Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-30
FIVE HUNQ,:fO HOMES GONE And TwS as Many People With
 E out Shelter. WHILE MANY ARE DROWNED With the List Being Constantly Added To- Work of Clearing Away Rubbish
 Being Rapidly Pushed.
WHILE MANY ARE DROWNED

Guthrie, Okla, April 29.-In the flood stricken valley of the Cottonwood river today has been one of heroic efforts to- wards the rescue of those unfortunates whose lives were still endangered and fer the relief of hundreds of destitute and hungry. Tonight it seems a cer- tainty that the loss of life in yesterdays deauge will not exceed twenty. All day missing people, supposed yesterday to have been drowned, were found cllng.ng to bushes or driftwood down stream on the west bluffs, or carried down in farm houses for miles.
 People are still clinging to overturned houses or tlnbsrs in perilous positions, which they had sustained all during the night. For miles along the scene or de- vastation 1,l50 people, homeless, half i'll from exposure. and hung CT, passed a mis- eTable night and morning fourd nest of them tco weak to give much assistance either 10 themselves or others The scene in the focd swept district this morning was one of dezolation The river fell rapidly during the night and whenthe sun rcGe the extent of the dam age done to property could be seen. The river is still bank full, but the water has reeeGed from most of the inundated dis tricts.
 There was a confused mass of debris and overturned and demolished houses scattered over the valley where last night was a sea of water. The banks ware filtered with the ear2asses of farm animals. Whole blocks where yester- day stood a hcne in nsarly every lot were stripped and huge trees torn up by their roots were scattered everywhere. With the first ray of daylight the work of rescuing and relief was taken up with a will and kept up with tireless energy. During last night men had been put to WorK in lumber yards constructing boats and dawn today witnessed dozen crlf.s d7rting out from all directions to the rescue of the unforturltes. The work of the raftsmen proved most effective and one by ore the people were transrort- ed from their psisilous positions to places of s7issty on land. Every house, drift pile and tree w2s closely examined in search of the dead
 The family of Wesley McGill reported yesterday as drowned was found safe. The only bodies found during the day were those of Mrs Fannie Ruffin and five children, all lodged in pile of drift wood. These. with George Owen, the butcher, drowned while rescuing others, Frank Meyer, Mrs. James Watt, Mrs. Frances Moore. Mrs. Drummond Mrs. Dennis and child and Mrs. Watson are the only identified dead, though many are still missing. During the day syste- matic relief was perfected and carried on.
 Ferries piled across: the river carrying pfOV1SlOnS ana clothlng everywhere ana returning with injured Such were care fully cared for in private homes In Guth- rie. By nghtfall ample arrangements had been made for the immediate care of the homeless and there was an assur- ance of no further suffering at least for the time being.
 Five hundred homes were swept away; 150 houses were wrecked and twenty stores devastated leaving 1000 people homeless and half as many destitute. The work Of supplying shelter and food for all these was by no means a slight un- dertaking. But Guthrieites were equal to the task and tonight thousands of dol- lars have been subscribed to aid the af- fiicted. The damage along the Cim- maron river east is very extensive and along Deep Fork in Lincoln county. Hun dreds of men worked all day rebuilding houses along the stream The damage to property will be in the neighborhood of $100, 900, while that sustained in crops may equal or perhaps double that amount.
 EIGETYlTWO MISSING.
 The recedinig flood has left an immense pile of wreckage at the railway bridge, six miles below the ciey Starch for the dead was begun at that poirt this even ing, and when darkness put a stop to he work the bodies of a white man and a colored baby had been recovered. It is claimed that seVsr ral other bodies have been sighted in debris. An attempt was made to poll he residents of West Guthrie this afternoon, but the count taken is considered not all accurate. It shows edghlty-tw parsons missing, most of them being negroes.