The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-29
TIE FLOOD AT Ell RENO.
A Hurricane Adds to the Terror of tho
Inhabitants.

y Hurricane Adds to the Terror of tho
Inhabitants.
El Reno, o. r., April 29.-For the first
time since the white man settled in the
Canadian valley, 20 years ago, yester-
days sun sent its rays over an Okla
homa sea. The dry spell was broken
Saturday, when u fierce storm that
turned the streets into torrents. wash
ed away crossings, tore out sewers and
moved small buildings, broke upon the
town. Saturday at midnight the sit.
uatiOn was intensified by a hurricane
blowing 46 miles an hour, which drove
binding sheets of water through the
roofs Of already damaged houses. Per-
sons were driven in terror to storm
cellars and caves. and spent the night
in momentary expectation of being
borne away by the flood.
Sunday morning shone bright and
clear, and the gauge showed a fall of
81 inches since Saturday noon. The
streets had been plowGd with gulches,
small buildings toppled over, and hero
and there bits of furniture and other
household effects flOated about. The
valley of the Canadian, which on Sat
urday morning had been a beautiful
stretch of farms and homes on Sunday
displayed network Of lakes and ISL
ands, dotted with half flooded houses,
and horses and cattle struggling for
places of safety.
Tuesday noon a heavy cloud swept
up from the west, and another delugc
descended upon the town. The water
fell in sheets, and by G o'clock in the
evening the rainfall amounted to over
five inches. About o'clock an in
tensely black cloud moved toward the
city from the west. 1t was typical
tornado. and the streets were soon
filled with running, shouting people
seeking cave or cellar. Stores and
homes were deserted, and the people
huddled together awaiting the blow.
The center of the storm passed over
the southeastern corner of the town,
striking the hills across the valley and
wrecking all it touched.
With the tornado came the heaviest
fall of water recorded here in a like
period. over two inches falling in so
minutes. All day the river had been
rising at frightful rate, reaching the
siecDprs of the railroad bridge and
moving 1t out of line. The wagon
bridge went out when the water reach
ed its floor and the bridge and drift
serving as an obstruction, forced the
water out over the bottoms. washing
out cops, moving houses and drown
ing stock. A dam on the Ellison ranch
gave way and carried out a bridge on
the Fort Reno road. swept the fair
oil nd In
af the Chocktaw railroad Rising into
the houses of the bottom and farmers,
it compelled them to desert their
homes.
The rescue of many families was
made at great danger TO the lives Of the
reaCucrs. A party composed of A. e.
Woodliff, Pete Carr, Henry Schaeffer,
Charles Justin, James Tompkins, Rov.
Father Hall and others Immediately
set at work resculnG the unfortunates.
In the home Of Thomas Palmer the
latters wife and several children were
rescued from the tops of bureaus Just
as the water was creeping up to their
feet. 1t was with difficulty that they
were removed to imprOvsed RATS and
taken to dry land. The families of
Mrs. Hall, Tom Potter, Colonel Sew
cry and Mrs Black were rescued from
their homes in a similar manner. In
each instance the water had swept
through the windows and was grad
ually rising.
During the trip raft of railroad
ties went to pieces on submerged
wire fence, and the entire party was
thrown into the water. They were all
saved. A little child of Frank Hol-
man fell into a washed out crossing
and was drowned. NJ A. Bickforl, a
nilliman, nearly lost his own life in
trying to save the little one.
Lightning played havoc. striking the
spire of the Presbyterian church and
totally wrecking It, The schoolhouse
for colored children was struck at
o'clock In the afternoon. the structure
shattered and about go pupils more or
less seriously hurt.
Several other houses were struck by
lightning. but no one was killed, Fur
ther west the lightning killed much
stock. The electric light wires went
down and the town was In darkness
Reports from surrounding towns are
meager. as the telegraph wires are
down and trains have all been stopped
however, that many homes have been
washed but in towns adjacent to FL
Reno, and 1t Is feared many lives have
been lost West Of here Frank Thomp-
Bori and the 16-year-old son of Hiram
MGGrlffen we're drowned.