The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-05-05
A DEATH DEALING FLOOD.
A CITY SWEPT BY WATER RUSHING
LIKEATlDAL WAVE.


Thousand People Made Homeless-Cot-
ton Wood River Suddenly swelled by a
Cloud Burst.
| Where at daylight Wednesday
morning stood the most beautiful resi-
dence portion of Guthrie, 0. T., now
| is flood devastated, stricken and de-
molished district. The houses that
are left are toppled about like card
board boxes after wind storm and
ceaseless waves of resistless waters
roll through or over half thousand
deserted and wrecked homes. Two
thousand homeless people are gather
ed shivering on the bluffs west Of the
city or housed in the homes of the
part of the city which lies, high and
dry on the hills. A hundred or more
have gone down to watery graves and
thousands have lost their all.
Flom noon Tuesday till midnight
there was an incessant downpour in
and about this citv, and it was feared
that the Cotton Wood river, which
was already very high, would do
much damage. But the watchers at
the bridges were surprised to see. the
river 60 down and by daylight it had
fallen 10 feet.
Just as they were about to 60 off
duty at 6 o'clock. they were startled
by q terrific roar from the top of the
river valley and were soon convinced
that terrific flood was coming. The
fire alarm was given and policemen
and others rode all over town near the
river, rousing families and warning
them to flee for their lives. Some
thought the roar was a cyclone and
sought their caves, only to perish a
few moments later; others stopped to
save things until it was too late, and
very few would at first believe that
any great danger was threatened.
With mighty roar the flood came
down the valley mile wide, 90 feet
deep in the channel and four feet
across the entire valley. 1t struck the
city at 6 80 in the extreme southwest,
where the negroes mostly live, and in
a few moments hundreds Of their lit.
tie homes were carried away and
many lives were lost. The railroad
tracks are on the east bank of the riv.
er for three quarters of mile. Across
is the valley running through the
western part of the city, and in it is
much of the finest residence portion
and small business section, where
there were about 90 stores, several
mills, warehouses, etc. In less than
I20 minutes from the time the flood
struck the city the entire section was
Inundated, and within an hour the
water was 10 feet deep and hundreds
of buildings were floating away. Not
only the meaner structures, but finer
residences, store buildings, large cot
ton gin and other large structures
went into ruins; or foated down the
stream. On many buildings were
men, women and children. From
hundreds of trees came piteous calls
for help. With the first rush went
every bridge in the city.
The few boats were crushed or car
ried away and nothing could be done
to help many who fell or were swept
from places of refuge and were
drowned before the eyes of the horri
fed but powerless spectators. By 9
o'clock the water was 80 feet above the
normal level of the river, and the
once placid stream was raging tor
rent across the entire valley.
It seemed soon that people in trees
and on roofs would be swept away and
desperate measures were taken to help
them. George Willis and 81. A. Platt,
both prominent business men, stripped
and leaping into the torrent swan the
main channel of the river and secured
an old flat boat which was moored to
a tree. With this boat they saved
over 80 people.
Eugene Gill and Walter Olds at.
tempted to save family on a raft,
but were carried away and barely es.
capped with their lives. George Owen,
a butcher, headed rescue party in a
hastily constructed fatboat. The
boat capsized in the current and he
died a hero's death. Scores of men
were at work at the lumber yards con-
structing boats, and by 10 o'clock six
scows were launched. Severel cap.
sized and were cerried away, and it is
believed that two of the men man
ming them perished.
Alto o'clock the flood was at a stand
still, half hour it was beginning to
recede and by dark it had gone down
5 feet. Early in the day the telephone
wires went down, and as none of the
boats which crossed the main chan
mel were able to get back. it was i'm.
possible to get any facts as to who had
perished.
This evening lins was shot across
with a rocket and a cable drawn
across; boats are being ferried back
and forth, and food is being taken
to the hundreds of famished people on
the bluffs and the 200 or 800 negroes
in the large rrick school house, who
have had nothing to eat since yester
day. Fully q score of boats have
been constructed and every part OF
the flooded district is being patrolled
and all the people taken from places
of danger. 1t is impossible to correct
ly estimate the number of drowned.
1t is generally conceded that the death
list will reach 100.
A number of bodies were seen going
down the river and tonight calls can
be heard for help. The property loss
will be fully 800, 900 in the city and
will reach hundreds of thousands in
the coudtry. Up and down the Cot
tonwood valley for miles everything
is swept away and it is believed many
more people perished in the country.