Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-04-29
THE SCENE OF RUIN.
Two Thousand PSopls Homeless and
Suffering After The Flood
THAT DESTROYED WEST GUTHRIE.
The LOS OF Lifo Prob ibly Much
Less than III, first Re.
Dor Indicated.

GUTHRIE, o. T.. April 29.-Day-
light In Cottonwood valley found do
xens OF people Sill clingipg to the
trees, overturned houses or timbers in
positions which they had sustained all
during the weary night. Here ans
there positions known to have been
occupied when darkness came on isst
night were empty this morning. The
luckless victims had dropped into the
river, were drowned and the bodies
swept down the stream. For miles
along the scene OF devastation two
thousand people. homeless and half III
from exposure ami hunger, passed n
miscrabls night. Morning found most
too weak to give mucn sssisIanc.
either to Themselves or others.
During tho night the water receied
rapidly and the work OF rescue was
more easy this morning. Vine 1srt-
mesa stopped further rescue lpet even
log every man available went buslIy
to work to construct RATS T. r uto today,
ana when the first light o! day
broke, parties began Transporting
the people from their porilOus positions
Orswiit as 1t was yesterday and the
rescusrs made rapid progress. Dnring
the night organized relief, under the
direction Of the Guthrie people, wa &
pushed 30 rapidly as p0ssibi q and re-
uewed IF were put forth thia
morning.
No more reliable estimate OF dead
or property damaged than was given
last night c0uin bv compiled this morn
ing. Hourly bodies lett on land by
the receding waters or found pocketod
In houses or pilee OF debris come 10
light. This is within a few miles OF
Guthrie. What the damsgs to lie
and property further GU: In tue c1un.
try wBS VIII only bs known when
wire ant railway train communica-
ton ID Resumed.
THE DEATH LIT.
WICHITA, Kansa,, April CA
special to the Beacon from Gutn rie
say:
The scene OF the flooded district
this morning IL ore OF uepolatIop, The
river went down rapidly last night and
when the sun rose the NV al extent Of
the damage TO property could De seen.
The river Is still bank full, but the
water has reoeded rom tue mpat inun.
dated districts. This morning most of
the missing people have been iounu
clingiug TO bushes or floating aown
stream ON the west blufs or scattered
In farm houses. 1t Is believed the
death list will not exceed twenty. We,
most Of them buiIg those feen To
drown IN the maiu channel uuriBg
The first lush o. the water. This
bodies were carried away.
The obIy bodies found this morning
are those OF Mrs. Fannie Rafli N and
Ave children, NIL lodged In pile OF
uriltwooo. Tneee, with Geo. Owen, n
butcher, drowned while rescuing
Dumas, Mrs. Jaue Watts, +. Moore,
Mrs. Dtummous, Mrs. Duuis anu
chill, auu Mis-. Watson are The only
ones known to have been drowned,
thrugh nifty or more are still missing.
Five hundred homes wOrsswept away
anu the contents ruined. A $50 houses
were wrecked. twenty streets sevas.
tated. A thUusanu people are home.
less and half AS many more destitute.
the property damaged exceeGs
100000.
Systematic reliof IL being carried
on, and ferfies are working across the
river 80 supplies anu ciutniDg can be
cent to all. Many are being brought
to the u Dharmet part OF the city to be
cared for IN priva.s homes. IL 10 not
certain the flood was caused by q
cloudburst twenty miles up soc valley.
Everything was swept before 1t. Hal
1t come two hours earlier thousand
wOulu have persisted.
SOUTH HANNIBAL UNDER wATEE.
ST. LOUIS. April 29.-At Hannibal,
No., the gauge touay regiaters 20 feet,
10 inches, tue highest stage reaoheu
since 1883, when the levee broke.
Since Midnight the river has been
stationary. About half OF South
Hannibal Ia under water. The streets
are navignbie by boats. Ii has been
raining here all day and the levee
cannot stand much more pressure.
In the Miss uri bottoms, q lew miies
north OF this city, farms are SUBJ
merged anu tho people have fed to The
hills. People on shy islxnd are gel.
ting stock and goods off as iasT az
possible, for the levee may break any
hour.