The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-04-29
MANY LIVES ARELOST.
Cottonwood River Sweeps Away Par;
Ofthe Town Of Guthrie.
RIVER COMES UP SUDDENLY.
HOusss nsidsss sad People swept Down
the Rushias sarsan-Net Known
New hasy Lives Are Losl
haay Narrowly Escaped.

Kansas City. April 1s.-A special to
the Star from Guthrie. o. T.. says a
terrible food IN Cottonwood river sud
denly engulfed West Guthrie shortly
after sunrise this morning. and there
is every reason 10 believe fully a score
Of persons we're drowned. Hundreds
we're driven from their homes and
many houses swept away. Owing 20
the intense excitement and the lack Of
boats. nothing can be vouehsd for at
present.
Cottonwood river is a small stream.
scarcely more than 20 feet wide. that
runs through West Guthhs. A ter
rife rain fell all yesterday afternoon,
and the greater part Of last night The
river vas already full from heavy
rains several dAys ago. No great alarm
was felt last night but At about 8
o'clock this morning the river began
TO rise a. n By magic. Jumping four
feet In 30 minutes West Guthrie is
thiekly populated. mostly by oolored
people Many began carrying their
household goods 10 places Of safety,
but they we're forced TO fee for their
lives. a. the river burst from lie banks
and the raging sea OF water. half A
mile vide swept across the valley,
carrying houses. barns and fences be-
fore Il. To add 10 the horror. the main
supply pipe Of the vatervorks system
burst where Il crossed the Cottonwood
river In the southern part OF the city.
and all the water in the reservoirs
poured into the river
in the Southwestern part Of the city
a long arm Of land was formed By
the widening Of the river On this land
lived hundreds Of negroes During the
night the bridge leading across the
river to the city vas swept away and
then the food from the reservoirs came
down IN q solid wall and cut on the
people tron escape. They FED from
their homes 70 higher parts Of the nev.
J formed islAnd The river By 81
O'Clock vas % feet higher than the us
ual level.
II is believed there was much loss
Of life In that par, Of the city. but pso-
pie are too bsvildsred to ascertain the
facts now. House after house vas
swept away. Debris vas jammed
against the strong bridge near Hsims'
lee plan, and the bridge torn from ia
moorinEs and carried aWAy. ana
horses, cows aud chickens soon dotted
the river In all directions Msn and
Women could Be seen In houses. bech- |
oninE for help In many instances
water Aaa reached the caves OF the |
houses.
An old negro mas vas seen on a
noating house The house vas over.
turned and he sank from sight Many |
persons had elanbered into trees. but |
there we're no boats for rescuinE. and /
men SET about constructing rata. but
the terrible sviftnsss Of the current
made Il impossible to manage the
crude craft
The Guthrie club quickly Organized
. reseuing party and began the con-
struetion Of boats Three darinE
raf,smsn sought TO rescue an old man
from q tree The raft struck an over
hanging limb and the raftsmen we're
knoeksd non their feet They man
aged TO stay on the raft. however. and
II vent vhirling toward the ctmma-
ron. Nothing since has been heard OF
the men.
Two men secured a small stsrn-
wheel pleasure boat and AsroloAlly
went to the rescue Of a number Of men
and women lodged IN trees. Many per-
sons we're rescued amidst cheers Of the
spectators. rhs cable which held the
boat suddenly parted and the boat vas
drawn into the current and carried
away.
Many overturned houses can be seen
far outlin thsleood but Il will be hours
before the fate Oi their occupants can
Be leaFned. Many persons elaim 20
have ssfn persons drowning.
Il will be alnOst impossible to ana
the bodiss before weeks have passed.
a. everything is svep, into Cimmaron /
river two miles away. which ls from
one to two miles vide
TO two miles vide
The large bridge has gone out ana
u is feared the newly completed steel
bridge Of the Santa Fe is weakened.
The tracks Of the Santa Re are sub
merged and trafhc has been abandoned.
Small railway bridges In an directions
have been washed out
Losses In Guthrie will reach many
thousands OF dollars The disaster
equals the Chandler tornado FOR its
terrible suddenness
Al O'Clock this afternoon the West
srn Union Telegraph company report
ed that every wire communicating
with Guthrie had gone down. II