eae Spey pipes es Be med ae eH nap zi ee Pie den ees her! ‘ems ie sc re Ly ee a oy ae Hat oe ge ns, Sion ee 29 ne ae Phi ieek igh PS ey Cd eG Ros Pee AE cee et a P i f i eta: aA Hessen AES Pirate eats yee (ea ke a TARAS Rs Ess : Raa eKS Bearers i a a A PASS : ‘ wR Ranta Ds at 5 eet eRe Lt eee aes e ars Rea ERS Sets raG ies poeta, el } Gornell University Library Ithaca, Nem York THE LIBRARY OF EMIL KUICHLING, C. E. ROCHESTER, NEW YORK . THE GIFT OF SARAH L. KUICHLING 1919 ig c ‘sIayeM poopy ey} Aq Keme Pete JOU sem jer) LT Jo auo Losses of life and property.—In a more material sense, too, the floods of 1903 marked a new epoch in our economic history. The floods of 1785 and 1844 ran harm- lessly over unbroken forests and bottoms, tenanted only by the beasts of the field and birds of the air, save along the Kaskaskia bottoms and the adjoining ones of the Missis- sippi, where were the little farms of the French colonists. The floods of 1903 descended upon broad, fertile, and highly cultivated fields, and upon rich valleys filled to over- flowing with vast industries devoted with never ceasing energy to the fulfillment of the insatiable demands of commerce. The resulting ruin and desolation were beyond description, and would tax even the most vivid imagination to contemplate. The number of human lives lost will never be accurately known, but the total number reliably reported was exactly 100, of which more than one-half were reported from Kansas City westward. ‘The losses to property 29 30 THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. were practically beyond computation. Estimates, which are far from complete, place the total losses at $40,000,000, over two-thirds of whieh can be attributed to the work of the Kansas and lower Missouri rivers. Causes of the floods—A merely casual inspection of the rain chart for the month of May, 1903 (see Chart XV), will suffice, in a general way at least, to show the reasons for the floods, which in most instances, were very destructive. ‘These rains were excessive and almost continuous during the latter half of the month, especially during the last ten days, over the middle Mississippi Valley, the western portion of Oklahoma, and the eastern portions of Kansas and Nebraska, and were due to the persistent barometric depression over the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains and lower Missouri Valley. The actual quantity of rainfall during the mouth of May over the districts affected by the floods varied from about 5 to 15 inches, 2 to 11 inches above the normal quantity for the season of the year, and of this enormous quantity over one-half, and in some localities, over two-thirds fell during the eleven-day period from May 21 to May 31, inclusive. Over the southeastern and extreme eastern portions of the State of Nebraska, from Webster County east to the State line, and thence north to Dakota County, the precipitation for the month varied from 11 to 16 inches; over the western two-thirds of the State of Iowa there were from 8 to 12 inches, with a maximum fall of over 15 inches in the extreme southwest- ern portion of the State, while in the extreme southwestern and extreme northwestern portions of the State of Missouri, and the eastern portion of the State of Kansas, the amounts ranged from 10 to 14 inches. The flood conditions were also intensified and aggravated by the fact that the close of the winter left the soil of the river valleys in a very moist condition, and incapable of absorbing any considerable quantity of water in addition. The ratio of rainfall to run-off was thereby considerably increased and much more water found its way into the rivers, with the result that the discharge vol- umes were increased largely beyond the normal output from an equal quantity of pre- cipitation. ; Distriéts affected —The States principally affected by the floods were Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas, and in a minor way, small portions of southeastern Nebraska, southeastern Minnesota, and southwestern Wisconsin. "These comprise portions of the watersheds of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers with their principal tributaries, chiefly the Des Moines and Kansas rivers. Duration of the floods—The floods may be considered to have begun on May 26, when the Kansas River and its tributaries were bank full, with many already overflow- ing; and to have continued until June 18, on which date the Mississippi River at St. Louis first fell below the danger line. This would make the total length of the flood period twenty-four days, although in the individual rivers it was not so extended. In the Missouri Valley, under the conditions named above, the flood lasted from May 26 to June 11, both dates inclusive, a period of seventeen days, the lower Missouri falling below the danger line on the latter date. The Mississippi flood continued from June 2 to 18, inclusive, also a seventeen-day period. The river at Dubuque reached the danger line of 15 feet on the former, and fell below the 30-foot danger point at St. Louis on the latter date. There was, however, some moderately high water north of Dubuque during the latter half of May. By a curious coincidence, the Des Moines River flood also continued for seventeen days, beginning with May 28, when the river at Des Moines THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. 