Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-04-29
SCORES DROWNED.
Mighty Flood Wave Sweeps
Streets of Guthrie, O. T.
Buildings Washed Away--PeopIe Hur-
ried to Death Without Warning.
Cloudburst Drives River Over Banks--Most Of
The Dead Were Negroes.

Kansas City, Mo, April 2S-A special
to the Star from Guthrie, o. r., says:
A terrible food in the Cottonwood river
suddenly engulfed West Guthrie short
ly after sunrise. this morning. There
is reason to believe that fully a score
of persons have been drowned. Hun
dreds were driven from their homes
and many houses We're swept away.
It is the most appalling disaster that
ever befell the city of Guthrie. Owing
to the intense excitement and lack of
boats nothing can be verified at pres
ent
The Cottonwood river is small
stream scarcely more than 40 feet wide.
that winds in many curves between the
banks in West Guthrie, which lies in
the level valley of the river. A terrific
rain fell all yesterday afternoon and
a greater part of last night. The river
was already full from a heavy rain
several days ago. No great alarm was
felt, last night, as the river rose grad
ually and the people felt that it was
impossible for the waters to rise high
enough to overflow the steep banks.
About 8 o'clock this morning. the
river began to rise as If by magic
Higher and higher il came. jumping
four feet in 80 minutes at o'clock
West Guthrie is thickiy populated.
mostly by colored by colored people
Many began carrying their household
goods to places of safety. Few had
made more than one trip when they
were forced to flee for their lives The
river burst from its banks and raging
sea Of water. half a mile wide. swept
across the valley. carrying houses.
barns and fences before it.
To add to the horror of the situa ton the
main supply pipe of the water works
system burst where il crossed the Cot
tonwood in the southern part of the city,
and all the water in the reservoir burst
into the river
In the southwestern part of the city a
long farm land is formed by the widening
of the river In this land lived hundreds
Of negroes. During the night the bridge
leading across the river to the city had
been swept away. The people We're ab-
sorbed in watching the rising water, this
morning, when the flood from the reser-
voir came down in solid wall and across
the arm of land near the mainland cut
ting the people off from escape.
The river by Q o'clock was 30 feet higher
than its usual level. 1t is believed that
there was much loss of life in part of the
city. but the authorities are too bewil-
ptTtu 10 MAKE II possible TO ascertain tne
facts House after house. many of them
of attractive architecture, was lifted
from its foundation and swept away.
The debris iammed against the bridge,
which was soon carried away.
Men and women could be seen in
houses beckoning for help. In many in
stances the water had reached the caves
of the houses. An old negro woman was
seen on a floating house. The house |
was overturned and she sank from sight. |
,l. ,1,s,tsu f,,f
There We're no boats for rescuing and the |
men set about constructing RATS. When
placed in the river. the terrible swiftneSS
of the current which boiled and tossed |
as if in tempest, made 1t impossible |
to manage them. |
The Guthrie Club quickly organized a |
rescuing party and began the construc- |
tion of boats. Three men attempted to |
rescue an old man from tree. The raft. |
as it rushed down the river. struck the |
overhanging limbs and the raftsmcn Were |
knocked from their feet. They managed |
to stay on the raft, however. and it went |
toward the Cimmaron. Nothing |
has since been heard from the men.
Two men secured a small stern wheel |
pleasure boat and heroically went to the |
rescue of a number of men and women /
who were lodged in trees. Many persons |
We're rescued amidst the cheers of specta- |
tors. The cable which held the boat sud |
denly parted and the boat was drawn into /
the current and carried away. Fortu-
nately it was finally landed further down /
the stream
Many overturned houses can be seen
far out in the food but it will be hours |
before the fate of their occupants can be |
learned. There are many who claim to /
have seen persons drowned.
The Cimarron river is from one to two
miles wide. The wagon bridge has gone /
out and it is feared that the newly COM
pleted steel bridge of the Santa Fe Rail-
road is weakening. The tracks of the
Santa Fe are submerged and all traffic
has been abandoned. Small railroad
bridges in all directions have been washed
lut. The losses in Guthrie will reach
thousands of dollars. The disaster equals
The Chandler tornado for its terrible sud-
ienneSS.
The water flooded everything in the val
eys of the Cottonwood and the Cimar-
ron. 1t caught may people asleep and
they We're either instantly drowned or |
hrown into the merciless waves in their
night clothes to fight for their lives as |
best they could. Men. women and chill
iren clung to houses and tree tops. while
many were carried down the rapid |
stream on floating houses or some smaller
portions of their belongings 1t is known |
hat many We're knocked from trees by
he swift current and drowned. In many
instances mercantile stores and houses
we're literally wiped out