Evening journal., 1897-04-29
CUTHRIE'S BIG FLOOD
High Wall Of Water Sweeps Down
the Cottonwood Valley.
DEATH AND RUIN IN ITS PATHWAY.
The Frightful work OF Cloudburst In
Oklahoma Territory-scores Of Peo-
pie Known to Have Perished and
Victims May Number Hundreds.

Guthrie, o. T., April pa mighty
wall Of water from six to eight feet
high and a mile wide broke upon West
Guthrie without warning yesterday,
crushing houses, sweeping away prop
erty and drowning many people Every
movable thing was swept before the
wave, which passed on into the Cana
dian valley with resistless force. wreak-
ing terrible destruction to life and prop
erty wherever II reached.
The flood is supposed TO have been
caused by a cloudburst, supplemented
by heavy rains.
The Cottonwood river, ordinarily a
small stream that winds between steep
banks in West Guthrie, was bankful
from a heavy rain of the day before,
but no alarm was felt, as the river
had been rising gradually for several
hours. About 6 o'clock, however, water
from a cloudburst above had added TO
the already high stream, aud the flood
was sweeping through West Guthrie,
section populated mostly by colored
people. Those who saw the first wall
OF water said that 1t was about rs feet
high, spreading entirely across the val
ley. The first wave was followed by
others in quick succession, until the
whole settled into a bank of water
from six to eight feet high Many per-
sons had already begun carrying their
household goods to places Of safety, but
few had made more than one trip when
they were forced to flee for their lives
before the raging torrent.
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 southern part of the city a long
arm of land is formed by the winding
Of the river. on this land lived hun
dreds of negroes. During the night the
bridge leading across the river to the
main section had been swept away. The
people were absorbed in watching the
rising waters this morning when the
flood from the reservoirs came down
in a solid wall. cutting off the people
from escape. They fed from their
homes to the higher portions of the
newly formed island.
When the first shock Of the disaster
was over. the more fortunate on the is
lane Immediately began to help those
nearest them, while in Guthrie proper
prompt steps were taken at rescue. The
houses. barns and other effects began
70 drift down stream, each freighted
with one or more human beings. boats
or RATS shot out here and there from
the shore. and desperate efforts were
made to rescue the people. Improvised
RATS were quickly thrown together and
started out into the mad stream. Be-
fore many of them had been propelled
a couple of yards from shore they were
twisted and broken by the waters and
the would be rescuers thrown into the
stream. Half a dozen rescuers were
drowned before those they had tried TO
save had been reached.
The widest stories Of loss Of life are
aflCat The estimates run all the way
from so 10 $50 persons drowned. While
the larger figure is undoubtedly an ex-
aggeration it is known that the loss Of
life Will reach if not exceed the lesser
number
The following are known to have been
drowned:
Anna Kaiser, a schoolteacher: Frank
Mayors, George Owens ]. II. Calhoun,
wife and child; Charlie Rufner and
wife. Rastus McGin, Lena Burlx, Mrs.
Watt, Mrs. Wesley McGnl and five
children, John Metz, Mrs. II. James
Montgomery, Mrs. Dummills, jim Liz
ly, Mrs. Dumas and II. II. Beckhnger.
1t is believed that loss of life has also
occurred south Of Guthrie along the
Cottonwood river. Many farmhouses
in that district are reported to have
been swept away. Seven miles south
Of here at Seward, Hunts store and
the postonice were swept away.
-Four thousand dollars has been raised
In Guthrie for the relief Of the suffer-
ers.