31 first rose above the danger line of 19 feet, and ending June 13, when the Mississippi, at Keokuk, near the mouth of the Des Moines River, first fell below the danger point of 15 feet. The following table shows the number of days the various rivers were above the danger lines during the floods: Number of days rivers were above danger lines, May and June, 1903. é # At or above danger lines. Stations. & 8 Total. | 1 foot. | 3 feet. | 5 feet. | 7 feet. | 9 feet. | 11 feet. | 13 feet. Dubuque, Iowa ........... ee cece ee eee I5 8 o o oO o o oO o Keokuk). Lowa .icccsssgueswaavecneds 15 14 12 8 o ° oO oO ° Hannibal, Moi ex--2, 10.2 feet; 3, 7.6 tect; qd, 16.9 fect; 5, 15.4 Jeet: G, aa5 fects 18, 6.2 feet. Street car and railroad services were resumed on June 1, but trains were late in arriving for several days and the street car company stated that it would be impossible for them to have all cars running on the usual schedule time before the end of June. Loss of and damage to property is estimated to be about $500,000, and 4,000 people were driven from their homes during the flood. There were several accidents which resulted in the loss of 4 lives, but from the best information obtainable there were no lives lost as a direct result of the high water. Before closing this report I wish to express my appreciation of the valuable assist- ance and information furnished this office by the local officials of the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railway, the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway, the Chicago and Northwestern Railway, the Iowa Telephone Company, the twelve voluntary ob- servers who rendered special reports, and the city engineer and his assistant. ‘The railway and telephone officials obtained and gave us reports of the stage of the rivers at their stations above Des Moines; the voluntary observers rendered daily reports of rainfall and the condition of streams in their respective vicinities ; while the city engineer YP] 94} UO aSpraq peospiey oyloed Lmossi | OATY sesuey ‘staqap poopy ‘OJ, ‘AYID sesueyy 7 7 | i f THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. 53 and his assistant located on a map of the city the various levees, and traced the high- water line in all sections of the city. Massissippi River at Hannibal, Mo., and vicinity, by Mr. L. C. Cover, Observer, ffannibal, Mo.—Heavy and practically continuous rains over the watersheds of the Snake, Skunk, Des Moines, and Mississippi rivers during the last ten days of May and early in June, resulted in a flood which surpassed all previous records for high water in this vicinity. At Hannibal the danger line of 13 feet was reached on May 29, and a maximum stage of 22.54 feet on June 8, about three-quarters of a foot higher than the previous high-water mark of June 7, 1851. On June 7, 1903, the stage was 22 feet, but 0.2 of a foot higher than it had been on exa¢tly the same day fifty-two years previous. After June 8 the river began to slowly subside, and on June 21 it again fell below the danger line. On May 27 warnings were issued to the railroad companies, levee commissioners, farmers, and residents of the islands and lowlands of a probable stage of 15 feet. Fur- ther warnings were issued daily, giving notice of coming higher stages, and the inhab- itants of the districts threatened by overflow were enabled to move all portable property to places of safety. The estimated loss from the high water southward from Quincy to and including Hannibal, amounts to about $365,000, distributed as follows: Crops, houses, and farm implements...... 2.0.0... 00. cece cece eee cent ene e ence es $100,000 Railroad losses, Quincy to Hannibal............ cece eect eee e enone 150,000 Hannibal industries and property........... 006s cece cee teen e eens 50,000 Salary losses for about ten days as a result of closing factories, mills, shops, etc....... 50,000 Creve Coeur Lake Company’s houses and ice........... cece ccc cee ence eee eee 15,000 MORAL Ss oct hseeleas ected canarias on encmae tates bene Geena Mae Ke bas $365,000 Five lives were lost as a result of the high water—4 when the steamer Flyzng Eagle was wrecked at the bridge on June 3, and 1 when a man was drowned on June 1 while removing stock from Bay Island. This island, which is just north of Hannibal, contains 11,300 acres that are subject to complete overflow at a 17-foot stage on the Hannibal gage, and of these, 8,000 acres are under cultivation. On the Missouri side of the river, from opposite Quincy southward to Hannibal, there are about 18,000 acres subject to overflow, 10,000 of which are under cultivation, while on the Illinois side there are 8,620 acres between Quincy and the Sny levee that are subject to overflow, and practically all of it is under cultivation. Within the city of Hannibal the flood waters extended over about all of south Hannibal, which is below Bear Creek, and comprises the lumber and manufauring distri@; the lumber yards on the north side of Bear Creek, the railroad yards, and the two blocks nearest the river in the northern portion of the city. Missourt River from mouth of Platte River to Kansas City—Kansas River, by Mr. P. Connor, Local Forecast Official, Kansas City, Mo.