The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-29
A MODERN
DEGUGE.
Oklahoma Towns Engulfed by
Walls of Water.
MANY DROWNED AT GUTHRIE
Houses Quickly Swept Away by
the Resistless Flood,
THE LOSS NEARLY A MILLION.

A Mighty wall of Water, From SIX to
Eight Feet High and Mile Wide,
Broke Upon West Guthrie without
warning - A Cloudburst, suppIe-
monted by Heavy Rains and a Burst
ing Reservoir, Rushes the Work Of
Destruction-Citiz Sacrifice Their
Lives In an Attempt to Rescue Others
Guthrie, o. T., April 29-At sunrise
yesterday morning a mighty wall Of
water, from six to eight feet high and
and a mile wide, broke upon West
Guthrie without warning. crushing
houses, sweeping away property and
drowning many people. Every move
able thing was swept before the wave,
which passed on into the Canadian
valley with resistless force, wreaking
terrible destruction to life and prop
erty wherever it reached. The flood
is supposed to have been caused by
cloudburst, supplemented by heavy
rains. A heavy rain began falling yes
terday afternoon.
Dozens of lives are known to have
been lost, how many may not be known
for weeks. Hundreds of houses were
wrecked, for miles farms were COM
pletely ruined, bridges and tracks were
washed out and railway traffic in every
direction is al a standstill. The efforts
Of rescuing parties have in many cases
proved in vain. Many persons floated
down stream before they could be
reached, and their fate is unknown.
Others passed the night in trees in
midstream or perched on housetops.
The property loss is placed at some
thing near $1.OO0,OOO.
Fully two-thirds of the victims were
colored. Business is suspended in Guth-
rie, the stores and banks being closed
AS thorough an organization for re-
lief as is possible has been made, but
all aid has been necessarily retarded
by the confused condition of things.
It will be impossible to explore the
houses until the water subsidies, as
many Of them are submerged. AS dark
ness gathered over the scene many
overturned houses were seen far out
In the flood, but 1t could not be learned
whether their occupants escaped. The
river is 30 feet above its ordinary level.
The Cottonwood river, ordinarily a
small stream that winds between steep
banks in West Guthrie was bank full
from a heavy rain on Tuesday and
Tuesday night, but no alarm had been
felt About o'clock, however, water
from a cloudburst above had added
to the already high stream, and the
food was soon sweeping through West
Guthrie, a section populated mostly
by colored people. Those who saw the
first wall Of water said that It was
about Is feet high, spreading entirely
across the valley. 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
persons had already begun carrying
their household goods to places Of
safety, but few had more than one
/ trip made when they were forced Z
| flee for their lives before the raging
I torrent
The main supply pipe of the water
works system burst where it 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
/ long arm of land is formed by tn,
winding of the river. On this lanC
]
/ night the bridge leading across th'
/ river to the main section had beei
swept away. The people were absorb
ed in watching the rising waters yes
terday when the flood from the reser
voirs came down in a solid wall, cut
ting off the people from escape. The!
fed from their homes to the highe
portion of the newly formed island.
When the first shock of the disaste
was over the more fortunate on tn
island Immediately began to help tn
nearest to them, while in Guthri
proper prompt steps were taken a
rescue. AS the houses, barns an,
other effects began to drift dow
stream, each freighted with one o
more human beings, boats or raft
shot here and there from the shore
) and desperate efforts were made t
rescue the people. Improvised raft
were quickly thrown together an
started out into the mad stream. Be
fore many Of them had been propelle
, a couple of yards from shore they wer
I twisted and broken by the waters, an
the would be rescuers thrown into tn
stream Half a dozen rescuers Wer
drowned before those they had tried
5 save had been reached.
Gus Platt, business manager Of tn
Guthrie Leader, and George willis,
merchant tailor, swan the river at III
risk of their lives and secured a boa
, , by which a number Of persons wer
! saved.
A negro woman with a babe In he
J arms desperately tried to steady hei
self in a tree top, calling the while fC
help. She grew weak, and the bah
slipped into the water and was drown
d ed. She was finally rescued, and sal
9 her family Of six had been lost.
A woman wading from home wit
her baby on her head was seen to c
10 under, and man swimming the char
mel to reach four women and a bal
In a tree was carried down strear
Two women and a child were carrie
B.. away on a bridge further down strear
~ and one man and two women I'm pla
n sight of shore We're on a house ro
a when It went to pieces. They all pc
a ished. An old negro woman was Sc,
clinging to a housetop. The bulidiI
soon turned over and she was browne
The wife and fve children Of Wesl'
Il McGln, colored, were drowned in the
,. home.
Three men. Walter olds. John Va