Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1903 — SCENE OF THE DISASTER. [ARTICLE]

SCENE OF THE DISASTER.

North Topeka « Manufacturing City of Nearly 10,000 People. North Topeka constitutes the First Ward of the capital city of Kansas. It is located on the north shore of the Kansas River, known colloquially as the Knw, the old Indian name of the stream. The city of Topeka proper is on the south bank of the river. North Topeka contains about 9,000 to 10,000 inhabitants, many of them negroes. Until twen-ty-five years ago it was an independent municipality, but now it is included under the same government as Topeka. The Mayor of Topeka resides there. It has three railroads and railroad stations, elevators, mills, lumber yards, stores, banks, schools, churches, and it represents, or did represent, fully one-fourth of the wealth of the city of Topeka. It fronts on the river and north and east of it is Soldier '.’reek, a stream that flows from the prairies on the north. Beyond this creek the ground is higher. The river normally is about 1,000 yards wide at spring tide. Saturday night It spread all over the low lying ground on either side, and fully five miles wide.