—The flood of 1903 marks an epoch in the history of Kansas City. It came at a period of unusual business activity and great commercial prosperity. Vast industrial schemes were being projected, and important economic problems between capital and labor were nearing a crisis. Such a flood had never before been experiencd in this section, except by the very few pioneers who witnessed the historic flood of 1844. No wonder that people were reluctant to leave their homes, or to avail themselves of timely advice to save their effects until too late. Bound by the ties of affection for the old home, thousands waited until 54 THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. the last perilous moment, and 19 are known to have been borne to destruction by the seething waters. It seems miraculous that the number was not twenty times as great. While the devastation was appalling at many places along the Kansas River, it was at this place that it reached the climax of its destruction, and made history which may not be repeated within the life of the present generation. The stage reached was just 2 feet below the recorded stage of the 1844 flood, which had been heretofore disputed and discredited by a great many people. It is doubtful if its accuracy will ever again be questioned, for had the rains continued two days longer the river would have made a new record exceeding anything for at least one hundred and fifty years past. This flood was entirely due to the frequent and excessive rains of May over the Kansas River basin, slightly augmented by similar conditions over the extreme south- western counties of Iowa and the extreme northwestern counties of Missouri. The drainage area of the Kansas River comprises about 36,000 square miles in the State of Kansas, practically the northern half of the State; 11,000 square miles in Nebraska; and about 6,000 square miles in Colorado; making a total of 53,000 square miles. The Nebraska portion is drained by thé Republican and Smoky Hill rivers. The Smoky Hill receives the Saline River at New Cambria, and the Solomon, which drains the northwest portion of the State, at Solomon, about 15 or 18 miles farther east. Later it unites with the Republican at Junction City, to form the Kansas, or, as it is popu- larly known, the Kaw River. The Big Blue rises in southeastern Nebraska and joins the Kaw at Manhattan, 160 miles west of Kansas City. The auxiliary territory contributing to the flood comprised about 6,000 square miles in Iowa and 2,700 in Missouri, drained by the Nishnabotna, Nodaway, and Platte rivers. The rainfall during the month of May was from 1.75 to 3.00 inches in excess of the normal amount in the western third of the Kansas basin, and from 7 to 8 inches in excess in the central and eastern thirds. During the last eleven days of the month the enormous quantity of nearly 7 inches of rain fell in the central and eastern thirds, not scattered downpours, but general rains which had to be carried off by the already surcharged rivers and creeks. Similar con- ditions obtained over the Iowa and Missouri territory referred to, the Nishnabotna and Nodaway, emptying into the Missouri a short distance above St. Joseph, and the Platte River of Missouri merging into the Missouri below Leavenworth. As at Plattsmouth low stages were reported during May, the range of readings being only about 6 feet, a sharp line can be placed on the northern limits of the flood- producing area. Flood damage began in Kansas and southeast Nebraska on May 26, possibly at the close of May 25; at Kansas City May 29 and along the Missouri May 30. A preparatory warning was issued from this office on May 26 to the effec that, should the excessive rains continue, the river would reach the danger line at Kansas City in a few days. On May 28, there being apparently no abatement of the rains, as shown by reports from scattered localities over this distri, a positive warning was issued and sent to all points between St. Joseph and Boonville, advising that all interests affected by high water should be closely guarded. THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. 55 Another warning was sent on May 29 to the same places, stating that the situation at Kansas City had become serious; that the uncertainty of the rain outlook placed the river changes beyond accurate calculation, and advised all to be prepared for emergencies. It was given out locally that the flood would be more serious than that of 1881, a flood very well remembered in this community. Still another warning was issued on May 30 and sent to points below Kansas City, stating that the stage at Kansas City was but slightly below the flood stage of 1881, which, with heavy rains over Kansas and Missouri, rendered the situation more alarming for points below Kansas City. The stage of the river at Kansas City at 7 a.m. that morning was 25 feet, 4 feet above the danger line. These were the most definite warnings that could be issued, as there was not one available river gage in the Kaw basin. A destructive flood was anticipated and strong and positive warnings were issued, but an estimate of the height the flood would attain was absolutely out of the question. A number of persons below Kansas City who inquired by telegraph and telephone for advice, have since informed this office that many lives and much property had been saved by the information given them. Circular letters addressed to postmasters and others at various points along the Missouri River between Leavenworth and Boonville, elicited the replies that warnings of a big flood had been received. At every point along the Kaw and its tributaries to which a letter of inquiry was addressed a warning had been received in some form, but that the flood would reach such an extraordinary stage was not anticipated by any one. An estimate of the damage along the various rivers, made up from a great number of reports received, results as follows: Big Blue River—(Not including Manhattan at its junction with the Kaw).