Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-04-30
Flood in Oklahoma.

Hundreds of Houses Swept Away and
Many Lives Lost---GreRtest Damage
at West GuthrIe---CIoud Burst Fol-
lowed a Heavy Rain.
A mighty wall of water from six to eight
feet high and a mile wide broke upon West
Guthrie, Okl., without warning at sunrise
Wednesday morning, crushing houses,
sweeping away property and drowning
many people. Every movable thing was
swept before the wave, which passed on
into the Canadian valley, causing great
destruction to life and property. Dozens
of lives are known to have been lost but
how many may not be known for weeks.
Hundreds of houses were wrecked, many
farmers were completely ruined, bridges
and tracks were washed out, and railway
traffic in every direction is at 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 mid-stream, or
perched in house-tops. The property loss
is placed at something near a million dol
lars.
Two-thirds of the victims are colored.
llt tpAlOnMOOu 10 d sLltdlil Ld4hil lLblt
than 40 fee. wide, which winds in many
curves through West Guthrie 1t was al
ready full from a heavy rain when the
storm began Tuesday night. No alarm
was felt, but the following morning the
river began to rise as if by magic, and in
80 minutes it had risen four feet. People
began to carry their household goods to
places of safety, but there was time to
V,,alya pV1x- ~, hnf,r, ha, 1,ol u
for their lives.
The river burst from its banks, and
raging sea of water half a mile wide swept
across the valley, carrying houses, barns
and fences before it. To add to the horror
the main supply pipe of the water-works
system burst where it crossed the Cotton
wood, and all the water in the reservoir
escaped into the river. In the southwes-
tern part of the city long arm of land is
formed by the widening of the river. Dur
ing the night the bridge leading across the
river to the city had been swept away.
The people were absorbed in watching the
rising waters in the morning when the
flood from the reservoirs came down in a
solid wall and dashed across the arm of
land near the mainland, cutting the people
off from escape. They fed from their
homes to the higher part of the newly
formed island. The river by o'clock was
30 feet higher than its usual level House
after house was lifted from its foundation
and swept away. The debris iammed
against the bridge, which soon went with
the rest. Men and women could be seen
in houses reckoning for help. In many
instances the water reached the caves of
the houses.
Many persons clambered into trees.
There were no boats for rescuing, and the
men set about constructing RATS. When
these were placed in the river. however
the terrible swiftness of the current ma1e
1t impossible to manage them. The Guthrie
cluo quickly organized a rescuing partv
and began the construction of boats. Three
men attempted to rescue an old man from
a Tree The raft, as it rushed down the
river, struck the overhanging limbs and
Ine rattsmen were knocked from their feet
Ihey managed to stay on the raft and il
went whlrllng toward the Cimarron.
NOIhlhg mas since been heard of the men
Two men secured small stern-wheel
pleasure boat and heroically went to the
rescue OF number of men and women
who were lodged in trees. MANY persons
We're rescued amidst the cheers of snecta-
tors: The cable which held the boat snd-
denly parted and the boat was drawn into
the current and carried away. Fortunately
IL was finally landed further down tbe
stream. The Cimarron is from one IN two
miles wide. The tracks of the Santa Ia
are submerged and traffic has been aban-
uoned' Small railroad bridges in Ali Al
rections have been washed ont.