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isiffli.^ THE ST. PAUL GLOBE, mmm VOL. XXVI.—NO. 151. |V^fiW ESIES I Bffnff ifl^HE^^r ■u3f BL^fiy |jn^_ »?&[& PsElg Bfi "5 |*3 §8% £fl fits I V^L •* Bfcjj QB 888 wlh S Sis SB hlb DB h^B * SB »3m P^l b3B B9 frSf VHL p9 y3N ■ «■ tH^ HOUSES SURROUNDED BY DELUGE fIT TOPEKfI TfIKE FIRE fIND POSSIBLY 400 PEOPLE PERISH BY FUMES OR WATER LAND HID IN WILDERNESSOFWATERS General View of the Cataclysm in lowa, Nebraska and Missouri —No Immediate [Relief in Sight*—Lives Lost and Property Annihilated. *****♦*♦♦*♦♦♦*♦♦♦♦*.♦♦♦♦♦♦♦*♦♦*♦*♦**♦♦* * * «. FLOOD SITUATION SUMMARIZED. * * ♦ + . — — ♦ ♦ ♦ * Kansas North Topeka, 7,000; near Emporla, 500; Salina and vicinity, ♦ * Homeless — I"T * * 800; Lawrence, 500; Kansas City, Armourdale and Argentine, 10,000. * * Missouri —Harlem and Sheffield, 700. _•■ * * lowa —Dcs Molnes, 6,000; Ottumwa, 200. <► ♦ Nebraska Lincoln, 200; Beatrice, 200. * ♦ ♦ ♦ Financial Losses — ♦ ♦:...- ■. • : ■ ♦ * Kansas —North Topeka, $1,000,000; Lawrence, $100,000; Concordla, $100,- * * 000; Abilene and vicinity, $300,000; SaMna and vicinity, $150,000; Solomon, ♦ * Chapman, Detroit and Woodbine and intervening country, $400,000. * * lowa —Dcs Moines, $500,000. '*•'" * ♦ . .;. ■ -,^y, • ♦ ♦ Lives are reported lost at the following points: Topeka, eight; Dcs * ♦ Moines. four; Kansas City, one; Oklahoma City, one. * ♦ ♦ ************************************** KANSAS CITY, Mo., May 30.—Un precedented floods are raging in Cen tral and Eastern Kansas, Northwest ern Missouri, Eastern Nebraska and Southwestern lowa, the result of ten days of almost continuous rainfall. The general situation is considered most grave, with no immediate relief in sight. Many lives have been lost and it is estimated that 25,000 persons have been driven from their homes. Many homes were washed away and the property loss will probably reach millions of dollars. The greatest damage has been be tween Kansas City and Ellsworth, Kan., 200 miles west. The chief suf ferer is North Topeka, which has been separated from the main part of the city and has become an island. At Kansas City, Kan., and in the subur ban towns of Armourdale and Argen tine, and at Harlem and Sheffield, Mo., near Kansas City, Mo., an aggregate of 10,000 persons have been forced to" leave their homes and 8,000 employes of the numerous packing houses and railroad shops in the bottoms are out of employment. Sudden Rise at Night. TJJie already flooded condition of Cen tral and Eastern Kansas, which has been in the grasp of the flood for two days, became acute last night by a sudden rise in all streams, which are swollen by heavy rains. The rivers along which the main damage was done are the Kansas, which at many places from its source at Kansas City to Manhattan, Kan., a distance of 110 miles, has spread out over miles of land on either side of its original bed; v'^ s the Smoky Hill river, south from Man £• hattan, a distance of another 100 miles, touching Junction City, Abilene, Sa lina and Ellsworth, flooding ail these towns and the intervening country; the Blue river north from Manhattan; the Missouri river, north and east of Kan sas City, and the Dcs Moines river at Dcs Moines. Railway traffic in Kansas is practi cally at a standstill, dozens of big bridges having been washed out be tween Kansas City and Ellsworth and many miles of track being under water. Every Road Affected. Every Western road entering Kansas City is affected. The Rock Island and Union Pacific between Kansas City and Colorado are laid out completely and all Santa Fe trains from the West have been annulled at a point west of Florence. A short distance out of Kansas City the Santa Fe is running trains over the 'Frisco tracks. The Burlington and Missouri Pacific are moving their trains by wide detours. The ROck Island has four trains stall ed at McFarland, one at Wichita and one at Hutchinson, and in fact the trains are held up at all division points. On the Union Pacific the most serious damage was done west of Salina, where a number of washout occurred. Train service between Kansas City and Topeka has practically been abandon ed. One train from Topeka over the Santa Fe reached here today, after making a detour of 230 miles to cover the sixty miles between the two cities. All the rivers in this part of the country, the Missouri, Kansas, Smoky Hill, Blue and smaller streams are rising tonight, the Kansas and the Missouri at a rapid rate and it is ap- s~~ Ty'~~* '• / a /^*\ ®' A*J ) *\ . 