The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-05-07
A WALL OF WATER.
A Deluge at West Guthrie, Okla,
Caused by a Cloudburst.
A Wall of Water From Six To Eight Feet
nigh and ~ Mile Wide Carries
Death and Destruction In
Its Pathway.

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mighty wall of water, from six to eight
feet high and "A mile wide, broke upon
West Guthrie without warning, crush
ing houses, sweeping away property
and drowning people by the score.
Every movable thing was swept before
the wave, which passed on into the val
lev with reckless force. wreaking ter
riDle destruction to life and property
wherever it reached. Dozens of human
lives are known to have been sacrificed,
o many may not be known for
weeks, and hundreds of houses were
wrecked in the twinkle of an eye. For
miles farms were completely ruined,
bridges and tracks were washed out,
and railway traffic in every direction is
at standstill. The most complete chaos
has prevailed all day. The efforts of
rescuing parties have in many cases
proven in vain.
Many people floated down stream be-
fore they could be reached, and their
fate is %lnknown; others will pass the
night in trees in midstream or perched
on house tops. 1t is impossible to esti-
mate the dead. The property loss is
placed at something near a million.
Fully two-thirds of the victims were
colored people.
Business has been suspended all day
in Guthrie, the stores and banks being
closed. As thorough an organization
for relief as is possible has been made,
but all aid has been necessarily re-
tardsd by the confused condition of
things. 1t will be impossible to ex-
plore the houses until the water shall
subside, as many of them are sub
merged.
As darkness gathered over the scene
many overturned houses could be seen
far out in the food, but il could not be
learned whether their occupants es-
capped. The river is 80 feet above its
ordinary level.
A heavy rain began falling this af-
ternoon. A threatening bank of clouds
came up from the north west, and many
persons fled to their tornado c~ellers,
fearing that another disaster was upon
them. Luckily, however, the damage
was slight.
The flood is supposed TO have been
caused by IA cloud-burst. supplemented
by heavy rains
The Cottonwood river. ordinarily a
small stream hat winds between steep
banks, was bank full from a heavy
rain yesterday and last night, but no
alarm had been felt. as the river had
been rising gradually during the night.
About six o'clock, however. waters
from a cloud-burst above had added to
those already nearly up the level Of
the high bank, and the food was
sweeping through West Guthrie, a
section populated mostly by colored
persons. Those who saw the first
wall of water said that is was about
IS feet high, spreading entirely across
the valley. There was no water in
front Of it save that in the rivers
channel. The first wave was followed
by Others in quick succession, until the
whole swelled into a bank of water
from six to eight feet high.
Many had already begun carrying
their households goods to places of
safety. but few had made more than
one trip when they were forced to flee
for their lives before n raging, resist
less torrent that no power of nan could
hope to stay.
The main supply pipe of the water
works system burst where il crossed
the Cottonwood, in the southern part
of the city, and all the water in the
reservoirs poured into the river.
In the southwestern part of the city
a long arm of land is formed by the
winding Of the river. On this land
live hundreds of negroes. During the
night the bridge leading across the
river to the main section had been
Svy.nf ax-ux~ U1.. ,,n,n1, .x.e. 4. I.un.lnt I
in watching the rising waters this
morning. when the Hood waters came
down in "A solid wall and cut across the
arm OF land near the mainland, cutting
of the people from escape. They fled
from their homes to the higher por-
tons of the ne~wly-formed island.
In half an hour the mountain Of wa
ter had done its work and practically
spent itself.
The air became hideous with the
crashing of houses and the cries for
help of the un~fortunates.
When the first shock of the disaster
was over. the more fortunate on the
island Immediately began to help those
nearest to them, while across in Guth-
RE proper prompt steps were taken at
Nf@ III iVhftos ia las hhb tiit
effects began to drift down stream,
each freighted with one of more hui
man beings. Boats or RATS shot out
here n there from the shore, and dcs-
perate efforts were made TO rescue the
people. Improviscd RATS were quickly
thrown together and started out into
me mad stream. Before many of them 4.
mad been propelled a couple Of yards
rom shore they were twisted and
broken by the waters and tie would ,
ne rescners thrown into the stream.
half a dozen rescuers were dro ned. .
even before those they had tried to ,
rescue had been reached. :
"us Platt. business manager of the !
'uthrie Leader, aud George Willis, a :
merchant tailor, swan the river at the t,
,,isk Of their lives and secured a boat. :
" which a number of persons were I,
saved. :
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