— Damage to farms, fences, live stock, bridges, and business property, at least $750,000. At Blue Rapids the river made a new channel, leaving mills and factories far removed from their sources of power, the river having i dammed at that place for the purpose of furnishing power. Republican River. —(Not including Junction City, where it empties into the Kaw). —Damage began a little west of Superior, and from there to its mouth the general loss is placed at $600,000, which includes $12,000 damage to bridges. Lives lost, 3. Solomon River—Damage began in Osborne County, of trifling nature at first, but the inundated area increased quite rapidly until it was 5 miles wide for more than 40 miles above its junction with the Smoky Hill River at Solomon. ‘The general damage to lands, stocks, fences, and barns is placed at $800,000. Smoky Hill River —(Including the Saline tributary) —Damage began in Ellsworth County and was particularly heavy from Salina to Junction City, where the Smoky Hill River unites with the Republican River to form the Kaw. Many of the towns and villages were inundated, and about 30 bridges were damaged. In some cases the damage was partial, in others complete. The general damage to farms, fences, barns, etc., amounted to $1,400,000; to bridges, $20,000; to stock, $23,000; lives host, Ri Ta adition to this, heavy losses to commercial and business interests were sustained. Kansas (or Kaw) River —The overflowed area was from 2 to 5 miles in width 56 THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. along its entire length, not including the cities at its mouth. Damage to farms, fences, crops, barns, etc., $3,000,000; 11,000 acres of rich potato land overflowed between Kansas City and Lawrence, washing out the entire crop and leaving the land practically valueless for farming purposes because of a deposit of sand and silt from 1 to 3 feet deep in places. Damage estimated at $500,000. Damages to bridges at Junction City, $250,000; Manhattan, $100,000; Wamego, $16,000; Lawrence, $50,000; Desoto, $17,500; St. Marys, $10,000. Others, $75,000. Local damage at Lawrence, $300,000; St. Marys, $50,000; Manhattan, $25,000; Junction City, $30,000. Approximate loss of live stock, $100,000. Loss of life, 11 persons. Missouri River—(Above Kansas City).—There was, comparatively speaking, but little damage along the Missouri River north of Kansas City. At St. Joseph there was an overflow of about 1,000 acres, in what are known as the French Bottoms; damage about $5,000. No damage to bridges or the city. From that to Atchison only low bottoms were inundated with slight loss. At Leavenworth the Government farm and Kickapoo Island, north of the town, were inundated, and also about 6,000 acres opposite, in Platte County, running chiefly south. All crops were destroyed, and the damage was placed at about $30,000, not including a considerable number of hogs and a few small bridges. No loss to city or business. From that point southward to Kansas City the flood extended to the higher bottoms here and there. The total damage north of Kansas City did not probably exceed $200,000. Below Kansas City the waters extended from bluff to bluff, being in some places 2 and at others 6 miles wide. The destruction was quite complete and extensive at many places. A general estimate places the damage to farms, fences, barns, etc., at $1,500,000, and to stock interests, $17,000. At Liberty the damage is estimated at $20,000; at Lexington, $250,000, stock, $5,000; at Napoleon, $80,000, stock, $2,000; at Waverly, $100,000, stock, $5,000; at Boonville, $230,000, stock, $5,000. ‘These figures do not refer particularly to the places named, but rather cover the damage that occurred within several miles of them. Only small county bridges were washed out between Kansas City and Boonville, the value of which, separately considered, was comparatively inconsequential, though it will require thousands of dollars to replace them. There remain to be mentioned Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kans., which are situated at the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers. Each river has its bluffs, widening out here and there into low flat bottom lands. The Kansas River, after coursing eastward almost to the State line, makes a horse- shoe bend about 3 miles from its mouth and flows northward, meeting the Missouri coming from the north about half a mile beyond the extreme northwest corner of Kansas City, Mo. At this juncture the Missouri makes a sharp curve to the east, then east by northeast. It will be seen that they meet in almost direct opposition, and the meeting occurs about three-quarters of a mile above the gage on the Hannibal Bridge. The main portions of Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kans., are located on hills or bluffs. Kansas City, Mo., extends to the State line, and lies south of the Missouri. Kansas City, Kans., lies north of the horseshoe bend of the Kaw and extends some distance along the west side of the Missouri. Along each river are low bottoms which, in places, cover considerable areas. In these bottoms are located the great industrial institutions that make Kansas City, Mo., the commercial center she is to-day. In what are called the West Bottoms, from the ‘asnoY-jaNOd Woy ysvo Suryooy ‘suey ‘AWD worjoun[ THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. 