The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-29
Oklahoma Made the Victim of
All the Elements.
Tornado, Flood and Lightning
Join Together
IN THE WORK OF RUIN
People Had Prayed for Rain for
a Week
And it Came Accompanied by
Unusual Horrors.

FL Reno, q. L, April 81 or the HESl
time since the white man settled in the
Canadian valley, 20 years ago, yester-
day morning the sun sent its rays over
an Oklahoma sea. For ten days the
dust parched people had looked
aIoft 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 human lives away,
proved an answer to their supphcatiOns
that almost amounted to punishment.
The final storm and flood came as a
fitting climax to a week of unusually
heavy rains and DANA ging floods.
The dry spell was broken Saturday
when fierce storm that turned the
streets into torrents, washed away eros
sings, tore out sewers and moved sew
eraI small buildings, broke upon the
town. 1t washed the earth clean. Sat
urday at midnight the people were
frightened nearly to distractions when
hurricane, blowing 46 miles an hour
dropped binding sheets of rain through
their roofs and threatened to carry
away their homes. They were driven
in terror TO their storm cellars and spent
the night in mOmentary expectation OF
being borne away by storm or flood.
Sunday morning shOne bright and clear
and the gauge showed a fall of 800 in
had been plOwed with gullies, small
buildings tOppled over and here and
there bits of furniture and other house
hold effects fOated about.
The valley of the Canadian, which
Saturday morning had been a beautiful
stretch of farms and homes, on Sunday
displayed long network of connected
lakes, dotted with half-hOOded houses
and horses and cattle struggling for
places OF safety. Tuesday noon heavy
cloud swept up from the west and an
other deluge was spread over the town.
The water fell in perfect sheets and by
o'clock the gauge read and $1,000
inches. A calm about o'clock brought
attention to an immense black cloud
moving toward the city from the west.
1t was a typical tornado.
The cry, get under ground" arose on
all sides and the streets were soon filed
with running, shouting people seeking
a cave or CELLAR Stores and homes were
deserted and the people huddled togeth-
er awaiting the blow. Fortunately the
centre of the storm passed over the
southeast corner of the town, striking
the hills across the valley, wrecking
all it touched.
With the tornado came the heaviest
fall of water ever recorded here in a like
period, over 2 inches fell in 80 minutes.
All day the river had been rising at
frightful rate, reaching the sleepers of
the bridge and moving II out OF line
The wagon bridge also went out. Drift
wood lodging against the railroad
bridge, formed a dam and forced the
crops and houses. Rising into the
houses of the bottom farms, it compelled
farmers to desert their places and at
once endeavOr to save their lives. The
rescue of many families was made at
great danger to the reScuerS themselves
A party composed of A. E. WOOdlif,
Pete Carr, Henry Schaeffer, Charles
Justin, James TOmpkinS, Rev. rather
Hall and others Immediately set to work
of rescuing the unfortunates.
In the home of Thomas Palmer, the
latter's wife and several children were
rescued from the tops of bureaus just
as the water was creeping up to their
feet They had been screaming for
help for some time and it was with diff
ficulty that they were removed to the
1mprovised RATS of the rescuerS and
taken to dry land. The families of Mrs.
Hall. Tom Potter, Calvin Severy and
Mrs. Black We're rescued from their
homes in a similar manner. In each
instance the water had swept through
the windows and was gradually rising.
During the trip a raft of railroad ties
went to pieces on a submerged wire
fence and the entire party was precipi-
tatd into the water. They were all
miraculOuSly saved. A little child of
Frank Holman fell into a washed out
crossing and was drowned. Mr.. Bick-
ford, a milkman, nearly lost his own life
in trying to save the little one. The ice
plant was flooded to a depth of four
feet and Harry Bradford, the manager
was awakened about L o'clock in the
morning to find himself sleeping in a
floating bed. When he tried to get up
he was nearly drowned.
Lightning played havoc, striking the
spire of the Presbyterian church. Mrs.
B1cGrath, wife of the cashier of the
Stock Exchange bank sat in her home
across the street and was knocked
from her chair and badly hurt.
The school house for cOlored children
was shattered and about so pupils more
3 or less seriously hurt Among the more
badly injured are: Eva Clauston
Bertha Turner, Chas. Waters and Beu-
lah ClaustOn. The latter was paralyz-
ed Several other houses were struck
by lightning, but no one else was hurt.
Further west the lightning killed much
stock. The electric light wires went
down and the town was in darkness.
Reports from surrounding towns are
meagre as telegraph wires are down
and trains have all been stopped on ac-
count of WashOuts. 1t is known, how
ever, that many homes have been wash
ed out in towns adjacent to FL Reno
and it is feared many lives have been
lost. West of here Frank Thompson
and the 16-year-old son of Hiram Nc
Griffin were drowned.
STORY NOT HALF TOLD.