Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 June 1903 — A Lamentable Story of Loss by Water [ARTICLE]

A Lamentable Story of Loss by Water

, Another very story of flood devastation from the Kansas City flood whioh is of in- ' terest to Rensselaer people ia the case of W. J. Laßue, eon of old Dr. Laßue, formerly of this place, and who is a first cousin to 8. M. and Amzie Laßue. He with his family were living at Kansas, City, Kane: and he has just recovering from a long seige of siokneas and just getting able to work. Previous to this time he had reverses iu his' mercantile l . ; business and lost almost every- ! thing he had. The family whioh ' consisted of himself and wife and : tbrtfe children were aroused from their beds at 4. a m. on Saturday ; morning. By the time they had ; thrown on whatolothes they could gether aud hastily pulled up the carpets, rugs, eto and piled things upon the tables and stoves, the water was almost level with their first floor. They went to a neighbora but the continued raise in 1 water forced them up stairs and at 5 p. m. the same day they were rescued by boat from the second story of the neighbor’s house and rowed a mile and a half by boat then taken the rest of the distanoe to dry land by teams. All they saved were what clothes they had on. Twentyfonr hours later there was from 18 to 20 feet of wateiw in their house. Their oondition ie pitable in the extreme. Their relatives here sent them a box of supplies Wednesday whioh will materially relieve there mo6t immediate wants.