57 junction of the rivers, extending back 3 miles along the Kaw, are located wholesale houses, factories, warehouses, mills, the great packing plants, stock yards, railroad shops and yards, and union depot. Extending along the Missouri River on the south for a distance of 3 miles is a strip of bottom land half a mile to a mile in width, called the East, but which are more properly the North Bottoms. In these bottoms are located Heim’s Brewery, with all its necessary adjuncts, Dickey’s Tile and Brick Yard, EleGric Park, a big glass factory, a paper mill, train yards, etc. Considerable truck gardening is also carried on there. Dire@ly north of Kansas City, Mo., on the opposite side of the river, is the village of Harlem, on low bottoms that extend back about 2 miles to the north bluffs. | Armourdale is the southern addition of Kansas City, Kans., and lies within the horseshoe bend of the Kaw on very low ground. Dire@ly opposite, on a strip of bottom land half a mile wide by 114 miles long, and on the south bank of the Kaw, is Argentine. It will be seen from this description that vast interests and properties of every character are at the mercy of each great flood. ‘There are no dikes or levees to afford protection. It is true that some protective measures have been taken from time to time to guard large interests from loss by floods and to afford protection from such overflows as had been experienced previous to the flood under consideration, but only in a very small way. The river at this place began a steady rise on May 21. It reached the danger line of 21 feet in the early morning of May 28, and on the next day it was 2.3 feet above. Water was flowing through the streets of Argentine and Armourdale, and many families were driven from their homes; merchants in the West Bottoms were seriously incon- venienced by water in cellars; sewers were stopped; stock yards and packing houses seriously menaced; train service crippled, and bridges endangered. On the morning of May 30 the river was at 25 feet and rising rapidly. Business generally demoralized; in fat it came to a standstill; everything closed in the bottoms; no train service west; telegraph and telephone service crippled except eastward. On May 31 the stage of water was 27.5 feet and still increasing rapidly. Toward night the flood extended from bluff to bluff. Armourdale, Argentine, and Harlem had been abandoned, except by those who were unable to make their escape before being surrounded by water. ‘Twenty thousand people had been made homeless, and all the horrors and dangers of a terrible flood confronted the community. All public utilities except the gas company had been put out of service; 16 out of the 17 bridges over the Kaw River went down, the one remaining, that of the Missouri Pacific Railway, having been saved by the weight of 15 large engines with which it was loaded. Every effort was bent to rescue those in danger and to care for the sufferers. On June 1 the stage was 35 feet, a rise of 7.5 feet in twenty-four hours, and within 2 feet of the 1844 stage. The Missouri and Kansas were no longer rivers; they had merged into an inland sea, confined only by the distant bluffs of the Missouri and the lesser hills lining the Kaw. he ruin wrought furnishes the saddest chapter in the history of the two cities, Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kans. Scenes of distress and disaster beggar description. The flood swept down with merciless impartiality, destroying alike the belongings of the humble squatter and those of the wealthy corporation. Houses in Argentine, Armourdale, Harlem, and the East Bottoms were 8 to 12. 8 ——BUL M 58 THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. feet under water. ‘The streets in the West Bottoms had 8 to 12 feet of water in them. Around the union depot the water was 8 feet deep. The north approach to the Hannibal Bridge was carried away, also 200 or 300 yards of the south approach to the Milwaukee Bridge, about 3 miles down the river. There was only one railroad track out of the city. The gas plant was compelled to shut down and the city was without light, water, or street cars, and only the poorest possible facilities for telegraphing or tele- phoning. At night the’city appeared like one deserted, with only the faint glimmer of a candle or kerosene lamp here and there to be seen. Stores of food and clothing had been lapped up and carried away by the seething currents, while hungry and shivering thousands sought relief at the hands of a generous community. Many people, impris- oned in the flooded area, were compelled to witness unending scenes of terror and destruction. On June 8 the land again appeared in the West Bottoms and the work of restora- tion began. A trip through these bottoms after the waters had subsided to a normal stage revealed a condition of general ruin and desolation that filled the beholder with utter amazement. Holes in some places 30 feet deep had been gouged in the streets; railroad tracks torn to pieces; great oil tanks, 35 to 50 feet in diameter, and 25 to 30 feet in height, made of boiler iron, had been torn from their moorings and tossed about like frail shanties, some of them being carried miles from their original locations, while others were crushed against bridge piers and destroyed almost beyond recognition; ordinary houses were mere playthings; freight cars were smashed into small pieces and many were carried down the river; heavy engines had been rolled over and over and were found in mud banks, and mud from 2 to 4 feet in depth covered everything. The ruin was terrible and complete and beyond adequate description. Armourdale suffered the most; one could not tell where the streets had been located, as what was left of the town was but a mass of indescribable ruins. Argentine village was practically in the same condition. Only about 5 per cent of the residences that remain in the Kaw Bottoms will be habitable. Houses in Harlem and the East Bottoms were not in the way of the strong currents and consequently escaped with less damage. ‘The work of rehabilitation began as soon as land appeared, but the restoration to normal conditions will be a herculean task, tedious and irksome. The Missouri Pacific yards seemed the playground of the flood; about 3,000 head of cattle and hogs were found there when the ground appeared, and there were piles of debris 4o feet high. An estimate of the damage in this vicinity is, of course, impossible, owing to its varied character, but the following is believed to be conservative: Damage to railroad properties and interests............. 