The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-03-27
Big Vandalia Structure Crashes
Into Rushing Waters.
Feared Town of Metamora
Has Been Overwhelmed.
ENTIRE FAMILY IS DROWNED
Waters Believed to Be Sweep
ing Down Narrow Valley.
Reports Received of Deaths of
Railroad Officials.

Indianapolis. March 27.-The Van
dalia bridge. over White river, went
down this morning with a crash, car
ryins with it ten cars put there to
hold it in place.
Lewis Brown, wife and three chill
dren were drowned at New Trenton.
Frankl1n county near Brookville
Metamora, lying north of BrookvilIe.
IN long, narrow valley, 1t was feared
mad been overwhelmed. Its railroad
station was recognized floating down
the current on the East Fork of the
whitewater river today
No communication could be had with
the town.
report reached the Associated
Press from Marion, Ind, early today
tnat superintendent ]. J. Kroan,
Iralnmaster S. F. Johnson and Train
Dlspatcher Samuel Anderson. of the
pennsylvania railroad, had perished
In the flood in the vicinity of Logans-
port They were trying to escape to
the Pennsylvania railroad station ON
raft No verification of the renort
could be had
Rescue Work Resumed.
Organized rescue work was resunn
eo aiter daylight today in the flooded
uIsclct ss! OF West Indianapolis. Police
1Lallclals tLnt too and rescue workers estimated
hlsht OF the flood in the second floors
OF houses and buildings. Three were
known to have been drowned and a
night OF snow and freezing tempera-
ture threatened an increase in the
death list and is expected to grow
steadily through the day
Men who remain in their houses
were reported to be left to the last
or the rescue work today and the res
cue workers expect to begin an or
ganized search for the dead by noon.
The known dead are:
GEORGE. SMITH, died from ex.
CHARLES ROGERS. rescue work.
| er, drowned
BUD BOYD, shoemaker. drowned
smith was a volunteer boatman,
who was thrown into the water when
his boat capsized and died later from
exposure to the bitter cold of the
waters and the night. He was found
by other rescurers cIinginR TO
branches of a tree.
One thousand loaves of bread and
other supplies were sent into the
flooded district at daylight. Relief
work proceeded a little more rapidly
after an. additional fall of Is inches
in White river. At the city dog
pound, on the edge of the flooded dis
trlct hot soup and coffee were served
to the refugees this morning.
Disease Threatens Sufferers.
Diseases arising from unsanitary
conditions and the exposure already
threaten to claim a greater toll than
the waters.
Five women rescued and taken to
TomlinSon hall are suffering from
pneumonia, and cases of whooping
cough and measles were discovered
among the refugees.
Those suffering from contagious
diseases We're removed at once, and
inspectors from the city board of
health, aided by corps of nurses de-
tailed from various hospitals of the
ri Gnf 70 ynr-lr to nw,f
of the refugees to contagion and to
take care of the other sick.
Tomlfnson hall refugees were sup
piled with five hundred mattresses
and $50 blankets from the army sup
plies at Fort Benjamin Harrison.
That Indianapolis may be under
martial law before the day is over was
intimated today by Governor Ralston
when he learned that prices on all
food stuffs had been increased by
commission merchants. The price of
eggs has been advanced ten cents since
yesterday with corresponding higher
prices on other commodities.
BY indirect telephone routes Gov
ernor Ralston today received an ur-
gent call from Logansport for troops
to aid in rescue work and patrolling
the city. Logansport has been cut off
from reliable communication with the
outside world since Tuesday evening
and the governor today is attempting
to reach the city authorities there or
some one directing the rescue work.
Reports give no indication of loss of
life, but the continuance of the high
water is adding hourly to the heavy
property losses and the snowstorm
and bitter cold of last night caused
the refugees intense suffering and
threatens additional deaths.
Food Supplies Exhausted.
That section of Indianapolis lying
west of the river is the poorest in the
city The supply of meat, eggs. milk,
coffee bread and butter was practical
Iy exhausted before noon yesterday.
Little save canned goods remained on
the shelves of the groceries. This sec
! ton was absolutely without commune
cation with the business section of the
city There was no government, the
municipal administration being repre-
sented by only a few fremen who had
been cut off and by two policemen who
/ had started with a rescue boat on the
east side and were thrown by the cur
rent to the west side.
Coal was taken from cars standing
in the yards and it was said a car of
REFRIGERATED beef would be opened to-
day This may not be necessary, as the
river subsidized three feet during the
night and daring persons were able to
cross over the ties of the Big Four
railroad bridge.
In the Methodist church, on the west
side woman rescued from the bot
toms gave premature birth to twins.
Panic Is Averted.
Fort Wayne, March 25.-A small
sized panic which hit this town when