The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-30
All the Inhabitants Have Fled
to High Ground.
HUNDREDS OF SAND BAGS
Were Piled Behind the Levees
Last Night.
Guards Armed With Rifles Are
PatrOlIing the Banks.

Louisville, KY, March 30.-Columbus
Is under four feet of water. Houses re
floating about in the streets and all the
Inhabitants have fed to high ground.
The property damage is great.
The Mississippi levee at Hickman
held throughout the night but the swol-
len waters are rising gradually, and t
is feared the swapping point of the
1evee's strength will be reached today.
All night long gangs of men piled
hundreds of sandbags behind the levee
and built up the great bank while
guards armed with rifles patrolled tn
levee to prevent some of the towns
people from cutting the levee IN the
lower part of town in order to avert the
flooding of the upper part.
High Water in Indiana.
Hammond, March 30.-Several
lives it is feared were lost today when
an ice gorge forced a big gap in the
Grant Williams dyke on the Kanka-
swept through fnundating the coun-
try surrounding Shelby and Schneider
The financial loss will reach a quarter
of a million dollars.
The submerged land consists of
many miles of the most valuable farm
land in Indiana, adjacent to the town
of Schneider on the Chicago, Indiana
and Southern railroad. Reports from
slowly flooding the town. Fears are
entertained that other portions of the
dyke jamned by ice viii be swept
away.
Floods in Nebraska.
Springfield, Neb., March 9o.-All night
Ione the hundreds of men working
along the Platte river in an attempt to
break up the ice gorges fired charges
of dynamite but made little progress
in relieving the flood situation.
At one point near Ashland the river
has flowed over an area covering about
80 square miles of bottom land and
many farmers have been forced to fee
to the hills.
Several bridges have been either
washed out or SO weakened that they
are useless. Railroad trains on three
different lines have been forced to de-
tour many trains and abandon others
entirely. With the melting of the snow
In the hills and at the head waters of
the Platte river there is evidence of
unprecedented flood condition around
the mouth of the river which has it's
confluence with the Missouri river near
this point. All the Iowlands in the vi
cinity are under water.
Des Moines River Overhows.
Boone, Ia, March 3O.-Floods seri-
ously threatened Boone and surround
ing country early today, when the Des
Moines river went out of bounds. and
washed away bridge above the city
Rising Rapidly at St. Louis.
st. Louis, March 30.-With the
Mississippi river here marking 20 feet
early this morning and rising rapidly, |
it was expected that the danger mark, |
80 feet, would be reached during the
day.
Reports of broken levees are be-
ing received from the flooded territory
in the vicinity of the conjunction of
the Ohio and Mississippi. The first
death due to the high water was re-
ported from Hickman, KY, last
night A woman standing in a skif
dropped her baby into the water while |
it was being handed to her by her
husband as they were preparing to flee |
from their flooded home.
Boats in the Streets.
Norfolk. March 3O.-Boats still are |
being used in the business streets here
today The Norfolk river has fallen |
four inches since yesterday. Two hun
dred families have been driven from
their houses. The Norfolk News press I
room still is under water and no pa
per has been issued for two days.
Warned to Move.
Yankton. March 3O.-Settlers on the
1owlands along the Missouri river be-
tween here and VermiIlion. S. D., have
been warned to move to places of safe
ty- The ice in the river has gone
out north of here but still is solic
south and this greatly increases the
danger.
Still Rising.
Des Moines, March 30.-The Des
Moines river here stood within three
feet of the flood stage at noon today,
and still was rising. The water hatfl
broken over the banks in the south
eastern section and inundated the low
lands.
River Spreads Five Miles
Waterloo. March 30.-Five feet of
water in the streets here and the use
of boats to remove people living in en-
dangered houses are today features OF
the flooded Platte bottoms. This town
IS nearly five miles from the valley
of the river proper but is in the low
lands and has been reached by the
spreading floods.
Factories Closed.
Shenoygan, March 3O.-The She
boygan river overflowed it's banks here
today and several factories have
unable to get to work Water has
spread over a wide area and many
persons are obliged to use boats
Hundreds of Farms Flooded.
Fremont, March 30.-A change in
the river sent the water through
North Fremont today. inundating fifty
residences. gorge below Ames has
thrown the river across the Union Pa
citic tracks and it is flowing through
Rawhide creek bottom, flooding hun
dreds of farms.
Driven Out in the Night.
Waterloo. Ia. March 30.-Slight re-
here today when the Cedar river fell
-FOUR inches. Water still was flowing
into Easements in the business section
4no Two plants were obliged to shut