The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-30

Guthrie, Okla, April 29.-In the flood
stricken valley of the Cottonwood
river today has been one of heroic eff
forts toward the rescue of those unfor-
tunates whose lives were still endan-
gered, and for the relief of the hun
dreds of destitute and the hungry.
Tonight it seems a certainty that the
loss of life in yesterdays deluge will
not exceed 20.
All day missing people. supposed yes
terday to have been drowned. have
been found clinging 20 bushes or drift
wood down the stream, on the west
bluffs, or scattered in farm houses for
miles.
WHEN DAYLIGHT CAME.
During the greater part of yesterday
the roaring torrent of water cut eff
communication with the submerged
district. and in the general excitement
the death list was swelled to nun
dreds. The negroes who lived in the
stricken portion of the town had, in
their terror, given up their missing
friends or relatives as lost. and ii was
the general belief that scores had per-
iShed in their homes or in tornado Gel
lars. but when daylight came this
morning the flood had subsidized and eX-
aminations today of the houses and
cellars failed to confirm the reported
heavy loss of life.
DESOLATE SCENES.
Daylight found dozens of people still
clinging to trees. overturned houses or
timbers, in perilOus positions. which
they had sustained all during the
weary night. For miles along the
scene of devastation, 1,500 people home
less, i'll from exposure and hunger,
passed a miserable night, and morning
found most of them too weak TO avail
much assistance either to themselves
or Others The scene in the hOod-swapt
district this morning was one of desc
lation. The river fell rapidly during
the night. and when the sun rose the
awful extent of the damage done to
property could be seen. The ;lver is
still bank full. but the water has re-
coded from most of the inundated dis
trict
There was a confused mass of debris
and overturned and demolished houses
scattered over the valley where last
night was a sea of water. The banks
were Uttered with the dead carcasses
of horses. cattle. hogs and chickens.
Whole blocks, where yesterday stood
home on nearly every lot are
stripped bare; huge trees, torn UP by
great gulcheS had been washed out of
the streets, gardens were devastated.
fruit tres leveled. lawns and flower
beds cleared as level as a table. and
fences completely gone.
RESCUE AND RELIEF.
With the first ray of daylight the
work of rescue and relief was taken
up with a vengeance and kept up with
a tireless energy until nightfau TO-
night made it impossible to continue
During the night men had been rut
to work in lumber yards constructing
boats, and dawn today witnessed a
dozen craft darting out from all direc-
lions to the rescue of the unfortunates.
People who had missing ones began
searching everywhere for their bodies,
taking risks that ordinarily they would
not have been able to take Many of
those who had only lost property went
up and down the stream trying TO re-
cover some of it-some parts of a
house. bed clothing or wearing apparel
The work of the raftsmen proved most
effective, and one by one the people
We're transported from their peril
Gus positions TO places of safety on
land. All day long the rescuers worked.
necessarily, and every house. drift pile
and tree was closely examined in
search of dead.
NEGRO PRAYER MEETING.
Excited negroes who had climbed to
the roof of house held an all-day
prayer meeting, and their shouting
could be plainly heard in Guthrie. They
were all finally rescued.
The family of Wesley McGill, re
ported yesterday as drowned, was
found safe
The only bodies found during the day
were those of Mrs. Fannie Ruffin and
five children. all lodged in a pile Of
driftwood These, with George Owen,
the butcher drowned while rescuing
others; Frank Myers, Mrs. Ella Du-
Moore, Mrs. DrummOnd, Mrs Dennis
and child, and Mrs Watson are the
only identified dead.
Many persons are still missing, how
ever.
During the day systematic relief was
perfected and carried on. Ferries
piled across the river. carrying provi-
siOns and clothing everywhere and re-
turning with any injured or urgent
cases of distress. Such were carefully
cared for in private homes in Guthrie.
By nightfall ample arrangements had
been made for the immediate care Of
all the homeless, and there was an as
surance of no further suffering. at least
for the time being.
500 HOMES SWEPT AWAY.
Five hundred homes have been swept
away. $50 houses were wrecked and 20
stores devastated, leaving 1000 people
homeless and half as many destitute.
and the work of supplying shelter and
food for all these was no mean under
taking But the Guthrieites were equal
to the task. and by tonight thousands
IF dollars had been subscribed to aid
he afflicted and was being distributed
with good effect under the direction of
he Guthrie club. The damage along
he Cimarron river east is very ex-
-ensive and hundreds of farms have
been devastated along Deep Fork in
Lincoln county.
Hundreds Of men worked all day re-
houses along the stream or
or tearing down
damaged bridges as the case war
ranted.