Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-04-29
CANADIAN VALLEY INUNDATED.

scu anu NIeOiSS SU1ltnSTS.
CANADIAN VALLEY INUNDATED.
Farms and Homes Wiped Out of Sight and
Many People Drowned.
Ell Reno, o. T., April 29.-For the first
time since the white man settled in the
Canadian valley, twenty-nine years ago,
yesterday mornings sun sent its rays
ever an Oklahoma sea. For ten days
the dust-parched people had looked aloft
with encouragement and prayed for
rain to save their crops or quench their
thirst. as the case might be. The flood
OF water that finally poured from the
skies and wiped their homes and farms
out of sight, and in many instances
swept away human lives, proved an
answer to their supplications that al
most amounted to punishment Tuesday
noon a heavy cloud swept up from the
west and a deluge spread over the
town. The water fell in perfect sheets.
A calm about o'clock brought atten-
ton to an intensely black and mon
strous cloud moving toward the city
from the west, which developed a tor
nado that, however, went clear of the
city.
With the tornado came the heaviest
fall of water ever recorded here in a
like period, over two inches falling in
thirty minutes. All day the river had
been rising at a fearful rate, reaching
the sleepers of the railroad bridge and
moving 1t out of line.' The wagon bridge
went out when the water reached its
floor and the bridge and drift, serving
as an obstruction, forced the water out
over the bottoms, washing out crops,
moving houses and drowning stock.
Rising into the houses of the bottom
farmers it compelled them to desert
their places and endeavor to save their
lives. The rescue of many families was
made at great danger to the rescuers
lives. A party Immediately set to work
rescuing the unfortunates.
In the home Of Thomas Palmer the
latter's wife and several children were
rescued from the tops Of bureaus jus,
as the water was creeping up to their
! feet. They had been screaming for helr
| for some time and it was with difficulty
that they were removed to the impro-
vised RATS Of the rescuers and taken
| to dry land. The families Of Mrs. Hall
Tom Potter, Colonel Severy and Mrs
! Black were rescued from their homes
| in similar manner. A little child OF
Frank Holman fell into a washed-out
| crossing and was drowned. The ice
| plant was flooded to a depth of fou,
| feet and Harry Bradford, the manager
| was awakened about l o'clock in the
morning to find himself sleeping in q
| floating bed. The bed turned when hi
| tried to arise. covered him with we,
blankets. sank and nearly drowned
| him.
Lightning played havoc, striking the
spire of the Presbyterian church an6
totally wrecking it. Mrs. McGrath, wife
| of the cashier Of the Stock Exchange
bank, seated in her home across the
street, was knocked from her chair and
| badly hurt. The school house for col
| ored children was struck at 3 o'clock IL
| the afternoon, the structure was shat
| tered and about fifty pupils more or les.
| seriously hurt. Among the more badly
injured are Eva Clauston, Bertha Tur
| ner, Charles Waters and Beulah Claus
| ton. The latter was paralyzed. Severa
| other houses were struck by lightning
but no one was hurt. Farther west tn,
lightning killed much stock
It is known that many homes hav,
| been washed out in towns adjacent t,
FL Reno and it is feared many live
have been lost. West of here Franz
Thompson and the 16-year-old son O
Hiram McGriffen were drowned.