7T c —■ (l^^^gmCTto, I ■U ( kso,K»ou R t-,h3^,0h.. I^™°^™^^^ l^wS^T^ '- parent that the destructive floods of 1881 will be exceeded. Additional rains are predicted and a further rise in the Missouri will result in serious damage between Kansas City and St. Louis. KANSAS CITY DESOLATION. Packing Houses and Factories at Ar- mourdale in One Great Lake. KANSAS CITY, May 30.—Armour dale presents a strange picture of des olation. Almost a metropolitan city, and ordinarily one of the busiest por tions of the Greater Kansas City, the central business section, where are lo cated the packing houses, vast manu factories and factories, is one great lake, Standing on Kansas avenue, Armourdale's principal street, directly in front of Cudahy's packing plant and only a stone's throw from Swift's plant, as far as the eye can see, the city is submerged. Swift's plant is surrounded by water and can be reached only by boats. The loss with which the people of the flooded district will have to con tend from this time will be purely a property loss. A large relief corps is aiding the police in protecting life, and it is not probable that any further loss of life will be reported in any of the flooded districts in this city. All per sons are duly warned of danger, and the hospitality of the people who live on high ground is affording shelter for less fortunate ones. Most of the home less people in Armourdale and the packing .house and factory districts are poor employes of these concerns, and greater suffering will resutt be cause of enforced idleness. The bridges across the Kansas river here are in great danger, and large forces of men are guarding them. Traffic has been suspended between Armourdale and this city, and all the switch yards in Armourdale are un der several feet of water. The rail roads are trying to save their bridges by weighting them down with heavy trains of loaded cars. The raging wa ters are on a level with all of the bridges, and above them, in some in stances. At Argentine the conditions which prevail are similar to those of Ar mourdale. More than 2,500 people are homeless, and the town is Isolated from this city. The Missouri river tonight is twen ty-six feet and one inch above low water mark, or nearly three feet high er than last night. Weather Observer Connor predicts that the Missouri will, during the next few days, exceed all previous high water marks. At 10 o'clock the Kansas river was rising at the rate of four inches an hour. Swift's packing house has al ready sustained a loss estimated at $1,000,000. The damage to Cudahy's and Schwarzchild & Sulzberger's will be nearly $500,000, about equally divided between the two plants. It is estimated that the loss in Ar mourdale to date will exceed $5,000, --000. NEBRASKA'S INUNDATION. Heavy Stock and Crop Losses, Beatrice Suffering the Most. LINCOLN, Neb., May 30. — South eastern Nebraska is experiencing the worst floods of which there is any rec ord. The situation last night, which was serious, was further aggravated by a heavy down-pour of rain most of the night, and tonight rain is again falling. Thus far there have been no reports of losses of life, and none is expected; but much stock has been drowned, growing fields of grain in undated and totally ruined, and some houses carried away. Railroads are heavy sufferers in the blocking of traf- SUNDAY MORNING, MAY 81, f©O3.~T WENT Y-EIGHT PAGES. flc and -washing out of bridges and roadbeds. The town of Beatrice is the worst sufferer, and there the situation is alarming. The Blue river, a stream ordinarily but little over a hundred feet wide, spreads out from one to three miles. Tonight the Burlington and Union Pacific depots at that place are surrounded with water and aban doned. The electric light plant and "water works station are shut down and water is flowing across Court street, in the business section. Hundreds of families have abandoned their homes, and water is up to the second stories in a number of houses. Conditions are nearly as bad at Crete and Wilber. At Nebraska City roadbeds are washed out and not a train is moving. In Lincoln Salt creek has made a new high record in the low-lying sec tion, but the rise has been gradual, and occupants have been able to move out -and take their stock with them. Eighty Russian families are tonight housed in the court house and hundreds of others are scattered over the city. Some of the foreigners refuse to aban don their homes, taking their cows and pigs into their houses with them. The rise of water was so steady, however, that they were cut off and rescued in boats. Policemen and volunteers throughout the day have been doing rescue work. The business section is in no danger, but the losses will fall heavily on the poor classes. BEATRICE, Neb., May 30.