The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-06-03
FLOOD HAVOC
SPREADS; DEAD
LISTED AT Is
Thousands Flee Homes as
Streams Rise: Wheat
Fields Submerged.
By United Press

Fields Submerged.
By United Press
JUNCTION CITY Kan, June 8.
Floods smashed their way through
the Midwest today, from dozen
sources, spreading death and de-
Struction.
In their wake we're an estimated
las dead, property loss Of millions,
shattered hopes of thousands of
farmers and the threat Of disease
and pestilence.
Upon this town. five miles from
the geographical center of the
United States, rushed two raging
rivers. The Republican, with 81
deaths already charged against it,
swept down from the north. From
the west the Smoky Hill surged in,
it's f1ood-tide increased by torrents
from the Solomon and Saline Riv-
ers.
The rivers converge here to form
the Kaw and then sweep eastward
$50 miles to the Missouri River. In
that stretch through fertile acres,
villages, towns and the state capital
there is a flood threat in every mile.
The crest of the Republican will
reach here today From Nebraska,
where its receding waters left be-
hind the worst havoc ever wrought
along it's course, it crossed into Kan
sas yesterday. BY night it had in
undated Concordia and added to its
list of victims an estimated 10 more
lives.
Deaths from the floods, which
started with Thursdays cloudburstS
in the Colorado Rockies, include:
Colorado .,.........,... IL
Wyoming ............
Nebraska bodies recOvered) 40
Nebraska (persOns miSsing) SO
Kansas (estimated) ...... 10
IOtal ............. 40
There have been probably dozen
other drownlngs at scattered places
from Texas to South Dakota in the
last week
Additional Deaths Expected
There was ample warning of the
floods approach, but authorities
expected additional deaths among
those who refuse to move until the
last moment, and thus faced danger
of being trapped, and among those
who risk their lives in heroic res
cues.
At Concordia. 80 miles upstream
the water was dropping, and at day.
break search was resumed for nine
missing persons. The body of an
unidentified woman was washed up
in a pile of debris last night.
Those mis- sing and believed
drowned included three Missouri
Pacific section hands who were
swept from bridge. Four men
| caught on a small island and two
men who tried to rescue them also
were believed lost.
Water Supply Impaired
The gas supply of Concordia was
cut off and the water supply was
impaired.
Ahead of the surging waters men
and women labored through the
night to save their movable property
Here and downstream along the
Kaw the exodus from lowlands to
the protection of the hills was like
the movement from a doomed city
Trucks loaded with furniture
chicken crates and children slouched
along the highways, some already
under water. officers and pr1vates
from Fl. Riley, five miles away, la
bored with civilians and farmers to
expedite the movement to safe
ground Army mules We'd with
trucks and family cars in taking
families and property from the
lowlands. Farmers drove their live
stock ahead
Their green wheat fields they
could not save. Thousands of acres
seemed doomed to submersion. crops
lost by water as surely as they we're
killed by drought year ago.
Score of Villages Doomed
Junction City and the nearby
army post appeared comparatively
safe, for both are on hilly ground
Except for the poorer section OF
junction City. in the river bottoms
/ the town is on hill and virtually
/ secure from the flood
Downstream conditions were not
/ so happy. In the path of the rush
/ ing waters are Manhatton. home oi
Kansas State College; Wamego, To
peka. the capital, and Lawrence
seat of the state university. Scattered
/ along the river are more than q
score of villages. many on low
ground and almost certain of inun-
I dalton.
! The one-time wide parade ground
of Camp Funston. where thousands
were trained for the World War
now a weed-covered expanse, GER
tainly will go under water today
I and with it long section of Union
Pacific right-of way
/ Nebraska Traffic Stopped
Manhattan's business district may
be inundated but the college