Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 June 1903 — THE GREAT FLOODS. [ARTICLE]

THE GREAT FLOODS.

To understand the flood situation in Kansas, and just why Topeka received the brunt of the swell of water, it is necessary to be familiar with the river systems. Of course every little creek is swollen but the great damage is being done by two distinot systems, the Kansas and Arkansas Rivers. The Kansas river and its sources take in the northern half of the state. Starting at the western edge of the state the smoky Hill and Solomon Rivers bisect the northwestern part of the state, running nearly parallel. On the Solomon River are Hill city, Stockton, Osborne, Beloit. At the latter point the Solomon River takes a southern curve and joins the Smoky Hill River at Dickenson. On the Smoky Hill, starting at the west, are Russell Springs, Ellsworth, and Salina. Abilene is on the Smoky Hill River east of where it is joined by Solomon River. At this point the river was falling Tuesday. The conbined waters flow on east to Junction City, where the Republican River from the north rashes into the Smoky Hill, then on to Manhattan, where the combined waters flow into the Kansas River, which comes directly from the north. From Manhattan to Kansas City the Kansas River was from three to fifteen miles wide, and in some places over fifty feet deep. At all towns mentioned there is great suffering from the flood, and, while facts are not obtainable, it is considered certain that from Manhattan to Topeka the Kansas River has claimed many dead. The swell of water, re-enforced by small streams grown to torrents, struck Topeka with the swell of water which had been accumulating from all over the western part of the state. Kansas City, Kansas, of coarse, got the fall force of the flood from the west, while the Missouri River encroached from the east. From these on the combined Missouri and Kansas Rivers rush on down through Missouri to the Mississippi. In the southern half of Kansas the Arkansas River strikes Syracuse on the extreme west, then takes in Lakin, Garden City and Cimarron. Below Dodge City it flows to the northwest past Kinsley, Larned, and at Great Bend takes its course southwest to Hutchinson, Wichita and Winfield. The Neosho Valley, in the eastern part of Kansas, is another scene of desolation, heavy damage having been done, especially to the crops, but there is no report of loss of life in this section. At Hutchinson and the surrounding valley it is reported that the loss is $2,000,000. The city itself was a lake five miles square. The Midland Hotel, banks, library and other buildings were nnder water. The foundations of many buildings are weakened.