The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-29
A TOWN fRGOLFED
Nigh; 4 Ill If Water IS ea1s
Upon G .thri~. Or '<sis.'l1a.
MAN .lV.S WERE LOST
HON MANY MAY NOT BE KNOWN
FOR WEEKS.
CAUGHT IN A CtOUC-RURST
RANK OF WATER SIN FEET HIGH
AND A MILE WIDE.
MAN ,IV.S WERE LOST
CAUGHT IN A CLOUo-BURST
TALE o. DEATH AND ESCAPE

AIALE o. DEATH AND ESCAPE
An Oklahoma Sea in the Canadian
Valley after Hurricanes aro Stsrm
Climax Was Teached IN 4u&e stack
Cloud = hen Came the FioFce and
Frantic Sa:tie Of Despair with the
Elements, ! .rree- Four.hs of tine VIC
tins Were Negroes
Guthrie. Oklahoma, April 2S.-For
miles tonight the Canadian Valley Is
.slreary waste At sunrise this morning
mighty wall of water. from SIX to eight
feet high and a mile wide, broke upon
West Guthrie without warning. crushing
houses. sweeping away property ana
drowning people by the score. Every
movable thing was swept before the
wave. which passed on into the valley
with resistless force, working terrible de-
struction to Efe and property wherever
lit reached.
Dozens of human lives are known to
have been sacrifced-how many may not
houses were wrecked; for miles farms
were completely ruined, bridges and
tracks were washed out and railway traf-
fic in every direction is at standstil.
The efforts of rescuing parties have in
many cases proved in vain. Many peo-
ple fioated down the stream before they
could be reached, and their fate is un-
known; others will pass the night in
trees in mid-stream or perched on house
tops The property loss is placed at
something near a million dollars.
Fully two thirds Of the victims were
colored people. Business has been sus-
pended all day in Guthrie. AS thorough
an organization for relief as possible has
been made. but all aid has been necessa-
rily retarded by the confused condition
of things 1t will be impossible to eA-
plore the houses until the water sub
sides. as many of them are submerged.
AS darkness gathered many overturned
houses could be seen far out in the flood,
but it could not be learned whether their
occupants escaped. The river is thirty
feet above its ordinary level. A heavy
rain began falling this afternoon.
threatening bank of clouds came up from
the northwest and many persons fled to
their tornado cellars fearing that another
disaster was upon them. Luckily, how
ever, the damage was slight.
THEN CAME THE CLOUD-BURST.
The Cotton Wood river, small stream
that winds between steep banks iii
West Guthrie, was bank-full from q
heavy rain yesterday and last night.
About six O'clock waters from a cloud
burst above added to those already near
ly up to the level Of the high banks and
the food was sweeping through West
Guthrie, section populated mostly by
colored people. Persons who saw the
first wall of water said that it was about
eighteen feet high, spreading entirely
across the valley. There was no water
in front of it save that in the rivers
channels. The first was followed by
others in quick succession, until the
whole settled into a bank of water from
six to eight feet high. Many had al
ready begun carrying their household
goods to places of safety, but few had
made more than one trip when they were
forced to flee for their lives before a
raging, resistless torrent.
The main supply pipe of the water
: works system burst where it crossed the
Cotton Wood. in the southern part of the
city, and all the water in the reservoirs
poured into the river.
In the southwestern part of the city
long arm Of land is formed by the wind
ing of the river. On this land lived hun
dreds Of negroes. During the night the
bridge leading across the river to the main
section was swept away. The people
were absorbed in watching the rising wa
ters this morning when the floods from
the reservoirs came down in a solid wall
and cut across the arm of land near the
main land, cutting off escape. The people
fed from their homes to the higher por-
tions of the newly formed island. In
half an hour the mountain of water had
done its work and practically spent itself.
The air became hideous with the crash
ing of houses and the cries of the unfOr-
tunates. When the first shock of the
disaster was over, the more fortunate
on the island began to help those nearest
them, while across in Guthrie proper
prompt steps were taken at rescue. The
houses, barns and other effects began to
drift down the stream, each freighted
with one or more human beings: boats or
RATS shot out here and there from the
shore and desperate efforts were made
to rescue the people. Improvised rafts
were quickly thrown together and start
ed out into the mad stream. Before
many Of them had been propelled cou-
pie of yards from shore, they were
twisted and broken by the waters and the
would-be rescuers thrown into the stream
Half dozen rescuers were drowned
even before those they had tried to save
had been reached.
WOMEN AND BABIES DROWNED.
Gus Platt. business manager of the
Guthrie Leader and George Willis, a mer-