The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-29

FL Reno. o. T.. April 2S.-For the
first time since the white man settled
in the Canadian valley. 20 years ago,
this mornings sun sent it's rays over
an Oklahoma sea.
For ten days the dust-parched people
had looked aloft with Encouragement
and prayed for rain to save their crops
or quench their thirst, as the case
might be-
The flood of water that finally poured
from the skies and wiped their homes
and farms out of existence and in many
instances swept away human lives,
proved an answer to their supplications
that almost amounted to punishment.
The final storm and flood came as a
fitting climax to a week of unusually
heavy rains and damaging floods.
STREETS ARE TORRENTS.
The dry spell was broken Saturday,
when a fierce storm that turned the
streets into torrents. washed away
crossings. tore out sewers and moved
small buildings, broke upon the town.
1t washed the earth clean.
Saturday at midnight the people were
frightened nearly TO distraction when
a hurricane blowing 46 miles an hour
drove binding sheets of water through
the roofs of their pOOrly-built or al
ready damaged houses and threatened
to carry away their possessions.
IN TERROR.
They were driven in terror to their
storm cellars and caves ard spent the
night in momentary expectation of be-
ing borne away by storm or flood.
Sunday morning Shone bright and
clear and the gauge showed a fall of
81 inches since Saturday morning.
The streets had been plowed with
gulches, small buildings toppled over
and furniture and other household eff
fects floated about. The valley of the
Canadian. which Saturday morning
had been a beautiful stretch of farms
and homes. on Sunday displayed a long
network of connected lakes and is
lands and dotted with half-fooded
houses, and horses and cattle strug-
Cling for places of safety.
Yesterday noon a heavy cloud swept |
up from the west and another deluge
spread over the town.
FELL IN SHEETS.
The water fell in perfect sheets and
by o'clock in the evening the gauge
read $50 inches. 4 calm about o'clock !
brought attention to ana intensely /
black and monstrous cloud moving 1
toward the city from the west.
1t was a typical tornado. indicated !
by the peculiar whistle of the wind, |
which almost invariably accompanies a /
"twister.'
GET UNDER GROUNDr"
The cry, Get under ground" arose /
on all sides and the streets were soon
IL, CHI Ill
seeking cave or cellar Stores and |
homes were deserted, and the people
huddled together awaiting the blow.
the center of the storm
passed over the southeastern corner of
the town, striking the hills across the
valley, and it wrecked all it touched.
With the tornado came the heaviest
fall of water ever recorded here in a
like period. over two inches falling in
30 minutes.
All day the rivers had been rising at
a frightful rate, reaching the sleepers
Of the railroad bridge and moving it out
IF line. The wagon bridge went out
when the water reached its floor, and
The bridge and drift, serving as an OBJ
struction. forced the water out over
The bottoms, washing out crops, NOV
ng houses and drowning stock.
RESCUED WITH DIFFICULTY.
A dam at Ellison's ranch gave way
o the torrent, which carried out
bridge on the Fort Reno road, swept
he fair grounds clean and flooded the
7ards of the Choctaw railroad Ris-
ng into the houses of the bottom
armers, it compelled them to desert
heir places and alone endeavor to save
heir lives. The rescue of many fami<
les was made at great danger to tSe
eScuerS' lives. A party composed of
\ E, Woodlieff, Pete Carr, Henry
;chaeffer Charles Justin. James Tomp
tins, Rev. Father Hall and others inn
nediately set to work to rescue the
AT the home of Thomas
Palmer the latter's wife and several
hildren were rescued from the tops
# bureaus Just as the water was
Keeping W to their feet They had :
,een screaming for help for some time,
nd it was with difficulty that they
we're removed to the imDrovised RATS
f the rescuers and taken to drv land.
The families of Mrs. Hall, Tom Pot
err Colonel SeVery and Mrs. Black 1
we're rescued from their homes in a
imilar manner. In each instance the
fater had swept through the windows
nd was gradually rising. During the
rip a raft of railroad ties went to
ieces on a submerged wire fence and ;
he entire party was preclDitated in
he water. They were all saved, now A..
yer. A little child of Frank Holman
ell into a washout crossing and was
rowned Mr.. Bickford a milkman,
early lost his own life in trying to J
ave the little one. The ice plant was !
CODED TO a de1th of three feet, and i
larry Bradford, the manager, was
Weakened about l o'clock this morning /
0 find himself in a floating bed The
ed turned when he tried to rise, COW
red him with wet blankets, sank and
early drowned him.
THEN LIGHTING CAME. /
Lightning played havoc, striking the {
pire of the PRESBYTERIAN church and c
0tally wrecking it. Mrs. McGrath, I
fife of the cashier of the Stock Elk I
hange bank. seated in her home !
cross the street, was knocked from
er chair and badly hurt I
The schoolhouse for colored children
as struck at o'clock in the after