The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-04-29


dreary waste and her people are over
cast with gloom. At sunrise this
morning a mighty wall of water. from
six to eight feet high and mile wide
hroke upon West Guthrie without
warning. crushing houses. sweeping
away property and drowning people by
the score. Every movable thing was
swept before the wave, which passed
on into the valley with resistless force.
wreaking terrible destruction to life
and property wherever il reached.
Dozens OF human lives are known
10 have been sacrificed: how many may
not he known for weeks. Hundreds OF
houses were wrecked In the twinkling
OF an eye. For miles farms We're COM
pletely ruined. bridges and tracks were
washed out and railway traffic in every
direction Is left at a standstill. The
most complete chaos has prevailed all
DAY. The efforts of rescuing parties
have In many cases proved I'm vain.
Many people toated down stream be-
fore they could be reached, and their
fate is unknown. Others will pass the
night in trees. In midstream. or perched
on housetops. II Is impossible to esti-
mate the dead. The property loss Is
placed at something near q million dol
lars Fully twO-thirds of the victims
We're colored people. Business has
been suspended all day in Guthrie, the
stores and banks being closed.
AS thorough an organization for re-
lief as is possible has been made. but
all aid is retarded by the confused
condition Of things. II will be impos-
sible To explore the houses until the
water shall subsids', as many of them
stIhnlarupH Ia Iur has
| over the scene many overturned houses
could he seen far out In the flood. but
IL could not he learned whether their
occupants escaped. The river IL 30 feet
above its ordinary level a heavy rain
began falling this afternoon. A threat
ening bank OF clouds came up from the
Northwest, and many persons fled 10
their tornado cellars fearing that an
other wind disaster was upon them.
Luckily. however, the damage was
slight
The food Is supposed to have been
caused by cloudburst. supplemented
by heavy rains. The Cottonwood river
ordinarily a small stream that winds
between steep banks In West Guthrie
was bank full from a heavy rain yes
terday and last night. but no alarm has
been felt. as the river has been rising
gradually during the night. About 4
hurst above had N ddad % 49,. ,,.saa
nearly up to the level OF the high banks
and the flood was sweeping through
| West Guthrie, section populated
mostly by colored people Persons who
saw the first wall Of water said that il
was about Is inches high, spreading en-
tirely across the valley. There was nc
river channel Tho f,rs, ,,awa ,as foi
loved hy othars IN a,,,oL s,,"aa,,.i1',,
un,iI tho whoie s,ye,isd int a hani, -,
water from civ ,a aight foe, hiyh Ma,
had airaad,, haa,,n 90 rr,.,,,,, hn,,.ahnis
co. 10 niaoas 80 90 80, p,, 90. ~, !
made r,ora than ono ~, u'han ,ha,
wsre forced 10 a., ror ,haI,. I,,'.s ha,nr,
raying res,s,,ess ,nlca,, ,ha, ~
noure, 81 mar on,,Id hnna ~, .,am "'
r,.- .~..,.
""' '""'
The main supply pipe OF the water.
works system burst where IL crossed
Cottonwood. In the southern part of the
cpy, anu al the water IN the reservoirs
,res,er,, v H., % ns ,,, III ,ne sou'n
land 10 sorn,ad ~, ,ha r'i,,a,.. ,s a," ~
ri,.ar a. thia ~, ',,s, n VI 'h'
naeroas Dur;n~ ,ha rtah, aha '.',, u
joa ading across H. ri,,ar =, ,s
section had hcen s,yen, AVA TN TN naa'' nal'
nle wara ahsorhs5 In uatch,n, ~. ~ pSo s,.,
mo tors when ,ha eood srn,s, ~, .as,
eryoirs ca mo down IN q so,,d n.ap, iii ans
chi across the arr, ~ land near ~.
mainla nd c,,tting off the n.onia ,,o,,
escane They red from their bones ;,
the bigber nortions ~ tho nevIx1to ~
island In half an hour tbe monrta,,
~ aa,.r h.d dan.' ,,s ,,'orL "a ,'.,,s.,
caIIv snent itself