Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-05-06
A DES0LA7E Scene.
Ruined Buildings and Piles of
Wreckage at Guthrie.
DEATHS NAY NOT EXCEED TWENTY.


GUTHRIE, Ok, April sO.-The great
Guthrie food is q thing Of the past.
The waters have receded, and where
recently flowed ten feet Of water the
ground is almost dry, the great piles
Of wreckage, the crushed and ruined
buildings the scene Of general devas-
tation last night seeming more the
work Of mighty tornado than Of q
food. All night the water went down
fast, and by daylight the river was
within Its banks and people were be-
ginning to reconnoiter their disman-
tied homes or look disconsolately at
the wave-swept sites where they once
were. by noon yesterday hundreds of
workmen were at work restoring
houses, drays were moving the things
the flood disdained to destroy or carry
off, and people were again creating
homes.
A trip through every section of the
flooded district shows over 100 houses
entirely gone, three times as many
wrecked or damaged, dozen business
houses wrecked, and twice as many
stocks Of goods mixed. The loss is full
ly 100000 Five hundred people are
homeless, and twice as many have lost
their clothing, household goods and
personal effects.
With the receding water and the
coming dawn began the eager search
for the missing, and many were the
joyful meetings Of friends and relatives
with those supposed to have been lost
Many OF those reported last night as
positively drowned were found in trees.
on high places, and in houses lodged
down stream, and 1t soon became ap-
parent that the number of drowned
did not exceed 20 or 25.
The escapes made by survivors are
remarkable, and hundreds of the Incl
dents of the flood are as thrilling as
the tales Of war. One of the most re-
markable escapes was that of Mrs.
Rachel Mckinney, aged 65 She
climbed upon an arbor, where she
held for three hours, was knocked off
by driftwood, went under twice, float
ed an eighth Of mile, struck q house,
grasped window sill and, breaking
the glass with her hands, climbed in
and lay on the floor until rescued at
night. Daniel Smallwood swan halt
a mile, holding his crippled wife.
George Owens, the butcher, drowned
while rescuing others; Mrs. Fannie |
Putin, struck by log; John Miles, 60
ing under exhausted while saving chill
dren; Mrs. Eva Dumas, Mrs. Jane Watt,
H. M. Sawyer, Mrs Dennis and an un-
known man and wife are among those
positively reported drowned, but there
are many others who were carried |
away into the Cimarron and will never
be found.
Thieves and pillagers were looting
the wreckage along the river and en-.
tering many Of the dismantled houses
last night. Guards are out every
where, and II the guilty parties are
caught there is likely to be a lynching.
The receding water in the Cimarron
has left an immense pile Of wreckage
1T the railway bridge two miles north
If here, and the watchers there are
positive there are many bodies caught
Or buried there, declaring that several
nave been sighted. The body of
,olored baby and smooth faced white
nan have been recovered this evening,
out not yet identified. The first train
north for two days left here yesterday
evening, but 1t will be two days longer
before trains get through south, as
,wo miles of track have washed out
lear Seward, and much of it entirely
disappeared. The loss of the railway
company by the flood will be $4,000.