The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-11
Parts of Topeka Flooded by
4-Inch CIoudburst Last Night.
Kaw, Slowly Rising, Stands at
p Feet This Afternoon.
LITTLE Rain IN WATERSHED
Weather Bureau Does Not Ex-
pect Trouble From River.
LOwlands Covered, but D1kes
Hold Torrents Within Banks.
BOAT PATROL IN PARTS OF CITY
Residents Forced to Leave and
Enter Homes by Water.
Creeks Falling Quickly-NOrth
Topeka Stands Ready.
Weather Bureau Does Not EX.
pect Trouble From River.
LOwlands Covered, but Dikes
Hold Torrents Within Banks.
BOAT PATROL IN PARTS OF CITY
Residents Forced to Leave and
Enter Homes by Water.
Creeks Falling Quickly-NOrth
Topeka Stands Ready.

Following one of the widest
nights of storms in the history
of the local government weather
bureau, Topeka stands shivering
with wet feet today. The Kaw
river is the highest since 1908,
the Shunganunga Soldier, Bid
die and Ward creeks are raging
rivers. Hundreds of homes are
surrounded with water but no
one has been injured. Along
the upper Shunganunga in To-
peka, near Seventeenth street
and Eighth and Washington
streets, the Shunganunga was at
its danger point. The flood stage
reached the first floors of many
homes. In North Topeka Soldier
creek is the highest in years and
many North Topeka residents
and busines men are preparing
to move. Others have moved.
The people as a whole are not
ssieai I1sSu.
Rise of Feet in River.
The rains of Wednesday night in
northeast Kansas, together with the
heaviest twenty-four hour rainfall in
Topeka with two exceptions in twen-
ty-eight years, caused an S-3 foot rise
in the Kaw river at Topeka. The
stage this afternoon was p feet.
Crest This Evening.
The stage of the Kaw river at To-
poka was % feet even at lis O'Clock
this afternoon, a rise Of seven n-tenths
of a foot since o'clock this morn
ing. According to the local weather
observer the crest may be reached late
today, at least but little further rise is
expected in the next twenty-four
hours.
Highest Since 1905.
The stage of the river is the high
est since the 1908 flood, when a max
imum stage of % feet was reached,
and while S. D. (Sunny) Flora, the
the condition Is more or less serious
he says that Topekans may feel "rea-
sonably safe" indications are that
the stage will not change much to-
day. he said.
Nearly A Inches.
The storm which broke at Topeka
at six o'clock Thursday evening and
ended at $50 this morning netted 3.82
inches of water. Streets were trans
ferred into raging torrents, and
streams into small rivers. The cleo
trical display was the most brilliant
seen in Topeka in years, and it was ac-
companied by heavy claps of thunder
that caused the timidly inclined to
tremble with fear.
There was heavy wind, and at times
the rain fairly came down in sheets.
Trouble to Residents.
Streets overflowed and hundreds of
Topeka cellars were filled with water.
To add to the troubles of residents
of the city, electric lights wavered and
finally went out altogether in certain
sections of the city.
Into 200 Houses.
The property loss to Topeka people
as a result of flood water last night
and today will run into thousands of
dollars An accurate estimate is inn
possible. Water invaded at least two
hundred homes to a depth of from
few inches to several feet. In many
homes the water crept in silently
while the occupants of the house
were asleep, and no effort was made
to remove carpets or furniture to the
upper floors.
Newland Rescues Family.
Frank NJ. Newland. city commits
sioner of water and lighting who lives
near Seventh and Lime streets. re-
moved the members of his family
from his home at o'clock this morn
ing. Mr.. Newland had a boat in his
barn at Sixth and Lake streets. and
the members of his family We're roxed
from their home to a place of safety
Most of the damage was in South To-
peka and on the East side.
Small Break in Dixie.
A break in the Soldier creek dixie
in Garfield presented a serious situa-
tion. w. L. Porter. city commissioner
of parks. Immediately rushed bags of
sand and cement to the place and an
effort was made to stop the break !
through which a large stream of water
was pouring. The water in Soldier /
creek at this point is higher than
many of the first floors of houses on |
Quincy street and in the east part of /
North Topeka.
Boats in Readiness.
Early this morning Porter made ar
rangementS with the Coca Cola COM
pany for use of twenty-three boats at (
Garfield park. He also engaged men /
and teams to he in readiness to rush /
the boats wherever they might be
needed
Five Inches of Water.
The rainfall at Topeka between