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Show mru 7 -"Mraw'n iiBBBBBBBBHHMBHHHHHBBIMBHHHHHHHBl p "y .rrmfatfr'v.. ... , . "' " ,vrcr . ..-j.-iBn-k --" flflr I I I UVESI) PROPERTY SWEPT I I AWAY IN WESTERN FLOODS H North Topeka nd the Two KensLS Cities the Greatest I Sufferers Famine end Pestilence Threatened Thrill- B ing Description of Rescue Work at North Topeka. H. LATEST ESTIMATE OF THE III FLOOD DAMAGE. HJJ Kansas City. HJJj Lives lest In city and HJJ suburbs, probably . . 100 H' Homeless 20,000 ABB' l Property loss (estlmat- ed) $10,000,000 HJJ Topeka. HJJ Cases of sickness due flflfl to flood 150 HBB Lives lost 40 HBB Property loss 1,000,030 BJj Dei Moines. HJB Cases of sickness du: HIV to flood 200 flHj Dwellings submerged.. 2,003 PPJ Number of homeless.. C,000 HBB Property loss 1,500,003 i flftpj Twcntj five hundred squnro miles PPJ ' of tlio mobt fertile vnlloys of Kansas BAY and Missouri, Including populous cities, HJB covorod With Hood waters ranging PPJ I from one to forty feet In depth, n con- BJB tlnuous sea, whose eddying and fast- HJH I rushing surface was strown with hit- PPJ ' man corpses, the caracasscs of thou- HJB Hands of enttlu and horses and the Hflft ruins of demolished houses or great HflflJ storo buildings, lifts been the situation HJB ' during Uii) past week. HflB I Above the surface, here and there In HflB. Isolated bpots In the country, but Bflfl thickly In the cities and towns, white PH Hags Improvised out ol bed-clothing PH floated fiom Becond-slory windows, HflflJ 'J., mute signals of distress warning rct- HflflJ cuers that people within were lit dan- HflH I ger of death by drowning or stnrva-PPJ stnrva-PPJ J Kansas City, Mo., Kansas City. Kan., PH and Topeka, Kan., were the greatest H sufferers. In nil sections where tho HflH ' pcoplo suffured from tho Hoods the HflflJ ' prices or provisions leaped higher and HflH , higher as tlu call for food became HHJ more urgent. Kggs, that had been 12 HHf coiits n dozen, rose to Gt cunts. Other HHft. edibles, especially fresh meats and H vosotnblPH. rose In proportion and HHm vrore almost unobtainable at famine hhb HHj ' i Much of tins scarcity wns due to tho HHl . ( llouilluK of gaidens, stores and pack- HHft ij lug-bouses, but it Is toportcd tlmt HHB I morchnnta whose stocks were, un- HHff I touched by the Hoods combined and HH J ugroert to rniso tho prices of their J products to double nnd troblu what H Uioy were before tho coming or the HHS I Sickness added Its terrors to tho HHB mirroring of the homeless refugees Hi from the Hood districts. In Topeka an HI opldemlc t measles and scarlet fever K Is rife. Thieves were busy there and ft I t Kansas City. Undaunted by the HHF ' swift waters which officials braved K with trepidation to rescue human lire, B the thieves floated about In boats, H plundering deserted homes and busl- H iiess hmibes. The patrolmen were or- H dored to shoot on Bight any persons HHB seen to be stealing. HI I For to nights tho city was tu nb- HHl golute darkness. The Hood prevented HHB tho operation of either gas or electric flflHJ plnnta. The water-works, too, wore Hfl Blmt ,i0XU) nnd tlio whole city nt tho HHB mercy of any lire that may break out. H Tho people ot Missouri and Kansas H wero not alone in their suffering. Tho flflHJ i Missouri river as well as the Kansas PBH mid nil Its tributaries was In Hoed H from Its sourie. Iowa and Nebraska HkHJ wcro deluged ovur wide areas. BBft The great danger at Kansas City, M now tha. tho water has subsided, Is a K typhoid epidemic caused by tho lack Ht of city water for Hushing. Tents aro PBHr I erected In City Hall park and on BBpH streets In tho heart or to.vn over bow- HHHj eiH and manholes. Laundries shut HHHJ .fe. BBBBh BBBBBBBk BBHHflHHHHHHfliV-'-ytexM'--."-- " i The financial damage Is about as great now as It Is likely to become. There has been ro suffering In Knnsas City beyond that sustained by tho people driven fiom their homes. 