The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-05-07
DEAD AND MISSING
First Reports OF the Loss OF Life
at Guthrie Exaggerated.
Not over Twenty Dead. Many OF Those
Given Up for Lost Having Been
Found Alive and Rescued from
Pcriious situations.

GUTHRIE. Okla, April 29.-In tn.
fiood-stricken valley of the Cottonwood
river to-day has been one of heroic eff
forts towards the rescue Of those un.
fortunates whose lives were still en-
dangcrcd and for the relief of the hum
drcds of destitute and hungry. To-
night IL seems a certainty that the loss
of life in Wednesdays deluge will not
exceed 20.
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 hundreds.
The negroes who lived in the stricken
portion of the town, had, in their ter
ror, given up their missing friends, or
relatives as lost. and il was the general
belief that scores had persisted in their
homes Or in tornado cellars. But when
daylight came this morning the flood
had subsidized and examinations to-day
of the houses and cellars failed to con-
firm the reported heavy loss of life.
Daylight found dozcns 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 l 800 people home
less, half-ill from exposure and hun
ger, passed IA miserable night. and
morning found most of them too weak
to give much assistance either to them
selves or others.
The scene in the flood-swept district
this morning was one of d~esolation.
The river fell rapidly during the night.
n when the sun rose thN awful ex-
tent of the damage done TO property
could be seen. The river was still bank
full, but the water had 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 carcasscs Of
drowned horses cattle. hogs and chick
ems. Whole blocks. where yesterday
stood a home on nearly every lot. Were
stripped bare: huge trees. torn up by
their roots, were scattered everywhere.
gulches had been washed out of the
streets, gardens were devastated. fruit
trees leveled. lawns and flower beds
cleared off level as a table, and fences
completely down.
With the first raw of daylight the
work of rescue and relief was taken up
with a vim and kept up with u ~tireless
energy till nightfall made ii impossible
to continue. During last night men
had been put to work in lumber yards
constructing boats and dawn to-day
witnessed a dozen craft dartin- out
from all directions to the rescue IF the
unfortunate people. People who had
missing ones began searching very
where for their bodies. taking risks
that ordinarily they would nos have
been able to have taken. Many of
those who had only lost property went
up and down the stream trying to re-
cover some of it-some parts Of a house,
bed clothing Or wearing apparel.
The work of the raftsmen proved
most effective and one by one the peo-
pie we're transported from their peril
Gus positions to places of safety on
land. All day long the rescuers
worked inccssantly and every house,
drift pile and tree was closely exam
ined in search of the dead.
Excited negroes. who had climbed to
the roof a house, held an all-day prayer
meeting and their shouting could he
plainly heard in Guthrie. They were
all finally rescued The family of
Wesley McGill. reported yesterday as
drowned, was found safe.
The only bodies found during the
day were those of Mrs. Fannie Rufiin
and five children. all lodged in a pile
of driftwood. These. with George
Owen. the butcher. drowned while
rescuing others; Frank Myers. Mrs.
Ella Dumas. Mrs. Francis Moore, Mrs.
Drummond, Mrs. DENIES and child.
and Mrs. Watson, are the only identi-
fled dead, though many are still miss
ing.
During the day systematic relief was
perfected and carried on. Ferries
piled the river. carrying provisions and
clothing everywhere. and returning
with any injured or urgent eases of
distress. Such were cared for in pri-
waite homes in Guthrie. BY nightfall
ample arrangements had been made
for the immediate care of the home
less and there was an assurance of no
further suffering. at least, for the time
being. Five hundred homes had been
swept away. $50 houses were
wrecked and 90 stores devastated.
leaving 1000 people homeless and half
"a many destitute and the work of sup
plying shelter and food for all these
was no mean undertaking. But the
G~uthrieitcs were equal to the task, and
by night thousands of dollars had
been su absorbed to aid the afflicted and
was being distributed with good eff
feet under the direction of the Guthrie
club.
The damage along the Cimarron
river east is very extensive and hun
drcds of farms nave been devastated
along Deep Fork in Lincoln county.
Hundreds Of men worked all day re-
building houses along the stream or
strengthening or tearing down dam
aged bridges, as the eases warranted.
The Santa Ee had 800 men working