—1t is almost impossible to accurately de scribed the fearful condition of the country in this section and in this city. Tonight the weather turned cold, adding to the distress of the hundreds who are homeless. There is three feet of water in the Burlington depot waiting rooms. It was abandoned. Several residences were swept from their foundations and carried down stream with their contents. • Both city river bridges are under water and there is danger of their going out. On the approach to the Rock Island bridge a large force of men is trying to stop the break with bags of sand. During the last hour the engines operated at the water works were almost completely sub merged. The plant has been aban doned. The rural mail routes have all been abandoned. It is still raining and the city is cut off from the out side except by wire. HUTCHINSON UNDER WATER. Buildings Are Washed Into Street and Burned. HUTCHINSON, Kan., May 30.— Hutchinson is under water tonight A five-foot rise in Cow creek, west of here tonight broke the levee above town, letting a flood of water through the streets. Soon the Western Union office was surrounded, many store basements were flooded, and hundreds of residences were surrounded. Every available, vehicle is being used to move the women and children from the flooded district. Water runs through the main street three feet deep, and merchants are removing their stocks. Two building washed into the street, caught fire and burned in sight of thousands. Thousands of acres of land in the valley west of here are flooded. In Hutchinson fifty square blocks are covered and boats are the only means of transportation in some parts of the city. More rain, is expected. The town of Medora, in Reno county, is under water and the people spent last night in the Rock Island depot. Miles of track on the Rock Island roads have been washed out. East bound Rock Island trains are stalled' here. Helping Helpless Passengers. LINDSBORG, Kan., May 30.—1t has been raining here for fourteen hours and the whole county is flooded. Jft Fremont the flood reached the Luth eran cemetery and the river was three miles wide. Rescuing parties were busy all day. A rescuing party start ed from here to succor passengers on abandoned Missouri Pacific No. 8. The passengers have been in the train at Bridgeport since Thursday noon and are running out of provisions. Wall of Water Advancing. HUTCHINSON, Kan., May 30.—Cow creek, five miles northwest of here, has risen suddenly and is higher than ever before. The flood will reach Hutchinson tonight, and the town doubtless will be flooded worse than last year, when half the residence por tion was under water. A wall of wa ter eighteen inches high is coming this way, and the crops in the valley have been destroyed. The Arkansas river has risen two feet today, and is com ing up rapidly. The town of Medora. in Reno county, is under water, and the people spent last night in the Rock Island depot. Mileß of track on the Rock Island and 'Frisco roads have been washed out. Wagon bridges are gone, and thou sands of acres of wheat and alfalfa are ruined. It is still raining. East- Continued on Fourteenth Page. THE WEEK'S NEWS AS SEEN BY THE CARTOONIST ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦♦ ♦ ♦>W^t ♦' ♦ ♦'♦> ♦ ♦ ♦ ■ I mayor mn t t MAKES PROCLAMATION ♦ ♦ :.-S ■>■■::','-.:^~r: A .':-^-- . ♦ ♦ To the People of St. Paul: » ♦ ♦ • Fire and flood have brought to + ♦ Topeka, Kan., the worst disaster ♦ ♦ In >|ts; T history, and : the country ♦ ♦ stands aghast at fthe 1 loss of life ♦ ♦ and destruction of : property - these 4 ♦ two elements have brought to this ♦ ♦ fair city. Calls >for help : are being ♦ <> sent up and St. Paul should not be ♦ ♦ tardy In responds. I therefore # ♦ recommend and request that steps <j> ♦ be taken at once by our citizens ♦ towards aiding in the relief of the <» ♦ destitute and stricken people of » ♦ ♦ Kansas. ; Any v " organized move- ♦ ♦ ment that will} hliv«S for Its end «? ♦ the collection and ; forwarding of ♦ ♦ supplies and money will be accord- * ♦ Ed all the aid and co-operation ♦ ♦ the municipality c of St. Paul can :'+ ♦ give. ■■-■"*/. -.