Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-05-06
AN AWFUL CALAMITY.
oklahoma Is Again Visited by a Devas.
tating Storm.

'oiii SHI 'lC Odbduldu NdlltN is Il ufeafy
waste, and her people are overcast with
gloom. At sunrise this morning a
mighty wall of water from six to eight
feet high and a mile wide broke upon
West Guthrie without warning, crush
ing houses, sweeping away property
and drowning people by the score.
Every moveable thing was swept before
the wave, which passed on into the val
ley with resistless force, wreaking ter
rible destruction to life and property
wherever it reached. Dozens of human
lives are known to have been sacrificed,
how many, may not be known for
weeks; hundreds of houses were wrecked
in the twinkling of an eye; for miles
farms were completely ruined bridges
and tracks were washed out and rail-
way traffic in every direction is left at
standstill. The most complete chaos
has prevailed all day. The efforts of
rescuing parties have in many cases
proved in vain. Many people foated
down stream before they could be
reached, and their fate is unknown;
others will pass the night in trees in
midstream, or perched on housetops.
1t is impossible to estimate the dead.
The property loss is placed at some-
thing near a million dollars.
Fully two-thirds of the victims were
colored people. Business has been sus-
pended all day in Guthrie, the stores
and banks being closed. AS thorough
organization for relief as is possible has
been made, but all aid has been neces.
sarily retarded by the confused condi-
tion of things. 1t will be impossible
to explore the houses until the water
shall subside, as many of them are sub
merged. AS darkness gathered over
the scene many overturned houses could
be seen far out in the flood, but it could
not be learned whether their occupants
escaped. The river is thirty feet above
its ordinary level.
A heavy rain began falling this after
noon. A threatening bank of clouds
came up from the northwest and many
persons fled to their tornado cellars. fear
ing that another wind disaster was
upon them. Luckily, however, the
damage was slight. The food is sup
posed to have been caused by a cloud
burst, supplemented by heavy rains.
The Cottonwood river, ordinarily a
small stream, that winds between steep
banks in West Guthrie, was bank full
from heavy rain yesterday and last
night, but no alarm was felt, as the
river had been rising gradually during
the night. About 6 o'clock, however,
waters from a cloudburst above had
added to those already nearly to the
level of the high banks, and the flood
was sweeping through West Guthrie, a
section populated mostly by colored
people. Persons who saw the first wall
of water said that it was about eighteen
inches high, spreading entirely across
the valley. There was no front of it,
save that in the rivers channel. The
first wave was followed by others in
quick succession, until the whole
swelled into bank of water from six
to eight feet high. Many 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 rag
ing, resistless torrent that no power of
man could hope to stay.
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 reser-
voir poured into the river.
In the southwestern part of the city
long arm of land is formed by the
winding of the river. On this land
lived hundreds 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, when the
flood from the reservoirs came down in
solid wall, and cut across the arm of
land near the mainland, cutting off
the people from escape. They fled
from their homes to the higher portion
of the newly formed island. In half an
hour the mountain of water had done
its work, and practically spent itself.
The air became hideous with the crash
ing of houses and the cries for help of
the unfortunates. When the first shock
of the disaster was over the more for
tunate on the island Immediately began
to help those nearest them, while
across in Guthrie prompt steps were
taken at rescue.
The houses, barns and other effects
began to drift down stream, each
freighted with one or more human be-
ings, boats or RATS shot here and there
from the shore, and desperate efforts
were made to rescue the people. I'm
provised RATS were quickly thrown to-
gether and started out into the mad
stream. Before many of them had
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