13x-cullcnt 13x-cullcnt wcrk was dono by the local relief re-lief committees mid those In control or this work are conlldont that tho city will bo able to care tor Uh own without calling upon the state. When tho Hood was at its height the muddy, desolate expansion or the Missouri's surplus water, known as tho "east bottoms," furnished a continuous continu-ous moving plcttucor dlincult rescues. Men, women and children woro taken ta-ken trom tteo branches, telegraph polos, box-cars and roofs. What appealed ap-pealed to some of the police as an almost al-most Indict ous state of affairs was that In many instances tho lescuors had fairly to drag people Into the boats. I. Ike hotse.3 huddled In n blazing blaz-ing stnble. they Reemed to fear to leave their homes, although tho latter In most cases appeared unequal to tho tnsk of standing long ngalnst tho Hood. At Argentine, Kan., where tho Santa To yards and buildings and two-thirds or tho dwelling houses aro under water wa-ter and 1.C00 peoplo homeless, a number num-ber or houses were washed away. There Is considerable sickness, particularly par-ticularly among the peoplo who were forced to Hep from Armourdale, and -the hospitals are heavily taxed. MANY DEAD AT TOPEKA. Forty Lives Known to Have Been Lost in Flood and Fire. Forty pcoplo aro known to havo lost their lives in tho flood nnd flames at Topeka. I'robably a third of thuso are uuldcntlfled, and reports or other bodies being found uro coming In. Tho mortuary list may reach fifty. The Kansas river had fallen fourteen four-teen Inches from tho highest point reached. Hoports from up-river nro to the effect that tho stream at all tho polii of greatest danger Is receding. Kxperts dcclaro It Is row reasonably certain that the singe or extreme peril is past. The properly loss will bo $1,000,000 nt least. This Includos damage or about J.'.no.tmii In the rosldcuco section or North Topokn, losses by tlio railroad rail-road companies or $200,000. nnd by the Topokn Street Hallway Company or $75,000. Besides thoso losses vnrl-ous vnrl-ous manufacturing plnnts have boon seiiously damaged. It Is Impossible as yet to figure out tho total damage on I account or the Inundation or tho land, I It Is also reared that not n fow structures struc-tures will glvo way under the pressuro or tho water. ir this proves tho case tho losses will grow rrom day to day. Tho list of tho known dead rollows: Henry .Inudnn, colored; Ward, old soldier; fiarrott. 5-yenr-old son of Fireman O. 11. Oarrett; Forest Kutz, teacher, Mrs. Forest Kutz, Louisa Sea-haven, Sea-haven, Story, Infant of Oeorgo M. Story; John L. Adams; Mrs. Ida Montgomery, Mont-gomery, probably dead, unknown ram-Ily ram-Ily or seven; unknown woman nnd child; four peoplo seen to fall rrom trees by watchers nt Sardou bridge; Mrs. Jackson, a widow, caught In her homo; Henry Ludlngton of Oakland; John L. Adams; Mrs. Ida Montgomery; seven bodies reported floating In tho water on tho second lloor of a houso In North Topokn. One or the most distressing fen tu re 3 of tho situation now Is tho possibility Hint there will bo a spread of contngl-ous contngl-ous diseases. Peoplo or all classes aro huddled together In houses not largo enough for thorn, nnd on all sides they nro surrounded by water. Doctors and medical relief cannot reach sufferers to any groat extent. A caso of diphtheria was reported from the woolen mill In North Topclta, where there aro a largo number of children In addition to tho adults. There Is also a caso or two of scarlet BBV ' r'Ji ' PPJ III 'ILWIF'BCIBE. -Ci, 'tsfM- " ? s" BH Bridge Over Kansas River From North Topeka Side. fever among tho rorugces on tho north side. Hundreds or cases or measles aro prevalent among tho children, nnd on account or the exposed condition of tho patients will result fatally In many cases. The physicians of tho city, under the direction of tho city health board, aro making heroic efforts to chock the threatened calamity. BRAVE FIGHT TO SAVE LIVES. Eyewitness Tells of Deeds of Hero-Ism Hero-Ism at North Topeka. Tho scenes nt North Topokn when tho Hood wns at its height and tho flames were threatening tho destruction destruc-tion of all lives nnd property, arc thus described by an eyewitness: Tho day was one of unceasing labor and of constant display of bravery and uuselfibhuess by hundreds nnd thousands thou-sands of citizens In all walks of lire. Tho first thought was to reach the peoplo who wero In most Imminent peril. It wns known that scores had been