0... eee e cece eee eee ences $8,000,000 Damage to residence property. 0... 2. cesccsaeaeeae cet pee oe bie sedbb ee dnnnseaeens 1,000,000 Damage to streets and sewers. ...- 1.0... eee eee eee cece ene e tenet e eee enee 300,000 Damage:to street railroads: 0723 say wenaweemmesasdiate ovine easing ern dne gine reels 250,000 Aggregate personal l0Ss€S. 0.0... eee c cece cee e ete eee e eet e teen etn neees 1,000,000 Loss to packing plants, factories, lumber yards, stores of merchandise............ 4 000,000 Furniture and refitting in wholesale distriG@s.......0. 0... ccc cece cece cena teens 1,000,000 TRO Gee Ly oa eens ep pcs og rs rath Saag peal mayen alee tear is A aoa ts ore aa 15,550,000 Lives lost, 19. The consensus of opinion is that the flood of 1903 did not equal that of 1844. At Boonville it was 2.8 feet lower. At Lexington it was at least 2 or 3 feet lower. At Kansas City it was 2 feet lower. At Lisbon it was probably about equal to that of 1844. THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. 59 Waverly reports that the 1903 flood was 2.8 feet higher than the flood of 1881, and about 2 feet higher than the 1844 stage—evidently an error, for if it were only 2.8 feet higher than the 1881 flood, it certainly must have been lower than the 1844 stage, for the latter was nearly 9 feet higher at this place than the flood of 1881. Napoleon and Liberty report that it was worse than the 1844 flood, but their statements are indefinite. It is conceded that at some places the flood level may have exceeded that of the flood of 1844, due to the character of bridges at those places, and also to a possible change in the configuration of the river channel, or to some land improvements abutting the river, which would tend to restri@ the current, narrow the chaunel, or otherwise act as a barrier to the free passage of the water. Naturally under those circumstances the level would be unduly raised. Taking Kansas City, Boon- ville, and Lexington, the perfect harmony shown in the differences between the two great floods fully authenticates the records for future reference. At all places north of Kan- sas City opinions were unanimous that the flood of 1844 was higher than that of 1903. This flood is regarded as the highest known in the Kansas River. At Lawrence there are no positive data regarding the flood of 1844. At Manhattan opinions differ. At Junction City old settlers say it was lower than that of 1903, but no exact information was obtainable, as but little attention had been given to the records for 1844. A really accurate comparison can not be made, but it appears to be the consensus of intelligent opinion that the flood of 1903 in the Kansas River Valley was the greatest ever known. The river at Kansas City rose steadily from 12.9 feet, May 20, until June 1, when it reached the climax, 35 feet exactly. It fluctuated slightly below that level during the day, under the influence of the subsiding Kaw, which began to fall early in the day, but a wave in the Missouri a little more than counterbalanced the fall in the Kansas and brought the water back to the original height by 6 a. m. of June 2, where it remained until about 6 p. m. of that date, after which the fall of the Kaw more than equaled the supply of the Missouri, and, as a result, a fall of 0.6 of a foot was shown at 6 a. m. June 3, on the Missouri gage. The crest of the Kaw flood moved at the rate of 2.6 miles per hour, as near as could be determined, and reached Kansas City at 6 a. m. June 1, but the unwavering stage on June 2 at Kansas City, due to the action above explained, should be the determining faCtor in considering the crest movement in the Missouri. It should be timed from Kansas City at 6 a.m. June 2, reaching Lexington 61 miles east at 6 a. m. June 3, and Boonville about 9 p. m. June 5, which gives the crest movement a rate of 2.2 miles per hour between Kansas City and Boonville, 189 miles below. It is generally conceded by engineers that the multiplication and charatter of bridges within 3 miles of the mouth of the Kaw, together with encroachments on the normal channel of both the Kaw and Missouri by filling in and reclaiming, raised the flood level here 4 or 5 feet above. what it would otherwise have been. ‘These encroach- ments and the obstructions offered by bridges, in addition to the congested condition of the wholesale and manufafuring distrits, greatly retarded the discharge of the Kaw River. ‘This was plainly shown in the height attained in different places from 1 to 3 miles above the mouth of the Kaw. The water was halfway or more on the engines that weighted down the Missouri Pacific bridge; at that level they, with the floor and debris caught by the framework of the bridge, formed a dam of considerable length; as 60 THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. a result the current changed and swept furiously around the west end of the bridge, cutting its way, and leaving its worst marks of destruction in that locality. The natural width of the Kaw channel is goo feet, but at many places within 3 miles of its mouth it has been narrowed to between 500 and 