.
The storm was general and at Long
mont, north of Denver, and Cripple
Cree-1 and Victor, the rain fell heavily,
blocking traffic.
Word of the Cherry creek flood was
conveyed to the city hall by telephone
shortly before the crest reached Den
yer. and not a moment was lost in
warning by every available means all
those within reach.
The fact that the message was re-
ceived early was the means of saving
perhaps hundreds of lives.
Houses CrumbIed Like Paper.
Near the banks of Cherry creek
small dwellings crumbled like paper
ana many heir-breadth escapes oc-
Cured A number were rescued from
the tops of houses
Cherry creek flows along the north
west south and southwest of Denver. |
The creek empties into the South |
Platte river, near the city hall, which /
ia located at the creeks edge, in the |
northwest PIT of the city. The water |
sm several inches deep in the city hall. |
The South Platte was at flood stage !
from the rains and when the crest of .
the Cherry creek overflow reached the |
river the Platte overfiowed its banks |
To the northeast of the city.
Castlewood dam, near the head wa |
ters of Cherry creek, about 10 miles
from. Denver. has been weakened al |
most to the bursting point and should |
the dam go out, it would be difficult |
20 Dredict what the extent of damage |
the torrential rain began about 3 |
o'clock in the afternoon and soon af- |
~, the water was above the curbing /
in the business district, flooding stores
snd hotels In the lower sections of
the city famfiles were dFlNen from
The crest of the flood in Cherry |
orseIx did not reach heer unit leanriy i
10 o'clock last night. coming as a |
climax to the floods of the afternoon.
1Jof a single train left Denver last |
night and none from any direction has
noyoa into the Union depot yards.
ISrsins from the south were stopped |
4brea miles southwest of the city and
s-assengers were taken off there. Rail /