pciched In out-of-the-way places for from thirty hours to threo dnys without with-out food. The stories of thoso saved from such plight only colored the pie-turo pie-turo of tho human beings still making their final tight ngalnst death. Tho early hours wero given ovor to tho efforts of parties In rowboats to aid the beleaguered. Thoso endeav ors wore persistent, nnd many people wero saved. Women and children wero always given tho preference, and thero wero many pitiful Incidents ot aged or worn-out men, who had been clinging to trees or hanging on to roofs for many hours, meeting with stern refusal re-fusal from rescuers. Tho condition ot most of tho survivors sur-vivors was terrible. Tho strongest wero reduced to utter weakness. Tho will power, the love of the father or tho mother for tho offspring In notable nota-ble cuses alono accounts for tho survival sur-vival of to many. No food for two days, nnd In somo cases for three, hedged In between tho branches of trees or In small rooms or lofts In factories, houses nnd barns, no sound save that of tho roaring roar-ing Hood, no hopeful viow, but only tho Hashing of II ro brands nnd a look into tho murky, swirling water nil thoso clrcumstnncos Intensified a thousand times combined to whiten hair In a night and to drive to distraction dis-traction the coolest heads. Tho ardor of the workers was not abated by n cold drizzling rain. Citizens Citi-zens of every calling, tho rich and tho poor, donned oil skins nnd worked for hours In water un to their nrm pits. An epitome of thoso few hours In Topeka Is found In tho stories of tho victims nnd their rescuers. Tho latter lat-ter toll of tho unuttcrablo woo of the refugees, of tho hcartrcndorlng cries for help, and, at times, of tho plunge to n wntory grave- of peoplo who gave up hope of relief when Jt was Just at hand. Tho former, tho peoplo saved, aro telling or the unexampled bravery of tholr rescuers. Testimony or remarkable remark-able deeds and of terrible Incidents aro not wanting. In somo Isolated Instances men showed tho white feather. In nearly ovory case, howovor, by their actions they showed tho material of which true American manhood Is made. Women nnd children wero given tho precedonco In the work of rescue. K. L. Cowdry nnd his brother aro among thoso who escaped from tho flood. When asked for a story of his experience the former said: "Oh, it was terrible; 1 can't descrlbo it. It seems as If I havo lived In a horrible nightmare for tho last two days. "Karly on Thursday o saw that tho water would bo high, but with tho usual persistence or pcoplo who dls-Ilko dls-Ilko to leavo their own homes, put oft departure as long as' possible. It came near being our undoing. Friday tho whole of North Topeka, It seemed, overflowed within nn hour. Tho water canio creeping up faster than tho people peo-ple could get out. Wo wero forced to leave In such a hurry that wo could not even tako a blanket. "I am satisfied that our houso was destroyed, as It was In tho direct path of tho fire. All I havo In tho world Is tho clothing that I am now wearing. Hundreds of others aro In as bad a condition ns wo are." There aro lnnumerablo Instances of distress. Hundreds who wero rich aro row poor and tho poor peoplo nro In distress. Mnny lost nbsolutoly everything. every-thing. Tho savings of years woro Bwept away by water. Now they havo only the titles to tho water-covered land, which can novcr ngnln bo occupied oc-cupied with any dogrco of safety or certainty of title. W. N. Koppard anil wife, two aged people, wero snved. Thoy wero so numb that they could not fool, and had to bo knocked down Into tho water be-toro be-toro tho men could reach thorn. Thoy wero standing close together In tho nttlc of a houso, and so sovero had been their experience that their minds gavo way under tho strain. Thoy cannot recover. Notwithstanding their precarious condition many of the sufferots hold religious services In tho biddings whero they woro Imprisoned. It was a touching sight, tho rescuers say, to see people or all walks or llfo bowed down In pruyer together. I Map of the Valley of the Kansas River, Showing the Principal Po.n Mentioned In tho Flood Dispatches. ILII I . Ml ..... .. .-I . . --r |