Evening star., 1926-09-13
14-|NCH RA|NF ALL
CAUSES 3 DEATHS
Hundreds of Square Miles
Inundated in Kansas-Hun-
dreds Are Homeless.

By the Associated Press.
EMPORIA, Kans.. September 49,
The Neosho River, rising a foot and
half since midnight, today threatened
to inundate new territory and increase
the damage to buildings and the heavy
live stock losses caused yesterday,
when the flood waters Of the Cotton
wood, Nerdigris and Neosho Rivers
swept a section of southeastern Kan
sas, approximately 25 miles wide and
80 miles long.
Today's rise was caused by torrents
pouring from the Cottonwood into the
Neosho. seven miles southeast of here.
The Neosho was approaching the rec
ord high of 27 feet recorded in the
flood of 1923.
The raging Neosho today covered
territory from to 10 miles wide from
a point several miles west of here to
Parsons, about 100 miles southeast.
Burlington, Leroy and other points
between here and Neosho Falls, As
miles southeast of here, reported the
high mark apparently reached shortly
before midnight, but it was feared the
deluge from the Cottonwood River
would force the Neosho to new high
today.
lola reported the Neosho holding
steadily at % feet at o'clock this
morning, the volume passing south
into the Chanute and Parsons dis
tricts, where rapid rises were recorded,
causing heavy damage.
Three Known Dead.
Three persons were known to have
lost their lives and hundreds were
homeless or maroOned in their houses.
Starting at the headwaters of the
three rivers, the flood swept southeast
through Emporia, Madison, Burling
ton and intermediate points, swelling
in volume as 1t came. Water-threat-
ened householders fled for their lives.
Many, taken unawares, were rescued
in rowboats from the roofs and second
stories of their homes.
A large section of the town of Neo-
sho Falls, about 35 miles southeast of
here, was reported as virtually in
undated at midnight, with some resi-
dents forced to the roofs of houses.
A banker who reported the situation
to Wichita said he stood in water on
the top floor of buildings while tele-
phOning the report. The section hard
est hit apparently included a territory
nearly 25 miles wide, starting about
10 miles west of here and extending
more than SO miles southeast, along
the Neosho and Cottonwood Valleys.
lola, a town of nearly 5000 population,
was threatened early this morning.
The NeoShO was reported at the high
est point in it's history and rising slow
ly. The torrent had not reached the
central section of the town, but had
driven scores of persons from their
homes in the western residential dis
triCt.
Rainfall Breaks Record.
Rainfall at Neosho Falls broke all
records for the storm with IA inches.
The village of Leroy reported IL
inches. At Florence inches fell.
About inches was reported here
and at Burlington, Cottonwood Falls
reported 61z inches. junction City re-
ported inches. Definite records were
not reported at lola, but it is esti-
mated that upward of 10 inches fell
there.
Fourteen miles southeast of Burling
ton, on the Neosho, the town of Leroy
and Moody were hard hit. Dan Braun,
county agent for Coffey County, de-
clared last night that 20 farmhomes
| were completely washed away in this
| neighborhood, with heavy losses Of
| live stock.
The damage in Burlington was
Creek. cutting through the heart of
the business district, could not empty
| fast enough into the Neosho, backed
up and inundated the business district
and about so homes.
Drops Dead at Sight.
Charles Rodgers, so. farmer near
Burlington, who served as county
commissioner during the disastrous
| floods here of 1922. dropped dead yes
terday morning when he peered from
his bedroom window to see the tide
rapidly encrpaching on his front
steps.
| The heroism of a telephone girl,
| Mrs. June Chubb, who stuck to her
post in spite of the rising waters to
spread the alarm, probably saved
| the lives of many Burlington resi-
dents. who slept unaware of danger.
| She was rescued in a rOwboat from
the second story Of the telephone
exchange.
Santa Fe. Missouri Kansas Texas
and the Rock Island Railroads
abandoned service to many towns.
Burlington, Madison and villages in
this section are completely cut off
! from railroad service.