The Topeka state journal., 1897-04-29
Work of Rescue Resumed With
Returning Light.
NOT so MANY DEATHS.
It is Thought That Not More
Than 25 Perished,
Though so Persons are Still
Missing and Houses Wrecked
To the Number of 15O-1, 900
People Are Homeless.

Guthrie, Ok, April 29.-Daylight in
the Cottonwood valley found dozens of
people still clingfng to trees, Overturn-
ed houses. or timbers in positions which
they had sustained all during the weary
night Here and there positions known
to have been occupied when darkness
came on last night were empty this
morning, and the only conclusion to be
drawn was that the luckless victims
had dropped into the river during the
night drowned and their bodies swept
down stream
For miles along the scene of devasta-
tion. two thousand people, homeless,
half i'll from exposure and hunger, pass
ed a mfserabl night and morning
found most of them too weak to give
much assistance either to themselves
or others. During the night the water
had receded rapidly and the work of
rescue was more easy this morning.
When darkness stopped further rescue
last evening every man available went
busily to work to construct RATS for
use today, and when the first light of
day broke, small parties started out
from different points and began trans
porting the people from their perilOus
positions to land. The water was not
so high. or swift as yesterday and the
rescuers made rapid progress during
the night. Organized relief under the
direction of Guthrie people was pushed
as completely as possible and renewed
efforts were put forth this morning. No
more reliable estimate of the dead or
of the property damage than was given
last night could be compiled this morn
ing Hourly bodies left on the land by
the receding waters or found pOcketed
in houses or piles of debris came to
light This within a few miles of Guth-
RE. What the damage to life and prop
erty further out into the country was
will only be known when wire and rail-
way train communication now at
standstill is resumed.
Guthrie proper lies on a high plain
and away west of similar eminence
stands the Catholic academy while be-
tween, in the once fertile valley is
sea in which floats the homes of one
section of the city In the interior of
many of these houses are the bloated
unrecOVered bodies of many victims
while on the tops of others and perch
ed high in the forks of the freshly green
trees are others still living but "a
hours without food and exhausted with
cHngfng, who wet and chilled, stuck to
their unsteady perches the hvelOng
nlght-SOme with children in their arms
without SubStenance and without
sleep Across the silent water they
cried out for help. but they had to wait
until the streak of dawn enabled eager
Tescuers to begin the work of relief
The spectacle this morning was a re-
markable chaos of mud, wrecks and
here and there a body left by the re
Ceding water
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
Many poor people who had struggled |
since the opening" eight years ago to
build up a little home, are left wi+b
only small plat of ground Their
houses household goods and in fact all |
Ihelr possessions save the clothing they |
Wore, nave gone down the river. The /
banks are Uttered with the dead car
casses OF horses, cattle, hogs and chick |
ems and great masses of debris. Among |
these people are searching for human
bodies EveTy house, drift pile and tree |
IS being examined TO see if they con |
tain any dead.
A great many bodies have already
been recovered. It will probably take a !
week 70 accurately tell teh exact num- |
Der of lives lost. MANY bodies are he |
heFed to be under the surface, weight |
go uoWn by umberS from the wrecked |
houses or bridges. People who have /
missing ones are searching everywhere |
Tor the bodies, taking risks that they |
would not ordinarily take. Those who |
have only lost property are going uD |
ana down the river trying to recover |
some of 1t, some parts of the house. bed |
clothing or wearing apparel
The scene is a distressing one P1oclxs
Whefe yeSJ Jerday stood a home on near |
~ every lot, are stripped bare; huge |
tered about everywhere. great gulches |
are washed out of the streets. gardens |
are devasted, fruit trees leveued. lawns |
and flower beds cleared off level as a /
table, and fences completely gone.
The 1900 homeless people were fed |
and sheltered last night and additional |
relief committees We're formed todav. |
over $4,000 has already been subscribed |
to the afflicted.
The cold wave which started in at 4 |
o'clock yesterday afternoon and con
9inued today will prove a blessing The |
sun shOne bright today. Wheat fields |
have been gradually Strengthening up |
and It is thought many will be partially |
saved.
been drowned are as follows:
Anna. Kaiser, a. school teacher
George Owens.
J. H. Calhoun, wife and child.
Charles Rufner and wife
Rastus NGcGiu, wife and five children.
Lena Burk
Mrs. James Watt.
Mrs Wesley NGcGil and five children. !
John Metz.