The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-04-24
He Had Ridden to Warn Town
of Big Rise, But Failed.
BrOther-in-Law Swept Down
the Torrent OfGOOn Creek.
RAIN GENERAL OVER KANSAS
Another Farmer Missing North
of KinsIey Believed Lost.
Santa Fe Train Service Is Held
Up Outside of Town.

Kinsley. Kan. April 24-Clinging
10 the top of a buggy after seeing his
brother-in-law washed away, and pre-
sumably drowned, Frank Bernotsky,
who lives in the Coon creek valley.
seven miles west Of here. spent all
night in the midst OF a flood which
suddenly engulfed the town at S
o'clock last night
Bernotsky had Just completed a
wild but Intellectual race with the tor
rent TO warn the people of Kinsley of
the coming flood. following a cloud
burst
As the telephone wires were down.
BernOtsky hifched a team of mules to
his buggy and started for town. He
found the roads already under water,
however, and wes unable to reach
Kinsiey in time to gSve warning.
Bernotsky was struggling to keep his
buggy in the road when a. large wave
struck the vehicle and threw it
against a telephone pole
His hrother-in-law, whose name
was not learned, was thrown into the
water and disappeared The mules
broke away and Bernotsky climbed to
the top of the buggy and remained
there all night
At 10 o'clock this morning the town
was still under water and the extent
OF the damage could not be estimated.
The cloud burst came after a four
practically delnoralized all means Of
communication.
A westbound Santa Fo passenger
train. arriving last night just as the
cloudhurst struck the town. could
not reach the station. It backed up
short distance. found the track had
been washed out and spent the night
half a mile outside of town.
J. NJ Lewis. publisher of the Kinsley
Graphic. who was a passenger in
Taa in, ~,
9 o'clock this morning. Mrs. Claude
Walker. colored who had fled from
her home to the Lewis residence on
higher ground reported the water was
up TO the second story window when
she fed.
Hutchinson, April 24-Connie Wag-
gener. a farmer. is missing north OF
kinsley. when he was caught riding
away from a flood of water. which fol-
Beeruotsli. who was with him. was
saved by standing all night on a buggy
and holding to a telephone pole.
The rain. which occurred Sunday
night and early this morning. reached
practically every nook and corner in
Kansas. There is no sunshiny weather
in the state and it is probable that
the rain will be repeated tonight
The heaviest rains were confined to
the wheat belt of central Kansas, ac-
cording to reports to the weather bu-
reau. Macksville received the heavf-
est rain. It measured 3.56 inches
Ellsworth was second with ass inches
and Hays was a close third with 2.62
inches. Hutchinson reported a rain
OF PA inches and Lincoln Center re-
ported Isl inches.
Flood i'm Coon Creek.
Kinsley. Kan, April 24-Coon
creek overflowed both the main line
and Hutchinson branches OF the Santa
Fe here early this morning. the re-
suit of unusually heavy rains yester-
day afternoon. stopping all movement
OF trains for hours over the road. 1t
is expected to have the track in con-
dition for operation in a few hours
however.
Heavy Rain ut Salina.
SaIina. Kan. April 24.-Very heavy
rains prevailed in this section Sunday
afternoon and night. The precipita-
ton here was 1-29 inches. Other towns
today report as follows: NIinneap polls
2-2O inches; Lincoln. 3 inches; Ellis
worth. 2-S5 inches. There was a heavy
electrical display, but no damage.
Thunderstorm at Hutchinson.
Hutchinson. Kan. April 24-There
was a hard wind. rain and thSlnder
storm during the past twenty-four
hours All of the streams are coming
up but il is believed none of them will
go out Of their banks.
indianapolis Fire Injuries Ffremen.
Indianapolis. April 24.-Five fire
men were injured none seriously and