University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

Page 21 text:

Area residents jumped into an eight foot pool where water col- lected at the train bridge and North Second Street. Photo by Doug Hesse Floodwaters 1

Page 20 text:

It rained and it poured. Despite the misery, some made the most of It sounds so simple in the words of the children ' s song, Rain, rain, go away. Come again some other day. Maybe if it had, this summer ' s flood damage may have never occured. Flooding destroyed much of the Lawrence- Kansas City area , just as it did throughout the Midwest. The waves and foamy crests of the Kansas River, once seven feet above flood level, still lapped against the Riverfront Plaza after the daily rains came to an end. Although there had been no water damage inside the building because of sand bagging, the east parking lot, which was lower than the mall itself, flooded. A pump pulling 45,000 gallons of water each second from an underground cave near Johnny ' s Tavern had been constantly running for over a month. And it was still pumping. We had the worst summer in 1 5 years, Doug Hassig, Johnny ' s owner said. It was flooded twice to the door- stop, and people couldn ' t get in there. It took four months for North Second Street to be repaired after the waters hit. In the mean- time, those who could made the most of the unusually wet Kansas landscape. The 23rd Street Dillon ' s parking lot was trans- formed into a lake after Lawrence was soaked with over two inches of rain in an hour. Photo by Doug Hesse i, , lllll MI not directly affected by the flood, the whole city around us was torn up, Carrie Meeks, St. Louis senior Others, however, faced nuances such as detours which took them to parts of North Lawrence they may have never seen before. Puddles on Highway 40 stretched endlessly! Fields reeked from the water which remaintj from June. Crops were rotten, homes de- stroyed, and memories dripped when victims picked up their soaked remains. Lawrence was but a small are; I affected by the torrential rains. Town people along riverbanks filled sandbajj in futile efforts to save their homes. Most grabbed a few necessary items and headed for higher ground. One of my friends had to evacuate her house, so she moved in with our family for about a week, Carrie Meeks, St. Louis senior said. The police came in at about 5:30 one] morning and told her family that they had to get out of their house. The damage tolled on hundrec | of thousands of people, emotionally and physically. Even though my family was not directly affected by the flood, the whole ci around us was torn up, Meeks said. The streets were flooded, roads were closed, and n j one could get anywhere that they needed to go Floodwaters

Page 22 text:

A new time capsule and restored WWI memorial ended a six-year renovation and reopened the The six-year, two-phase renovation of the Kansas Union culminated in two celebrations: the Interment and Rededication of the 1925 Memorial Cornerstone on Oct. 1 ; and the Grand Opening of the Union and the placement of the 1993 Student Time Capsule on Oct. 15. Planning began in 1984, and first- phase renovations took place from 1987 until 1989. The second phase lasted from 1988 to 1993. The $1 1.5 million project renovated the second level bookstore, third level cafeteria and the fourth level lobby, offices, and Alderson Auditorium. Union Operations Supervisor Bill Towns said the update of the building was needed because of larger numbers of students. There was also the need for a more modern building with handicap accesibilty. The purpose of the renovations was not just cosmetic. The Union is now easier for all students to use. We expanded services and made it safer and more logical, Towns said. The first ceremony rededicated the Union to KU students and alumni who died in World War I. The items memorializing them were placed in a copper box and sealed in the corner- Tin The purpose of the renovations was not just cosmetic. We services and made it safer and more logical. Bill Towns, Union Operations Supervi- stone of the building in 1926. Because the contents of the box were damaged from age and water seepage, they were replicated and rein- terred. In addition to the restored artifacts, a medal commemorating the 75th Anniversary of! World War I was given to the ROTC for placement in the memorial. Jim Long, Director of the Kansas and Burge Unions, said the event was a somber occasion as we remembered the original 130 students and alumni who lost their lives in the war. One of the highlights of the ceremony , was to have in attendance at the inter- ment eight surviving family members from those who had been killed. The Oct. 15 Grand Opening of the Union involved the placement of the new time capsule, sealed in the 1 993 cornerstone. The 83-item capsule contained items commemorating the year and significant events of the time period. Students from campus organizations and University officials personalized the event by individually placing items into the time capsule. The capsule will be opened in 2050. The ceremonies showed that the Union not only recognizes heritage in the reinterment, but also recognizes the future by recording current society for those tomorrow, Long said. 1 X Union Renovation