600 feet; and one bridge was not much more than 4oo feet in length. The velocity of the current was 12 miles an hour in many of the streets in the West Bottoms, having been accelerated by the damming up, as well as by the irregularity of buildings and other obstructions. The velocity of the current at the time of the maximum flood stage under the Hannibal and St. Joseph railroad bridge was about 8 miles an hour. It should also be stated that the width of the Missouri from some little distance above the Hannibal Bridge to a considerable distance below, has been greatly narrowed in recent years by encroachments on either side, especially on the south side, by filling in, reclaiming, etc., so that instead of a 2,000-foot channel, or more, it now measures exactly 1,120 feet from bank to bank where overflow begins. Considerable discussion has been had since the flood regarding the best method for future protection from Kaw overflows, but without practical results. ‘The most attractive theory is to dike the Kaw for about 3% miles, but this theory may be impracticable unless commercial interests are willing to give up land that originally belonged to the Kaw channel. From the bluffs at the union depot to Riverview (on Kansas City, Kans., side) is 1% miles. Over this entire bottom the water averaged 8 feet in depth, which, consid- May, 1903. June, 1903. 29 5|6/7 Llood. ofthe Missouri and Kansas Rivers 8 5 x 8 5 ‘ : 3 S x8 ; 6 Solid black refers to the Missourt River. Fic. 3.—Rise and fall of the Missouri River at Kansas City, Mo., and Leavenworth, Kans. ‘aspug ues Jo yoeordde yymos 0} Jodaq purest yoy wor} aspiiq uoojuod Surprmg ‘suey ‘exedoy, THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. 61 ering the natural channel at 500 feet, would require dikes of prohibitive height. Hence, unless abutting land is given up to widen the channel to g00 or 1,000 feet, diking would appear to be practically impossible. A diagram, fig. 3, accompanies this report showing the rise and fall of the Missouri River at Kansas City and Leavenworth during the flood (the Kansas City curve including the Kaw River supply); it also shows the approximate relative influence, daily, of the Missouri and Kaw rivers in causing the flood. Kansas River at Topeka, Kans., and vicinity, by Mr. T. B. Jennings, Settion Diretior, Topeka, Kans.—Kansas has an average fall of 2,145 feet from the west to the east line of the State, and an average fall of 355 feet from the north to the south line. The principal river in the northern half of the State finds its source in the extreme eastern part of Colorado and western portion of Kansas, and flows eastward across the State into the Missouri River at Kansas City. This river is called the “Smoky Hill” from its source to its junction with the Republican at Jun@ion City in Geary County; but from Junction City to its mouth at Kansas City its geographical name is the Kansas River, though it is popularly dominated the Kaw. ‘The waters in the far northwest counties flow northeastward and discharge into the Republican River in Nebraska; the latter river flowing eastward enters Kansas at the northwest corner of Republic County, then flowing southeastward it joins the Smoky Hillin Geary County to form the Kansas. The distance in miles and fall in feet between prominent river points are given in the following table: “y; . : Fallin | Feet per Distance by river from— To— Miles. ae vnile. Republican City Republic go 444 4-9 Republic Junction City 100 417 4.2 Salina Junction City 50 146 2.9 Junction City Manhattan 24 66 2.8 Hanover Manhattan "70 213 3.0 Manhattan Topeka 60 132: 2.2 Topeka Kansas City 75 I5I 2.0 The bed and banks of the river are a very compact sand. The banks of the Kaw are from 15 to 30 feet high. Its bluffs are usually found in close proximity on the south, while the valley generally spreads away northward. ‘The bed of the river varies between 80 and 160 rods in width, but at Topeka, where the bridges cross, it is nar- rower than usual, and was still further narrowed when building the Rock Island and Melan (Kansas avenue) bridges by making ‘“‘fills” for approaches instead of spans or arches. Its watershed extends from 10 to 20 miles south of the river northward to the southern counties of Nebraska, including all of this State north of the river except the counties of Brown, Doniphan, and Atchison. The flood of May 28 to June 3, 1903, was the most disastrous since the settlement of the valley, and was the direct result of the excessive rainfall in the central and northern counties of this State and the southern counties of Nebraska. Within the area of excessive precipitation the rainfall for the first nineteen days of May averaged 4.04 inches; during the nine days from May 20 to 28 inclusive, it aver- aged 4.49 inches; on May 29, 2.43 inches; on May 30, 0.45 of an inch, and on May 31, 0.33 of an inch. By May 26 every stream was bank full and many were overflow- 62 THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. ing. Then came the great rains of May 28 in the central group of counties, culmin- ating in 5.25 inches at Salina, and an estimated fall of 15 inches at Abilene (where the rain gage was washed away). ‘This volume of water was thrown into the Kansas River and from Manhattan but one bridge (at Wamego) was left across the Kaw until the Rock Island bridge at Topeka was reached. By noon of May 28 the river at Topeka had reached 16 feet; Friday morning, May 29, it was 19 feet; during Friday night it rose rapidly, and continued rising all of Saturday, May 30, reaching its maximum, or crest stage of 27 feet, about 9 o’clock