The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-05-06


Upon the City With Cyclones Roar
GUTHRIE. Oklahoma (SpeciaD.-At sun
rise Wednesday wall Of water eight fee,
high and mile wide broke upon West
Guthrie without warning, drowning score:
Of people and carrying away scores ot
houses. Every movable thing was swept
before the wave which passed on into the
Canadian River Valley, wreaking destruc-
tion to life and property wherever 1t
reached. Just how many lives we're lost
may not be known for weeks, but the list
Is almost certain to exceed hundred.
Hundreds Of houses were wrecked; for
many miles many farmers were complete
ly ruined. Bridges and tracks were washed
out and railway trafic in every direction
Is at q standstill. More than . million dol
lars damage was done TO property. The
efforts OF rescUing parties have In many
cases proved in vain; many persons noated
down stream before they could be reached.
Business was wholly suspended sI day In
Guthrie, the stores and banks being closed.
As thorough an organization for relief as Is
possible has been made. but all aid has been
necessarily retarded by the confused condi-
ton Of things.
It has been impossible to explore the
houses until the water subsidies, as many OF
them are submerged. As darkness gath
cred over the scene many overturned houses
were seen far out in the flood, but 1t could
not be learned whether their occupants es-
capped. The river Was thirty feet above its
ordinary level.
The food is supposed to have been caused
by q clouSburst, supplemented by heavy
rains. The Cottonwood River. ordinarily
small stream, that winds between steep
banks in West Guthrie, was bank fall nom
q heavy rain, but no alarm was felt.
Early in the morning water from cloud
burst above had added to the already high
stream and . flood began sweeping through
West Guthrie. . section Of the city popu-
lated mostly by colored people.
Those who saw the first wall OF water
said il was eighteen feet high. spreading
entirely across the valley. This was fol-
lowed by others in quick succession, until
the whole settled into . bank Of water,
from six to eight feet high. Many persons
had already begun carving their household
goods to places ofsafety. but few had made
more than one trip when they were forced
to Zee for their lives before the raging tor
rent.
Some thought the roar Was that Of tor
nado and sought their caves, only to perish
q few moments later. Others stopped to
save things until it was too late.
The railroad tracks are on the east
bank of the river For three-quarters
of a mile across Is the valley running
through the western part OF the city,
and In II are many of the finest resi-
denees. and a small business section.
where are about twenty stores and several
mills, warehouses, etc In less than
twenty minutes from the time the hood
struck the city this entire section was in
undated, and within an hour the water was
ten feet deep and hundreds OF buildings
were floating away.
Not only the meaner structures, but dne
residences, store buildings, cotton gin
and other large structures went into ruins
or fioated away down the stream.
On many buildings were men, women snd
children. From hundreds OF trees came
uiteous calls for help. and the airwas hide
Gus with the struggles and screams OF do
nestle animals. Most of the boats were
crushed or carried away, and little could
be done to help many who fell or were
swept from places OF refuge and were
drowned before the eyes OF helpless s2ecta-
tors.
A eolored woman with baby in her arms
desperately tried 70 steady herssil In tree
top. calling the while for help. She grew
weak, and the baby slipped into the water
and was drowned. She was finally rescued
and said her family OF six had been lost.
woman vading from home, with her
baby on her head. was seen to go under,
and a man swimming the channel TO reach
four women and baby in tree was car
RED down stream. :,
Two women and a child were carried
sway on a bridge further down stream. and
one man and two women in plain sight OF
shore were on q house roof when 1t went
10 pieces. They all perished.