The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-06-18

cyclone Yesterday and all Guthrie was
wrong, .or it was not cyclone but
straight, unadulterated hurrica1e
v hich bore down upon the city at 2:2O
o'clock in the morning at the rate Of
from sixty TO eighty miles an hour
and made the several hours succeeding
time pf terror long % be remem.
bered by nine-te tbs o. .he itizens o Z
Guthrie
fnIiou OF crtor.
The storm csue rom .he trth, h.
wind wee ing slightly % he east ane
and the first lew gus,s of wind were
followed by pouLilg, dashing, pone-
trating rain hich aided the wind n
doiu- its york Of destruction anG
damrg9, sbfo a. sional livid
iasI lightning and loud nerl4 d
.hulde. only added to tie terlo. o. %
-rigf .eIed populrcN. AID Why
shol lC'. hey be !righ.e ed, or q
Wind .grs flowing with i-iAnco that
mad ,he strongest slone md brick
buildings in the city ..am1lc, "ir-
dows 'vero crashing iere ans
here, The air Nrs filled with fylns
debris which ,t.uc.y here hal there
with great force, s9es .v9:o crashing
down outside, co.'s strainiug ard
croaking, rair beating IL, and thund or
roaring o ,0rrorizc .hc bfu~-
e man .hn, ever wall;od.
Uamo VIII 3 Bual.
'thorl was but iit.le arning Of .le
coming o. storm The nighs hid
been sultry aud q yl1clI bank oi clouds
gaing ia The north, illumined by rap
idly recurring flashes nf lightning, Jut
up 20 within few moments Of tue
Jreak king of he storm there was moth
ing TO 5larm the most apprehensive.
But suddenly there was change for
Jew moments; the lightning seemed
20 pour up In streams Of FIRE, then fall
way, aud groat black shadow,
moving with almost the swiftness of
the lightning's flash, passed up and
overhead. a loud roar o. thunder, a
rushing noise IN Tho distance, rattle
of sand and sticks, q cloud of dust, and
the hurricane was blowing through
the opened windows lifting bed
clothes off sleeping people and blow
ing out the few lights burning, tearing
dow ndow curtains, hanging pic
lures on n, wau, and filling the air
with noise and dust and confusion
Nua Confusion E'-evailet
People jumped from their beds in
the dark, ran to put down windows,
falling over chairs and running agains.
each other, while children, awakened
by the noise, began t. cry and scream
fro. fright. And while people gath.
cred up their families and rushed into
cellars AID cyclone caves, the rain be-
gan to pour in torrents.
For fifteen minutes the wind
seemed each second to gain
in violence and again and again re-
doubled ITS fury but finally came a
lull for minute or two, followed by
gradual cessation of the ,.l'e until at
the end Of an hour people began once
more to feel safe, though still some
what apprehensive of the return OF
the storm which seemed to hang on
the southern horizon until long after
daylight.
The Winds woeful Work.
And with daylight came a view of
the havoc wrought by the wind and a
realization of the damage done by the
dashing rain which seemed to penetrate
every crack and crevice.
The scene of direst ruin was at the
Central school building where the
northeast corner, embracing the walls
of an entire room, was blown in, a
large section Of the roof carried away,
the west gable partly torn out many
windows broken and other damage
done. Ia fact the walls are so
wrenched that it is believed that the
entire structure has been rendered
worthless.
Fine Residence Wrecked.
Those who visited the ruins of the
school building were next attracted 10
the bC 4utiful home of Mr.. and Mrs.
Wilbur one square south Of the school
which was also badly wrecked. II Is a
well built frame structure, but the
porch roof had been crushed In, the
front windows and door knocked out
and other damage done while the lawn
was strewn with wreckage. Mr.. and
Mrs. Wilbur and Mr.. and Mrs. Leonard,
who live in the hcnse with them, had
retired TO the cellar at the first appear
ance Of the storm and they soon heard
the terrific crash made by large sec
tion OF the school house roof striking
the house, crushing the porch like an
egg she'll. Next the door and windows
were battered in, aud they trembled
for their lives every moment
Hours OF Terror.
once they essayed 10 go up stairs and
save some Of the things in the parlor
from the water and wind but were
driven back by flying missels, and as
they heard the crushing Of timbers and
felt the renewed fury Of the wind they
looked for the house TO be carried
away every moment and believed that
their neighbors' homes were all in