that evening. It receded very slowly, however, being still some 23 feet deep Tuesday evening, June 2. On Saturday, May 30, the water tore out the street car bridge which was built on piles just west of the Kansas Avenue (Melan) Bridge, and by 4 a. m. of the next day had washed out the north and the east side of the approaches to the latter bridge, both the work of return currents. The weight of opinion indicates that the narrowing of the river bed in building the Rock Island and Melan bridges threw the water into north Topeka earlier than it would otherwise have come, but made little if any differ- ence in the final outcome. The debris brought down by the river lodged in the trestle- work of the Rock Island bridge. after the water had risen to the bridge floor, and acted as a dam, raising the water 2 feet higher on the west side of the bridge than on the east. The water tore up the asphalt pavement on Kansas avenue just north of the bridge and left it in Mr. Skinner’s yard on the east side of the avenue. When the water reached the lime houses the slacking lime started a fire that con- sumed a large quantity of lumber, terrified the citizens who had taken refuge in trees and on the tops of houses, and greatly increased the danger to the rescue boats. At Gabriel’s lumber yard a shed, roo feet in length, and well filled with lumber, both upstairs and down, was carried across the street and landed on the sidewalk without disturbing any of the lumber. The soil under north Topeka is mostly sand to a considerable depth. ‘This be- came thoroughly saturated with water, often acting like quicksand, and in places. great holes were made by the currents. . As the waters subsided, silt and sand were deposited indoors and out alike, being 18 inches to 2 feet in depth indoors, and 18 inches to 3 feet deep in the yards and streets, completely changing their contour. As one writer tersely said, “ Nothing is asit was.” The crops on the farms and market gardens were utterly ruined, but as soon as the soil became workable new crops were put in, and market gardeners are at this date (August 1) realizing from their investments. The nursery fields east of north Topeka were covered with sand which buried their crops of young trees, and after the subsidence of the water the fields presented a very bare aspe&t. At this date, however, they are covered with a growth of young cottonwoods, growing up from seed blown there since the flood-waters subsided. The city pumping works were flooded and the large water main leading from them was washed out, and the city for four weeks had to depend on the pumping engine of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway shops for its water supply. The records show a death list of 38, but it is not believed that this covers the total loss of life. The loss suffered by the business firms on north Kansas avenue, in their stocks, amounts to upwards of $300,000. To this must be added the losses in furniture, yoo] Q UsTTe] pey Joyem soye sspug uvpy ‘suey ‘eyodoy, THE FLOODS OF THE SPRING OF 1903. 63 libraries, homes, milling stuff, lumber, etc., which caused the total losses to be over $2,000,000. Cattle, horses, and hogs floating down the river lodged in north Topeka and afterwards had to be burned. Mississippt River from below St. Lours, Mo., to Catro, Il. by Mr. P. H. Smyth, Observer, Catro, [ll—This flood was due to rises out of the Missouri and upper Mis- sissippi and tributaries, and the stage at Cairo was augmented somewhat by rises out of the lower Ohio and its tributaries. Accurate warnings were sent out well in advance of the flood’s crest, and consequently very little movable property was lost. The maximum stage reached at Chester was 33.3 feet on June 13, 3.3 feet above the danger line, and exceeding the flood of May, 1892, by 2.1 feet. At Cape Girardeau the maximum stage reached was 36.6 feet, exceeding the flood of May, 1892, by 0.9 of a foot. The flood wrought great destruction in this vicinity, that is, at points on the Mississippi above Cairo. A relief committee sent out by the citizens of Cairo reported as follows: “The conditions are indescribable. No one can imagine the extent of the destruc- tion and desolation caused by the flood, especially in the vicinity of East Cape Girardeau and McClure. ‘There are fully 30,000 acres of fertile land in this county upon which the crops are a total loss. Water is 2 feet deep in the streets of McClure and is sweeping down from the Union County line to the bluffs at Gale. Almost an entire township in the northwestern portion of the county is inundated. The water is 2 feet higher than the oldest citizen has ever before known it to be, but is 3 feet lower than it was in 1844, as shown by marks on the Sturdevant Bank of Cape Girardeau.” All bottom lands were inundated and all crops thereon reported lost. The Illinois Central Railroad Company suffered considerable damage between East Cape Girardeau and McClure. Engineers who have made a trip over the road in the distrits flooded roughly estimate the damage to the line at $100,000. During the progress of the flood numerous inquiries were received at the Cairo office by telegraph, telephone, and mail as to the probable extent of the rise. The following is an extract from an editorial that appeared in the Cairo Citizen of June 18, 1903: “The value of the Weather Bureau in this flood period was again demonstrated. On June 2 the Bureau sent out the warning that stages exceeding the danger line were indicated for all points on the Mississippi from St. Louis to above Cairo. 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