-'f':-- ■'■■ \4i ♦ R. A SMITH, ♦ ♦• ■ ■-•■ -' '.; ; •'; *'w" ';" ■ ' Mayor. + ♦ .♦'♦♦♦ ♦*♦ ♦ ♦ ♦.♦■f!Wi>4 ♦ ♦ DAY'S NEWS SUMMARIZED Weather for St. Paul and vicinity: Fair and warmer today and t«saorrow. * DOMESTIC— . South Topeka, Kan., to being destroyed by flood and fire, with heavy loss of life. Inundations In Kansas, lowa, Nebraska and Missouri entail loss of life and prop erty damages of many millions. Thirty-six whites are indicted in Ala bama for holding negroes in servitude. Government is found to fre paying fancy prices for postofflce rentals. Davenport (Iowa), youog woman com mits suicide and nephew o|T3ov. Van Sant is arrested, but released. Unveiling of monum?^' to late Sena tor C. K. Davis in A. .ypton cemetery, [ Washington, is conspitiEXus feature of Memorial day observances^ FOREIGN— It is said to be deliberate plan of Cham berlain and British Tories to ruJn Ameri can industries. German Industrial league addresses "kicking" circular to exporters of United States. Russian foreign minfc&r Is charged with having delibemteh*.>b- ought about Kishenev massacre in fl'inateh manner. LOCAL— St. Paul pays honor to the veterans of the Civil and Spanish-American wars. Graves in the cemeteries appropriately decorated. Notable displays made by the pupils in the St. Paul Art schooi Albert Brodhag is victim of strange poisoning case, but will recover. Receipts for taxes for the first half C the year amount to over 51,000,000. United States Gas Company of Phila delphia after* control of tho St. Paul Gas company. ■ MINNEAPOLIS— Comptroller Rogers is biimea by Aid. Powers with having defeats sale of city's bonds. June carnival will begia Monday. Col. Wood to take charge of West hotel Monday. Episcopal convention for state to open Wednesday. SPORTING— St. Paul team wins morning and after noon games from Louisville. Scores: St. Paul, 8, 7; Louisville, 2, 2. Crusader, Flying Dutchman and Aloha win opening races of White Bear Yacht club. , Yale wfns intercdllegfate" championship cup from Harvard by half a point. Minnesota Cricket club defeats Min neapolis by score 108 to 78. RAILROADS— Many changes are made in the manage ment of the Northern Pacific's Chicago of fice." WHERE TO GO CYCLING TODAY The chilly spell of last night will be followed by warmer weather today, ac cording to prediction, and as it will be fair, there will be no danger of getting wet. Lake Phaienr-White Bear path is fair. Como path is excellent. , Fort Snelling path oi- Seventh street is fair, Cleveland avenues" path is poor. Summit avenue path is excellent. Grotto street is fair. Lexington avenue path Is passable. West Central aveaue path is very good. University aresstrpath is fine to Mer riam Park, rough iA places past the Mid way. South St. Paul £ath Is fair. Indian Mounds path ia fair. Snelling-Minnehfcha path Is good. Minnehaha-Lake Calhoun path is excel lent. Lake street path Is In .fine condition. Lake Minnetonka path is fair, rough in many places. . . Shakopee path is fair. • New Brighton-Lake Johanna path Is fair. Mendota road JB«,.in failr condition. DUAL HORROR OF FLAME AND FLOOD TOPEKA, Kan., May 31 (2 a. m.) —Rain has been falling for two hours and this has had a tendency to check the fires in the dwellings. No reliable estimate of the lives lost in North Topeka can be made, for the reason that the flooded districts Can not be traversed. It is at least 200 and may be larger than this. The ex tent of the damage is hard to get at. People were cooped up In their houses and could not escape from the fire or If there is no further rise in the river it is possible for a large number of the beleaguered people yet to be rescued. Boats have been telegraphed for and a trainload will arrive in a few hours from Ottawa and others from Emporia. It will be impossible before daylight to make a reliable report about the ex tent of the damage. Almost superhuman efforts have been made to rescue those remaining, but the task has been too great for the facilities at hand. The current runs like a mill race down the princi pal streets. Even an expert oarsman can make no headway against it. West of Kansas avenue the rescue of im prisoned people is probable. East of Kansas avenue it is an impossibility. A boat cannot be driven against the current. All day yesterday the rescuers work ed and people were landed by