The record-union., 1897-04-30
THE FLOOD-STRICKEN
CANADIAN VALLEY,
Loss Of Life in Thursdays Deluse Not as
Great as First Believed.
The Death List, It is Thought, Will
Not Exceed Thirty.
The Scene of the Flooded District One
of Desolation-A Confused rlass of
Debris and Overturned and De-
molished Houses Scattered Over
the Valley Which the Day Previous
Was Sea of Water.

Was Sea of Water.
GUTHRIE Co. To, April 29-In the
f1ood-stricken valley of the Cottonwood
River to-day has been one of heroic eff
forts toward the rescue of those whose
lives were still endangered, and for the
relief of the hundreds of destitute and
the hungry. Tonight it seems a GER
tainty that the loss of life in yester-
days deluge will not exceed twenty.
All day missing people, supposed yes
terday to have been drowned, have
been found clinging to bushes or drift
wood down the stream on the west
bluffs or scattered in farmhOuses for
miles.
During the greater part of yesterday
the roaring torrent of water cut off
communication with the submerged
district, and in the general excitement
the death list was sWelled to hun
dreds. The negroes who lived in the
stricken portion of the town had, in
their terror, given up their missing
friends or relatives as lost, and it was
the general belief that scores had per-
lars, but when daylight came this
morning the flood had subsidized, and
examinations to-day of the houses and
cellars failed to confirm the reported
heavy loss of life.
Daylight found dozens of people still
clinging to trees, overturned houses or
timbers in perilous positions, which
they had sustained all during the weary
night. For miles along the scene of
devastation, 1900 people homeless,
half-ill from exposure and hunger,
passed a miserable night, and morning
found most of them too weak to avail
much assistance either to themselves
or others.
The scene in the 1ood-swept district
this morning was one of desoation. The
river fell rapidly during the night. and
when the sun rose the awful extent of
the damage done to property could be
seen. The river is still bankfuI, but
the water has receded from most of
the inundated district There was a
confused mass of debris and overturned
and demolished houses scattered over
the valley where last night was a sea
Of water The banks were Uttered with
the dead carcasses of horses, cattle
hogs and chickens. Whole blocks
where yesterday stood home on near
ly every lot. are stripped bare; huge
trees torn up by their roots were scat
tered everywhere; great gulches had
been washed out of the streets; gar
dens were devastated, fruit trees lev
eled, lawns and flower beds cleared as
level as table, and fences completely
gone.
With the first ray of daylight the
work of rescue and relief was taken
up with vengeance, and kept up with
a tireless energy until nightfall tonight
made it impossible to continue. Dur
ing the night men had been put to
work in lumber yards constructing
boats. and dawn to-day witnessed a
dozen craft darling out from all direc-
tiOns to the rescue of the unfortunates
People who had missing ones began
searching everywhere for their bodies
takink risks that ordinarily they
would not have been able to take
Many of those who had only lost prop
erty went up and down the stream try
ing to recover some of it--some parts Of
house, bed clothing or wearing an
parel.
The work Of the raftsmen proved
most effective, and one by one the peo-
pie were transported from their peril
Gus positions to places of safety on
land. All day long the rescuers worked
necessarily, and every house, drift pile
and tree was closely examined in search
of dead. Excited negroes who had
climbed to the roof of a house held an
all-day prayer meeting, and their
shouting could be plainly heard in
Guthrie. They were all finally rescued
The family of Wesley McGill. report
ed yesterday as drowned, was found
safe. The only bodies found during the
day were those of Mrs. Fannie Rufin
and five children, all lodged in a pile of
driftwood. These, with George Owen
the butcher drowned while rescuing 9TH
ers; Frank Myers, Mrs. Ella Dumas
Mrs. Jane Watt, Mrs. Frances Moore
Mrs. Drummond, Mrs. Dennis and child
and Mrs. Watson, are the oniy identi-
fed dead Many persons are still miss
ing, however.
During the day systematic relief was
perfected and carried on Ferries nlied
across the river carrying provisions
and clothing everywhere and returning
with any injured or urgent cases of
distress. Such were carefully cared for
in private homes in Guthrie. Bv night
fall ample arrangements had been
made for the immediate care of the
homeless, and there was an assurance
of no further suffering, at least for
the time being.
Five hundred homes have been swept
away, 100 houses were wrecked and
twenty stores devastated, leaving | 900
people homeless and half as MANY des-
titute, and the work of supplying shell
ter and food for all these was no moan
undertaking. But the Guthrieites were
equal to the task, and by tonight
thousands of dollars had been SUBJ
scribed to aid the afflicted, and was be-
ing distributed with good effect under
the direction of the Guthrie Club.
The damage along the Cimarron
River east is very extensive. and hun
dreds of farms have been devastated
along Deep Fork in Lincoln County.
Hundreds of men worked all day re-
building houses along the streams or
strengthening or tearing down damaged
bridges, as the case warranted.
The Santa Fe had 500 men working
on its tracks alone. Late this after