the hun dreds, but it is a conservative esti mate to say that there are a thousand people in the town who have not been rescued. There can be as yet no esti mate of the number of lives offered as a sacrifice to the flood. The receding of the waters alone will reveal the worst, and even that will not show the maximum count, for the waters often bury their dead beyond human resur rection. With few exceptions the names of those who succumbed are missing. VICTIMS PERISH LIKE RATS IN A TRAP It is known only that babies were torn from the arms of their mothers to die in the waters, and that men and women perished like rats in a trap. The property loss Is beyond compu tation. No foot of realty, no habita tion aild little of the personal property of the north side of the river is wholly exempt from loss. The railways have suffered severely, the county and city may reckon their combined losses in the thousands of dollars and corporate and private interests have all been heavily involved. The Jonathan Thomas lumber plant and the Central Sash and Door com pany's lumber yard, immense Institu tions, were wiped out by flre, and from it the flames extended north and east. It is certain that some houses in the residence district east of the avenue were burned. The Gabriel lumber yards were in the clutch of the flames all night and are a wreck. Many private residences were scorched. TOPEKA, Kan., May 30, Midnight- Reporters who have just arrived from the river say that the water is yet rising. An unconfirmed report from Wamego and Manhattan, west of To peka, say that another rise is coming down the Republican and Blue rivers. If this is true, the situation here will be greatly intensified. Fire Chief Wilmarth says that the fire on the east side of Kansas avenue in North Topeka is rapidly taking the remaining buildings. The fire is go ing toward the wind, and this will serve to check its progress, but there is so much burning wreckage floating about that the destruction of the re maining houses is regarded as certain. People on the roofs of houses are yet heard calling frantically for help. It is said that two boats loaded with people were swamped and that a dozen or more persons were drowned. Shorey, another suburb of Topeka, located northwest of the city, near the reform school, is now inundated. The Hundreds of People Are Burned to Death or Perish in the Deep, Swift Waters That Bury North Topeka— New Precedent in the History of Calamity. ♦♦♦♦♦♦.♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦..♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 4^ ♦ ~ NORTH TOPEKA'S AWFUL SUMMARY. J ♦ -- c . : :_____. ; . ♦ I ber "mly re^ch^ 6 *"**** bUrned * death ° drowned ' and the num- t ♦ Women and men commit suicide, despairing of rescue t t - J^V'ZTn^^bit^riKi whlch 'ei9ht **"-* now*"- ■■♦ X «nto7hTwa'tV^dd nrow O Onn n. hOUBetOPS «•"""" — One by one they drop t ♦ Property loss Incalculable. .♦ ♦ ■ .-■.-- -- . ..:;..\... -- - : --. •. - , • : ' . \,. ' ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦*♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦■♦♦♦♦>♦■♦♦>♦ Jackson school house shelters 100 peo ple. They entered the building before the water became so high, and now they cannot escape. The building is on slightly raised ground, and if no fur ther rise takes place the prisoners may be rescued. They are now standing on benches, the waiter covering the floor several feet deep. The Harris elevator also shelters fifty people. The water is now so high that It Is rapidly spreading out over the country north of Topeka. In the darkness and rushing water no bodies can be-reeov ered and the dead will not be counted until the flood abates. All energies are concentrated on rescue and relief. DETAILED NARRATIVE OF THE CALAMITY TOPEKA, Kan., May 30.—People who did not leave North Topeka last night when they had a chance are now in the greatest danger of loßing their lives. As far as can be estimated at this time over 800 people are beyond reach of rescue. The Kansas i «ver is rising at the rate of three inches an hour. Thirty are known to be dead and the list will be larger. Hundreds are missing. People are drowning and others are burning to death. If any portion of North Topeka escapes destruction by the flood it seems tonight as though fire would finish the work. The large lumber yard of Jonathan Thomas caught fire this afternoon and whole blocks of houses are burned. Burning houses are floating through the. streets and setting fire to others. It is reported that the Union Pacific depot and hotel has been burned. There is no possible way of quenching the flames. The loss of life will be ap palling. The property loss will be $3,000,000 or more. Nobody can tell just what has been destroyed. The water extendß around Shorey and oth er suburbs. Every foot of North Topeka, inhab ited by 10,000 people, Is under water. The current is so swift that no boat can live in it. Seven thousand people have escaped to the South side and are being cared for as well as possible. The remaining large number have not yet been accounted for. They have been forced to the top floor or the roofs and are waiting for the water to sub side or carry them down stream. They are safe only so long as the buildings remain standing. REVOLVERS FIRED AS SIGNALS FOR AID Below town scores of-men are in the tree tops, yelling for help. Thousands of revolver shots and screams have been heard on the North side—signals for aid. Women and children in the west part of North Topeka, where the water is probably deeper than at 'any other point in the immediate part o{ the city, are standing on the highest points In reach and yet In water to their necks. It is reported by men who have seen that hundreds there are suffering and sick. The current is so strong that oars are useless, and early In the afternoon a gang was being organized to row In as far as possible and then to swim the rest of the distance. Several boats PRICE FIVE CENTS. and wagons have been overturned, and women have been seen struggling In the water. The river reached the Rock Island depot on First street thla morning. The water on Crane street Is eight feet deep, and the current is like a mill race. Perhaps 100 people have been dumped into the water at that point. The river is twenty-five feet above low water mark and Is still ris ing. The weather is cold, and the people who have not been rescued are suffering intensely. Unless.they have help Boon it is feared many will die of exposure. In the B street colored Baptist church on the North side, more than 100 victims of the flood are gathered. The water flooded the building, and the people are standing on pews in order to keep their heads above water. The work of rescuing and caring for the flood survivors is ■ being carried forward. Contributions are being rushed into the relief committee. Cit izens are opening their homes to sur vivors, and every indication is that the city will be well able to take care of those who have left their homes. Every public building In the city la sheltering scores of homeless people. BURNING HOUSES, AFLOAT, FIRING OTHERS Burning houses are floating about, setting fire to others. The lower story of the burning buildings con tain ten feet of water. The current is so strong that no boat can approach any of the buildings. People are gathered on the tops of houses and will meet death either by fire or drowning. The cries for help can be heard a mile away. The whole city is wildly excited be cause no aid can be extended. The river at North Topeka is five miles wide. No possible estimate of the financial loss is obtainable, but it will reach into the millions. North Topeka was the manufactur ing distirct of the city. Three large flour mills, three woolen mills and other manufacturing enterprises are entirely destroyed. The water supply of the whole city has been cut off. The water from the river extends nearly a mile on the south side. The Rock Island depot has been abandoned, and more than 500 people on this side of the river are homeless, but no loss of life has resulted in South Topeka. The Kansas avenue bridge is the only one across the river for miles and the approaches are flooded by thirty "feet of water. A pontoon bridge is being erected In an effort to reach the suf ferers. Seven thousand or more people are on this sid# of the river, sheltered in the public buildings. Topeka is now able to take care of all the unfortu nates. The work of caring for the ref ugees is being pushed with the utmost rapidity. From the state house dome eighty fires can be counted in different parts of North Topeka. The whole central portion of the city had been burned out at 10 o'cloc ktonighf, and it is safe to say that by morning no house in the main part of North Topeka will be left standing. When it is stated that North Topeka has 10,000 inhabitants Continued on Fourteenth Page.